the maize of late august

the apache red in the top photo is beginning to "red" ( like hopi blue "blues" ) which i discovered when i found a critter gnawed ear...one plant down the bed i spotted another one i though the squirrels had been at...but no! the husk of a stunted and malformed ear had split open to reveal an ear about as done as it was going to get...a pineaplley sort of affair with kernels only on one side but, perhaps, the only mature ear that we will harvest this season...it is safely residing on my desk at the moment and on close examination it resembles popcorn more than a flint corn...could it be that the dakota black crossed with the apache red? could be...corn is wind pollinated and they were in fairly close proximity...i will be letting the little one dry for now...all community members have visitation rights...let me know when you're up for it...the bottom photo is of a pod corn ear coming along well...will the critters assault it? don't know...plan to find out.