Flood Kill

I came upon this lake while riding the Katy Trail last September. In the past weeks there had been high water which is shown by the lack of plants along the lake shore. Also notice the tree that is suffering because of that high water.

Basswood

The leaning tree on the right at the edge of the woods is the Basswood.

Height 62'
Circumferance 56.5"
Canopy 36' & 34'
Total points 127.3



1 to 2 red bud scales
leaves alternate
stipular scar < 1/2 around twig
leaf scar 1/8"
I could distinguish 4 bundle scars
Twig last yr red on one tree the other the whole twin was brown.
lateral and end buds 3/16"
lenticles oblong
pith solid yellow
twig and bud hairless
mature bark long furrows

Frost Heave

Here is dirt that shows frost heave. The water in the dirt freezes and causes the mud to rise as the water expands into ice. This ground was crunchy to walk on. But this is not the main reason for frost heave.

Water moves from warmer temperature to colder temperature. And the top of the soil will freeze first. So water will move up from below to the area that is freezing to cause more freezing near the top of the soil aggravating the effect of the frost heave. This causes the soil to be displaced even more. During thaw the soil drops back to its normal place. This soil action causes disruption in construction along the surface of the ground.

Frost creep is caused by the freezing and thawing of the soil that causes rocks etc to travel down hill.

Missouri has a large problem with this because we are in an area of the country that is swinging back and forth between the warming gulf temperature and frigid cold winds from Canada. I have seen it go from 60 degrees to 20 in a few hours and then back to the 50's the next day.

Mulberry Bark

I have not been able to nail down the ability to ID Mulberries well. This bark I thought was Mulberry but I was not sure. I got a twig I knew was a Mulberry sapling and took it to this tree and compared the 2 twigs. They are the same. Now I know what mature Mulberry bark looks like.

There is a local Red mulberry and a introduced species called White mulberry. I have learned that the Red mulberry has green in the buds with darker bud scale boarders. The White mulberry has red brown with few darker scale boarders in the buds.

Katy Trail Bluffs

Sunset

Old Snag

I came across this snag of 124 1/2". It probably was a White oak.

Black Bark Problem

Here is a tree not far from the one I talked about yesterday.

White Oak Bark Matures

In my hike this past week I noticed a White oak about 30" diameter that was showing mature bark from the ground to 3' above the ground. White oak is characterized by the scaly light gray bark. As the tree gets older the more common furoughs take prominence.

I was making it a point to document where this tree is located to find it again in the spring in my search in different areas of woods. Later in my hike I came across this tree with the same White oak bark changing from immature to mature as the tree bowl thickens. This tree though as a patch of bark that does not mature at the base of the tree.





I come up close to the tree to see this bark. I take a photo below that shows what is happening with this bark. Some fungi is growing in the bark, keeping it from maturing.


If you click on the photo you will get a close up which will show better the fungi growing in the bark.

Why is the the bark diseased? I don't know but it could be because of a problem with the continued growth of the tree. Is the roots getting enough water? Or is the tree overshadowed? Or is the tree approaching its maximum age? Is the tree lacking the correct nutrients? Was there an injury that opened the tree to attack?

Our walk with the Lord also faces opposition. When we stagnate there is a reason from keeping us from growing.

Some of the basic areas of stagnation spiritually are with our heart. Are we divided in our heart.
Time, money, pride, etc.

There is only one way to deal with our heart. We give our life to Jesus and live for Him denying ourselves and taking up our cross and following Him.

Lack of opportunity can also cause us to stagnate. Just as a tree that is overshadowed will be hampered in maturing, so Christians that are not allowed to be active in their giftings will stagnate.

Here is a short Bible study I wrote on tree bark.

Tree Combo

Here is a Shingle oak on the left growing next to a Persimmon on the right. As these trees get older it would be interesting seeing how the trees become a combo tree.

Short Stemed White Oak

Rocheport Tunnel on Katy Trail

As far as the Katy Trail this is probably the highlight. I spent a lot of time at a nature area near here.

Camping on the Katy Trail at Franklin

Old Chinquapin Oak 150 + Years Old

Circumferance 117"
Canopy 58' and 65'
Height 52'
Points 184 points

Warm Sunday Hike

I was planning to go on a woods hike and my daughter asked if she could go with me. I immediately said yes and changed my hike to a more civilized place.


In the center of this photo, trees are leaning toward it from both right and left, I measured a Black locust. I had not measured this species before. I also wanted to show my daughter how its done.
Circumference 4' 8"
Height 82'
Canopy 38' & 27'
Total Points 146

A lot of the Black locusts I have run across lately have the narrow crown and a bowl about the same as the one pictured here.




Later we came to this Bur oak, (the larger tree on the right side of the woods). Its circumference was 111" I made note of this and would come back to measure if it was a tree that would be bigger than what I had done before or the biggest in this park. It wasn't, when I got home there was only one Bur oak in my measurement records, that had a smaller diameter.


Here was a nice American Sycamore. The circumference was 143" Not big for this type of tree. I've got another tree that I may go to that has a rough measure of circumference of 179". Now if that tree is tall it may be the largest Sycamore I have measured.


Here is the trail we walked on. The weather was nice above freezing. But because of that we slipped on mud often.


Getting close to the car there was a branch across the trail that I set the camera on to get a self portrait of us. My dog thought we were in a race as I ran for the pose. She ran on by and you see a little of her as she came back as the camera took a photo.

I had kept my eye out for Shagbark hickory but I didn't see any.

Flat Top Pine

Ash Tree

Part of this tree was torn off for some reason. If you look at the top edge it looks like a heart. This tree represents to me going on living after a calamity. Life may go on but we would never be the same. I look to God in these times of hardship. He is my strength and my hope is in Him.

Lamentations 3:19-23
Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.
Surely my soul remembers
And is bowed down within me.
This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.


Height 58'
Circumference 102"
Canopy 58' and 52'
Total points 173.8

Gear

Click photo to enlarge.

Here is the gear I take with me to measure trees. I recently bought a clinometer. It measures angles and I can figure the height of a tree by using a trigonometric equation using the calculator.

I always like to carry my bird book, because I never know when I will catch a glimpse of a bird.

Compass: Not paying attention to where I am going, I have gotten lost in the past. So a compass will help me find my way back. I also use it to describe where a tree is.

10X hand lens: I use this to look at tree buds, leaf scars and bundle scars. This information helps me ID the tree.

100' steel tape: I use it to find the circumference of a tree the the crown spread. I use it to calculate the height of trees.

25' tape. I can get a quick read of a tree's diameter with this.



Here I am reeling the tape out to find the distance to a tree.

Big Cottonwood

This the largest tree I have measured. I know you guys out on the west coast will laugh at this but that is the way it is in the mid west.

Circumference 16' 9" 201
Canopy 99' & 85' 23
Height 130' 130

Total points 354

This park is on the old Missouri river bottom land.

Katy Trail Bridge

Going north from Boonville I got a shot of the bridge that will hopefully be part of the Katy trail. Currently the RR company wants to destroy the bridge and use the steel for scrap.

Two Sycamore trees with heart rot which is common with this species.

Red Bud Tree Buds :)

These photos were from last Spring. Added them just for a little color. Spring is coming. Yahoo!

Sometimes I look for the coming of the Lord in my life. There have been problems I have delt with for a long time. Jesus will make them better. Maybe it will be in heaven and maybe it will be here on earth. I look to Him for the answer. God is good.

Curved Tree

I like the way this tree continues to curve to find light. Most trees will curve until they get clear of obstructions. This tree seemed to have obstructions to the right and as it got taller it had obstructions to the left.

It appears now the tree is clear and can grow straight up.

Wild Flowrs

Now that we are deep into winter I decided to post some wildflowers from last July. Winter has a lot to offer but I miss the color of summer.

Booneville Depot on Katy Trail

The first day of my Katy trail bicycle ride I arrived at the Boonville depot. Later that day I found a festival on the main street and bought 2 burritos. This filled me up and on that fuel I continued on to my camping spot.

Turtle

It is not speed that will prevail but persistence.

Clouds

The new year is before us and we don't know what it will bring. Time continues to run if we are ready for it or not.

I look forward to a new year. A new beginning. A time for hope and a time to plan.



Psalm 64:10
"The righteous man will be glad in the Lord,
and will take refuge in Him;
And all the upright in heart will glory."




Photos taken 6-Nov-08