Friday, January 31, 2014

Verticle Bark Scar


Hiking in some woods I was checking on a sapling Bitternut hickory. Yes it is still there. :) Of course it is there. I was just making sure that I could find it from my descriptions. I have, at times, hurried through my description of where a tree was and have never found it again.

One of the things that throws me off, is the difference of the way the forest looks in the winter compared to the summer.

My descriptions in the winter have been completely useless in the summer.  What I was looking at to find later that summer, would completely be too far away to see through the tangle of vibrant life. So I had to give up the search.

Yet I never regretted the visit I make in the past. For it is not only looking for nature lessons, I was also looking for solace and rest by experiencing nature as it is. This in itself is enough for me at times.

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Going further away from my sapling Bitternut hickory I come to a N Red oak. I ID the tree by the flat ridges of bark further up the tree that are characteristic of these. On the west side I notice this vertical scar in the bark.  When I get back home a Google of tree scars and bark injury doesn't give me an answer. But this tree has been cataloged and I will return to watch. Perhaps I will find the answer, or maybe not. Yet there is much to learn and observe even if I don't get a scientific answer to the question.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Bird Feeders

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I was late getting my bird feeders up this year. But in this cold they are needed more than ever.

Here are the 3 bird feeders around our house. The green bird feeder is an anti squirrel feeder. But so far they have left the feeders alone.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Bee in Trumpet Vine Flower

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I caught this bee in the flower of a Trumpet Vine flower. Photo taken the 8th of August.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Red Pine

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Red Pine cone with bud and needles..

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Persimmon Bark

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In our woods hike yesterday we came across a patch of Persimmon trees. I counted 13 in the area. Here is a close up detail of the bark.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Wandering Jew

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Wandering Jew flowering January 23rd 2014

Monday, January 20, 2014

Broken Top

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An interesting broken top tree. After a storm this branch took over the lead and grew up to maintain height growth.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Young Ash

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Here is an ash we measured Saturday. The trees we look at are recorded and we hope to find them in the future to see the change in growth.

Height 46'
Circumference 25 1/8" or 8" diameter.
Canopy 22' x 23'

Giving it a point total of 77. Not a big tree, but it is the young trees that show growth.

The woods we were hiking in had no man made objects to referance them to. We were using a compass and keeping track of the number of paces to reference the trees. Going from large tree and noticing how the ground sloped helped me identify where I was.



Saturday, January 18, 2014

Free Firewood

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When we bought our house 21 years ago I bought a pic-up truck to haul firewood. Then as our family grew I got rid of the pic-up to get a sedan.

My thinking was I could haul firewood with my work truck. But the Lord impressed on my heart that it wasn't right to use my work truck for personal use.

So I had no way to get firewood without paying for it. And if I paid for firewood, I wouldn't be saving any money for heating.

I asked the Lord to provide me with firewood. God is faithful. There have been storms that caused blow downs, and gifts from neighbors.

Just last month as I was chopping wood I told the Lord I needed more wood or I wouldn't have any for next year. Well a tree service company came by and asked my wife if we wanted some free wood. So now they have dropped this wood off and I will have a bunch for the coming year and beyond.

I'm not afraid of work. I enjoy the honest labor outdoors.

God is so very good and supplies us with abundance when we look to Him. Was my faith just right in my believing and confessing? No, but God abundantly supplies me with my desires as I serve Him with my life.

We can trust Him, not because we have it all together but because God is faithful. I give my time to God and He gives me what is on my heart.


Now I can continue to enjoy sitting by the fire to pray and meditating on Scripture in fellowship with God.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Fog in the Snow

Hiking on the 10th of January I noticed fog above the snow. The temp was above freezing.  photo IMG_35791_zpsf82e9288.jpg

 A couple of days later the temp was higher still and almost all of the snow had left.

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Missouri gives us a varity of weather conditions. Looking forward to more snow this winter.