Snow

If you click to enlarge the photo you can see some ice crystals

Took a break from snow plowing. The whining of the hydraulic motor. The scraping of the blade on asphalt. The squawk of the work radio. Music or chatter from the regular radio.

As I walked in the woods I stopped and listened to the silence. As I listened I could hear the snow hitting the dead winter leaves and tree branches.

Many times the business of life keeps us from listening to God. It is good to get away and be still and hear what God has for us. It will refresh you.

13 Turkey

I drove up on these turkey while plowing freezing rain. They were not bothered by my diesel engine. But flew away when a women came by walking her dog.

Bent Shingle oak

Here is a Shingle oak that is growing unusual. If you look closely there is a stem growing straight up out of where the tree first bends.

I have always wondered how much weight a tree like this could support. All of the weight is off to the side.

KC Willd Lands Christmas Tree Sale

Shawnee Mission Park was where people went to pick out a Eastern red cedar tree. There were many to choose from. The event was held in December of 2006 and was a fund raiser for KC Wildlands.

Some trees were already cut.




Here was the hot cider station.



The hot cider station.


A lot of people wanted to walk back in the woods and cut their own.

Chinquapin Oak

Here is a photo of an intresting Chinquapin oak. I like the branch pattern.
I am shooting north.




This photo shows where a branch fell off and created a large scar. It is now rotton inside and provides wildlife habattat.

Here is a photo of the tree shooting south last month.

Honey locust & Greenbriar Tendril

Here is a photo of a greenbriar tendril grabbing hold of a Honey locust thorn.

The Honey locust seems to try to defend itself with thorns, but its useless against the greenbriar.

Bottom Land Trees

In the top picture I am in the Missouri river bottoms. The tree on the left is a Box elder maple. It is easy to ID by the green twigs. The 2 trees in the middle are Eastern Red Cedars. And the tree on the right is a Silver maple. There is a layer of sand on top of the dirt. I don;'t know when the sand was deposited there but it may have been the flood of 93.




The bottom photo is showing a pure stand of Eastern cottonwood. In the summer you can't see far in these woods.

Hackberry bark

Hackberry bark is interesting because you can see the growth.

Water Caught by Eastern Red Cedar

Click on this photo to see a larger version.


It is interesting to see water held in trees after a rain. There are creeks where I live that overflow their banks because of housing development. Years ago, when the land was covered by forest, the creek carried much less water.

Deer Sign

Here is a sappling with the bark rubbed off. My guess is by deer.

Lichen

I took this photo of a lichen on tree bark. I think its lichen. I am not sure on ID.
The lichen is about 1" long. Blown up.

Chambered Pith of a Black Walnut

Here is a chambered pith of a Black Walnut twig.

The Pith is the very center of the twig. The pith stores food and the rey from the pith conducts water, minerals and food radially.


Black walnut bud.

American Sycamore

Here is a photo showing how the fruit balls stay on in the winter. Click on the photo for a larger view.



Here is a close up of the Am. Sycamore tree bark.



These trees rot fast after a branch dies. Notice the center of this tree has a cavity where a branch had died. So these trees provide good habitat for wildlife.

Eastern Red Ceader, Saplings

Eastern Red Cedar as young saplings.

Bitternut hickory

Osage Orange Update

Here is an update of the Osage orange tree in December.



The photos below were taken October 30th.

Northern Red Oak Contrasted with Chinquapin Oak

Chinquapin oak has lighter bark than Northern red oak


The acorn cap on the left is the N red oak and the Chinquapin acorn cap is on the right.

The bole on the left is the Nothern Red oak and the one on the right is the Chinquapin oak.

Black Locust Thorns

Lombardy poplar

I came across a Lonbardy poplar Populus nigra var. italica Here are 3 photos.

This tree can be IDed by the acending crown and the bulging sides of the leaves. Also the buds are not flat against the twig. The tree is used for wind breaks.

Black Walnut

Here is the bark of Black walnut. Notice the bark forms a dimond pattern.

The buds are fuzzy.

Snow in the Woods

I have to snowplow so it is hard to get good photos after a snow. Here are a couple. I was amazed that the trail I walked on had no footprints on it. Only dogs deer turkey and rabbits.

The photo of the large tree is a Chinkapin oak at a park off of Blue Ridge Blvd. The photo of the hillside (taken 6 days after the snow storm) still had snow on it from the Thursday storm. That hillside faced north. The hillside on the north side of the creek would face south and would get more direct sun had no snow.

As always you can click the photo for an enlargement.