Silppery Elm Seeds

I ID this tree as Slippery elm because of the slight notch of the seed sac at the apex.
I found these elm seeds today on my lunch hike. The tree on the right in the photo below is the elm.

I noticed that this was an elm tree but the bark did not resemble an American elm. When I got home and consulted my tree ID books the verdict was Slippery elm.

Wangari Maathai & her Strugle for Forestry

"I am re-reading the Bible, and I start with Genesis,” she said. “The first thing I see is that God made everything before man and woman. In his wisdom, he knew that if he made us first, we would die. What he made first does not need what he made last, but what he made last needs what came first.”
Wangari Maathai

Taking Root is a film about her work.
Synopsis of the film.

Maathai Changes Kenya's Political Landscape with Simple Act of Planting Trees

The Green Belt Movement.

PDF actoin guide.

More info and links

Twirled Bitternut Hickory

This Bitternut hickory had a vine growing around it. The vine is gone and the tree continues to grow.

Crooked Branch

I liked this branch. I have never seen/noticed an old grape vine. But I am wondering if this could be one of those.

Tulips

Reverse Photos

I stood by these trees in the center and shot the clump of trees below. But when I got to the clump of trees below to shoot the trees I first stood at I was not sure if I was looking at the right trees. Any way I went to a different vantage point and shot back to the orriginal trees.

I am not sure if I got the right ones or not. So it is an excuse to go back and check again if I got it right. I took a compas reading of the photos and I will need to go back to the original spot to see if it points to the rock outcropping I was standing on. It made for an interesting lunch break.




The larger tree in the center gives a good view of the buds because the branch is low on the uphill side. My poor camera (or my inability to operate it) does not focus well on close ups. I may be looking for a better camera again.

Changing White Oak Bark

This is a good example of changing White oak bark. The mature bark forms below.

Leaning Witness Tree South of Pond

The tree of interest is in the center background of both photos. It is leaning over with branches going straight up.

The above photo was taken 11-April-2009.
The photo below was taken last December.




I am now going back to places I was at last winter and revisiting them again this spring. One it is fun to retrace my steps and 2 I want to add to what I observed the first time. Sometimes I will be limited by time so there will not be much that I can add, other times I will have plenty of time and I can observe the area more completely. I don't think there can ever be an end to what I can observe in an area. I think it would be possible to spend a whole lifetime studying one hillside.

The depth that nature offers is infinite. God is the same way. He is the one who designed nature to rebound to most disasters. The resiliency of nature shows the flexableness of God. Though we have gone our own way, God still calls us to turn back to Him. Don't think that you have gone beyone what God can forgive. It is for the sinners that He came. Jesus did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

Northern Red Oak

Here is the largest Northern Red oak I have measured. In measuring I broke my tape so the circumference was not measured. I just measured the diameter. Some day I will come back and check the circumference. I was wondering how I was going to get the tape around the tree. If you look at the base the tree is on a fairly seep hill. So by breaking the tape I never found out how I was going to measure the circumference. I had that tape for 7 years, and it was not that expensive.

I knitted 2 photos together to get this one. I am not experienced at this but I guess it came out OK. My daughter gave me some help!

Height 111'
Canopy 66' and 56'
Diameter 47"
Points 273.7

Tree Grows out of Barrel

Tree grows out of old barrel.

What man makes does not last, but what God makes remains. Therefore only what we do for Christ, has a chance of lasting. What we do for ourselves without Christ won't last.

Jesus Lives / Spring Tree Flowers

Jesus Has Risen

1 Corinthians 15:19,20 "If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep."

Box Elder ID

Here are some photos of Box elder maple that are instructive in IDing the tree.

This is the bark of a youngish tree. Notice the green twig to the left. Box elder is the only maple with green twigs.

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This photo of seeds is instructive in that the wings of the seeds come closer together than other maples. Other maples seeds are further spread apart.

I found these photos in a bottom land area where I was looking for good photos of tree bark of trees that thrive here.

One thing to remember is that Box elder will thrive in areas that flood often. The ground I was walking on to get these photos was flooded 2 years ago. My guess was the time under water was about a month. The depth was from knee deep to chest deep.

Morning Fog

Morning fog along the Katy trail.

Young Stand of Cottonwood

Fallen Branch Tree

I cam across this tree hiking on my lunch recently. The branch laying across the trial will help me find it in the future.

The bark does not look like a hackberry because of the way it curls.

I was thinking it was a maple by the curled bark but the twigs are not opposite. So I plan to return to the tree to ID it in the summer.




Circumference 98"
Canopy 53' & 58'
Height 90.6'

Total points 202.5

American Kestrel

Tall Trees Along Katy Trail

Took this hiking trail off of the Katy trail.

Red Sided Garter Snake

I was at the end of my hike and laid down on the ground to rest and meditate while in the woods. My dog usually will lay next to me, but got tired of that and started snooping around and headed toward this log with a start. She then jumped back just as fast.

This alerted me that something was there and I got this photo of a Red sided garter snake. The photo link is one of California but the pattern is close.

English Oak

Early Fall Photos
Walking up on this tree I found English Oak, (Quercus robur).







English oak is covered in Exploring the World of Trees blog.

Witness Trees

Ash pattern bark


I am not sure because of the unreachable branches but I think this tree is almost dead. Because of the bark pealing off.

Witness Trees

Large leaning to the left tree.

Hiking through some woods I am establishing some witness trees that I can reference back to when I describe something in these woods. I want to find my place again when I come here in the summer. GPS may be a modern solution but that is not why I come into the woods. I am dealing with modern tech now as I write this. I want nature to teach me and not rely on high tech.

The above tree will be returned to and ID'ed in the summer and at other times. I can use this tree as a reference to other points in the woods near by.

What in life do we use as references to see how we are doing?

The Bible. People with a strong Christian witness.



Here was my next witness tree. It sat on top of a ridge which could be seen from both sides. It is a 30" oak. I measured the circumference and it was 96".

I then went down the hill to find the next tree. I was a nice one pictured below.

Photos while hiking in snow.

The above is an interesting photo of a fallen tree that is caught by brush.



Here is a Shagbark hickory that I don't see many of where I hike. I want to come back to this tree later.

Red Tailed Hawk

What a day when you get to take these photos when you are not even looking for nature photos!

I saw this Red Tailed Hawk while working last week.

Missouri River

Here are some shots of the Missouri river as I rode the Katy trail last September.