Pine Sap

Sap seeping out of recent pruning from pine tree.

Lightening Shreds Wood Fibers

Walking in a park I saw a tree scared by lightening. Looking closer I noticed the wood fibers were shreded and seperated down the path of the strike. The tempature of lightening can reach 50,000 degrees F. Yet when you look at the wood, there is no sign of being burned.

Shumard Oak Bud

 Shumard oak  tree bud above and the tree below. There is another tree that limbs low like this one I should visit to see if it is the same species.

 

Winter Bud of Eastern Red Bud

Small bud on the end of the twig. But there will be beauty in the Spring.

Sentry Crows

 Crows One easy ID of crows and other birds like crows, is a black bird that has wing tips that are seperated.

Hophornbeam Twig and Lenticles

Here is a close up of Hophornbeam twig. The white spots on the twig are lenticles, which are used for the plant to let air to escape from the tree. They are for gas exchange.

Black Cherry Bark

 Here is a photo of the bark of a young Black Cherry tree. The horrizonal lines are lenticles. These lenticles continue to show up on the bark of mature Black Cherry trees.

Crab Apples in February

Crab Apples still on the tree in February.

Maple Bud

Honey Locust

The forboding canopy of Honey Locust

American White Pelicans

American White Pelicans  must have found a school of fish for they swam in this formation eating the fish
below.

Eastern Red Bud Bark

Eastern Red bud tree that has these bumps up the bole. Are they burls?

Creation

 

 Job 12:7-9 But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. 8 “Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; And let the fish of the sea declare to you. 9 “Who among all these does not know That the hand of the Lord has done this,

Old White Oak in Winter

There is a tree that is not far from where I live and not far off the road I wanted to revisit. I was there 5 years ago and had measured it then. I was thinking is was a big tree for the area I live in and wanted to measure it to see its growth. When we got there I noticed the canopy showed a lot of branches were dead, the top had been broken off in years past and the tree probably would not last much longer.

It was a stately tree and was the biggest White oak I had measured. Granted, there were I am sure, much bigger white oaks. But I had not measured them. This old friend had seen much change down through the years. The woods around it were much younger. The woods was more of an abandoned strip which was waiting to be cleared for development. Yet the development had not come.

Much to my delight I have been able to enjoy hiking here and experiencing the natural life there.

Anyway this old tree was showing its age and as in life all things will come to an end in this world. But I will watch this old tree in its last days and years. Being in undeveloped land it will be there until it breaks in a storm.

The measurement. January 27^th 2009 circumference 179.5 inches. February 14^th 2014 circumference 190.75” a 11.25 inches of circumference or 6% increase in 5 years.

Woods

I live in part of the world where there are no mountains. When I go outside I don't see in the distance the peaks breaking up into the skyline. I don't have forests to visit and roam on those mountains.

I live in a place where there is no saw mills. At least I have not seen any. I never see a log truck rumbling down the road with a load of logs. Some, of course would wonder, why I would want to see log trucks. “Aren't you a tree lover,” they would say. Yes I do love trees and log trucks would mean there are trees close by.

I live in a place where liking trees is an oddity. I have never run into a person that hikes in the woods to find trees. In fact when I hike in most woods I go to I don't run into anybody. Now that can be taken both ways. One of the reasons I like going to where trees grow is to enjoy the peace that is there. And if I had people there the peace would be broken. Yet in the times when I have come across someone, there is interesting conversation. But I can't remember what it was, that was a while back.

I do live in a place where there are patches of woods here and there. And I make use of these woods often. And I thank the Lord for these trees. If you like trees you don't have to have millions to enjoy. One tree has enough to it to learn and watch for decades. A tree is like an old friend. When I come across a tree I have visited before I can learn and remember and note what is there.

Cedar Tree in Winter

 We measured this Eastern Red Cedar tree the 29th of Nov 2013

Height 48'
Circumference 95 1/4"
Canopy of 45' & 40'
 Total points = 151

The tree seems to have a flat top like many trees.  I don't expect this tree to gain much height. We'll see when we return at a later date. I do think it shows some beauty as it shades the grave yard.

Creek in New Snow

 Hiking on Sunday afternoon I went by this creek. It has just snowed about 1/2 inch after 8 inches earlier in the week.


 

Snag Tree as Landmark

 This snag is used as a marker as I walk my course through the woods. It can be seen from a distance and stands out with the white and black on the bole of the snag. Trees in winter blend in together and it is hard to see much difference between one tree and another. The tree is also bigger than other trees in the area, making it easier to see.

It seems this tree was here when the field was open and used as a pasture.

Osage Orange Trees

 

The tree leaning to the right and the tree just to the left of this tree are Osage orange trees.



2 Photos of Osage orange. Many times they grow with multiple stems. I never has seen woods dominated by them. But they occur here and there and I am interested to find them. It is impossible to pass through these. You must go around them. The branches are stiff and the thorns will tear your clothes and skin. :(

Vines Engulf Tree

This tree doesn't have a chance. Vines have got it covered.

Deer Rub

I'll see these deer rubs in the woods from time to time. They are doing 3 things.

Rubbing ghe velvet off the antlers. Marking their territory with scent glands near their antlers, so other bucks will know they are there.

Tall Grass

Here I am standing in tall grass next to a Black walnut.

Season Contrast of E. Cottonwood

Here is some contrast photos on a Eastern Cottonwood tree.

Red Wing Blackbird

Female or 1st year Red wing black bird.

Photo taken October 9th 2013

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.



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.

Book I'm Reading Now

Bald Cypress Trees

Bald cypress trees.

Bird Feeders

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.

Bee in Trumpet Vine Flower

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

Red Pine

Red Pine cone with bud and needles..

Persimmon Bark

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.

Wandering Jew

Wandering Jew flowering January 23rd 2014

Broken Top

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

Young Ash

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.

Free Firewood

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.

Fog in the Snow

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

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

 


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

Leaning Tree - Reaction Wood: A Lesson in Christian Growth

  Matthew 17:17 “And Jesus answered and said, “'You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.”'

Become what Jesus wants us to be. There is frustration in this verse by Jesus. The disciples could not cure a sick man. Instead of being frustrated I want Jesus to be pleased with me. And to say well done good and faithful servant.

What is a person who is warped (unbelieving, perverted)? He is different than what he was supposed to be. If you buy a piece of lumber and it is warped, it was cut straight, but the fibers pulled it out of plumb. What causes the board to warp? It grew crooked to begin with. And what causes the board to grow crooked?

A tree might start to grow straight on a hill but through time the ground on the hill may slide a little down the hill. But the tree that was growing straight is now compromised by the ground which slid. The bole of the tree is now leaning because the ground moved.

The tree reacts to a leaning bole by putting more growth on the downhill side than the uphill side to cause the stem to grow straight towards the light. This reaction is called reaction wood, which will warp after the lumber has come out of the mill.

Christians endeavor to follow Christ. But if our foundations have shifted, the resulting growth is warped and is not what our master would like. The solution is to reset our foundations. A tree has no ability to change the foundation it grows from. We do, but many have a vested interest in the past. We don't like to admit that our past efforts are not according to the will of God.

A  tree may not have a clear path to light, so it grows at an angle to reach the light. Christians should go where they can get to the light. If they have to bend and to get to the light there will be a problem with their lives down the road. Always seek for the light and don't let hindrances keep you from receiving the light. Do we put things in our life, hindering our ability to receive from God? Do we think on problems and let these fester, causing us to block out the light of God? Reject the doubt and accept the word of God.

If we are going to produce good fruit, we first need to check our foundation to ensure our growth is straight.  Matt 7:24-27 let us base our life on the rock and that rock is the Word Jesus has given us.

Many of us want to do away with doubt but are not willing to put away the things that block the light of God from shining in our hearts. Decide to pay the price to live for God. You won't be sorry.

Matt 6:24
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. NASV

The word of God is true. Numbers 23:19; Romans 3:4 Yet we reject it and explain it away by tradition.

Traditions
Isaiah 29:13
Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,
Matthew 15:3
And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?
Mark 7:8
Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”

Let us not follow the traditions of man but follow the teachings of Jesus.

Many don't look into the Scripture for themselves but follow the traditions set by others in the past. I'm not saying reject what others have set up. But I am saying read the Scriptures for yourself and decide to follow them. Find Christian leaders who have set their heart to follow God and align yourself with them.