Cottonwood Seeds Blowing Down the River

All the white specks in this photo are Cottonwood seeds blowing down the Missouri river.

Butterfly and Flower

Looks like another Clouded Sulphur butterfly hovering above these flowers. The color is a little lighter

Bee and Cone Flower

I caught this bee working in some of our Cone Flowers

Younger N Red Oak

We found this younger N Red Oak that I will watch in later years. We were at this site in March 2011.

We went back looking to see young advanced regeneration. This tree looks really promising.

The stem is not completely straight but it is healthy and there is a slight opening in the canopy for it to grow towards.

Measurements:
circumferance 13.25"
Height  44'
Canopy 20' x 21'
Total 62 points

Notice the paw paw plant growing in the canopy above Chuck.

Clouded Sulphur Butterfly

Walking through a natural  field I noticed this butterfly. These butterflies are common.

Clouded Sulphur butterfly on thistle flower.

Pasum haw??

Clouds Near Sunset

White Ash Winter Bud

Bud pushing through the seed coat of White Ash.

Hackberry Flower

E Cottonwood Buds

Cottonwood winter buds.

Silver Maple Flowers

Red-bellied Woodpecker

I had been cutting wood in my back yard and stopped to rest after the gas ran out of the saw. After about 5 minutes the birds starting coming back into the area. I saw Blue Jays, Robins, many House sparrows, a few Blacked Capped Chickadees. Then I noticed this Red-bellied Woodpecker. I trained my camera to the spot and zoomed to 300 mm. This wood pecker was content to stay there for a while and I got many photos. This seems to be the best one.



Here the wood pecker has just taken off by jumping off the limb. He has not opened his wings yet.

Canon EOS REBEL T3
F-stop f/5.6
ISO-200
1/1600 sec
280mm

Coming In for a Landing

Lichens

Here is a shot of lichens growing on a branch.

Firewood 2

I decided to split the wood and move it. But as I got the wedge started into a chunk of wood the wedge just bounced out of the wood after I slammed the sledge down on the wedge.

Splitting was out of the question for now. So plan B is to cut the wood into chunks and roll them up to where I want to stack them. Then in the summer I plan to split what I can.

The problem with splitting wood in the summer is it gets hot.
The heat makes the work that much harder. Be that as it may that is what I will do.

After I moved all I wanted to pick up and roll to the pile. I got my saw and started cutting. What a difference I was making in the environment of sound. Instead of wind and a few birds chirping in the pre-spring afternoon there now was a roar. The bar was cutting through the wood and chips were flying. After a while when I cut a section I would roll it to the stack and go back and cut another one. When the saw ran out of gas I looked at the clock and decided that was enough for the day. I had moved a significant amount of firewood to where I wanted it stacked. Tomorrow will be another day and I will continue my work.




Here is the photo in mid January and the article I wrote then.

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.