Maple Woods

Not far from this clear understory which I posted yesterday, is the above photo of a mature forest. It is the Maple woods nature area. I have come here for many years and enjoy hiking the trails and just letting my soul and mind rest.

1 Kings 5:4
"But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster."

Clear Understory

Brush and saplings can't survive with a thick over story that captures all the light.


Isaiah 50:10
"Who is among you that fears the LORD, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God."

Black Walnut

Black walnut fruit above and the characteristic diamond bark below.




Matthew 12:33
"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit."

Emerald Ash Borer

Emerald Ash borer has been found for the first time in Missouri this summer. Wayne County is the location. One of the problems is that a tree may be infected by the borer for 2 to 3 years before it is detected. It will spread to other trees before it is detected in the first tree.

The borer starts at the top of the tree and works down. It leaves a D shaped hole in the bole of the tree where it enters. But because it starts at the top their infestation is not noticed soon enough.

Traps are set up in the tops of trees colored purple and added chemicals to attract the bug. This trap will show if the bug has entered an area or not.

Here is an article by the Missouri Dept. of Conservation that explains a little about the Ash borer.

Emerald Ash borer comes from Asia and was infesting forests in Michigan in 2002.

Web site on the treatment of the ash borer.


Emerald ash borer national info site.

Wisconsin's page shows how the borer leaves a trail inside the wood.

Fallen Trees

The tree above was cut out of the way for the path to continue. Below is a photo where trees have fallen and been left alone. This area of woods has had a number of broken tops and fallen trees in the past few years.




Zechariah 11:2
"Wail, O pine tree, for the cedar has fallen; the stately trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan; the dense forest has been cut down!"

Trumpet Vine

Trumpet vine growing on Honey locust tree.

Very invasive plant and hard to get rid of.

Judges 6:5
"They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it."

White Ash Seeds

White ash seeds. Click to enlarge.

Matthew 13:32
"Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."

Growth on Red bud

Growth on Red bud.

Isaiah 55:6
"Seek the Lord while He may be found;
Call upon HIm while He is near."

Found Landmark Tree

I have been looking for this tree for a while. It was hard to find in the summer swath of leaves and obstructions. Walking back and forth knowing that the tree had to be here somewhere. I finally came across it.

I shot a photo of this tree from the other side of a gully. But it was in the winter when trees were much easier to see.

I posted a photo of this tree as "Trees as Landmarks" on March 25th 2007.

The broken top with a branch taking over as the leader growing further, was what I was looking for. It grows along the top of the gully I shot across a year and 1/2 ago.




Deuteronomy 19:14
" You shall not move your neighbor's boundary mark, which the ancestors have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the LORD your God gives you to possess."

Field Grass

This is a tall stand of grasses. This used to be a regular park that was mowed each week or so. Now it is reverting back to natural grass.





Deuteronomy 11:15
" He will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied."

Turtle

Turtles speak to me about being steadfast in what they do. They move slow, but I saw a big one about 15 years ago move fast when I came upon it suddenly. Let's follow the turtles example keep working for Jesus.

Blue Spruce

Blue spruce. Notice the change in color further back in the stem. My guess is the green needles are from last year.

Ezekiel 34:26
"I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing."

Acorn Growth

Above is an acorn
The photo of a whte oak acorn that now has grown twice the length of the cap.


Below was a photo of July 17th



Ezekiel 34:26
"And I will make and the places around m My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing"

New Acorn Growth

Here is a White oak showing growth of acorns and buds.

Here is a shot of acorns not fully grown. Photo taken 17-Jul-08
When the acorn is fully grown the cap will only cover 1/4 of the acorn. White oak acorns ripen in one season. The red oak group's acorns take 2 growing seasons to ripen.


Healthy trees relies on reproduction. Our walk with Christ also is only health when we are able to bring new people into a saving knowledge of Jesus. It is part of the armor of God listed in Eph. 6

Waterfall Video

This is a nice waterfall I go and see every once in a while. What I wanted to do with this video was to show how there is a spray of water that comes off the waterfall. When the water hits the pool of water below, some water is sprayed over the rock wall.

Just as the waterfall sooths a troubled heart, so the Lord will be soothing to those willing to wait and listen for Him.


Isaiah 12:3
"Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation."

Tree with Face in Bark

Here was an interesting Hackberry that has face like look. I see mock faces that you can buy from a store to put on a tree. Old fairy tales talk of trees being alive with faces. The Trilogy The Lord of the Rings has a part where trees take on a personality and are able to move around.

These fantasies are fun. For me I like to think of trees as glorifying God as they raise their limbs to sky in worship of Him. As the sun in the source of strength for trees so the Son Jesus Christ is my source of strength.

July Flowers

Ezekiel 28:25,26
"Thus says the Lord GOD, "When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and will manifest My holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they will live in their land which I gave to My servant Jacob.
They will live in it securely; and they will build houses, plant vineyards and live securely when I execute judgments upon all who scorn them round about them. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God."

5 pedaled yellow wildflower

The closest I can ID this is a Grooved Flax Linum sulcatum Ridd.

Psalm 27:4
"One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek:That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple."

Pink/White Weed Flower

This could be the Gray Bindweed flower.





Psam 119:16
"Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live;
And do not let me be ashamed of my hope."

Fallen Am. Sycamore Bark

Hiking along the above trail back where I came I noticed this American sycamore bark. As I turned around sure enough there was a tree that it fell from. The bark flakes off easily.

American sycamore obviously does not have bark that will protect it from fire. These trees will die quickly in a fire the bark is thin and does not provide any resistance to fire.

Fast growth without fire protection. But if there was a fire the tree would establish itself again quickly in the area.

God is a consuming fire to those who have not prepared themselves for His coming. And he refines us as gold and silver are refined in the furnace of affliction.

Let us not be like a tree whose bark falls of quickly but one that is able to endure the fire of trouble and comes out shinning with the glory of God.