2nd Hawthorne Bud Photo

The above photo was taken on March 3rd 2012. The photo below is taken on February 20th 2012. The buds have expanded just a little.

Roots

Here is a photo showing root growth because of erosion.

Lightening Strike

Here is an American Sycamore that has been struck by lightening.

Leaning Bur Oak with Water Bowl?

On our hike Monday morning I noticed this leaning tree. Looking at debris around the tree I ID'ed it as a Bur Oak. It is the dominate tree of the forest and it is the only one that leans like this. As you look up the bole notice that the lean of the tree becomes more pronounced. This signifies the tree is shifting further as time progresses.

Could it be the ground is unstable. The bigger the tree gets the more precarious the tree becomes.


This photo shows a bowl that has grown on the root. It is as if the tree is trying to catch rain in the bowl to provide the tree with water.

Hawthorne Bud

Slippery Elm Buds

Slippery Elm (Ulmus fulva) buds.

American elm has smaller buds. Where I live along the Missouri river near Kansas and Missouri I don't run into Slippery elm often. At this time of year I want to search for these buds to come back and see these trees again.

Cottonwood Buds

Eastern Cottonwood buds taken 17-Feb-2012

Mourning Dove

Saw this Mourning Dove at lunch.

Catalpa Seed Pods

Flowering Dogwood Flower Buds

Winter View

Steped out of my office and got this shot before I took off from my truck. Using the trees to block the sun.

Here, my wife stops so I can take photo showing the different light at twilight/sunset.

U Turn

Found this unusual branch on an American Sycamore tree. But why would a branch grow out and then turn around? The white bark emphasizes this unusual growth.

Surtsey Island

I was reading Christian Nature and found this interesting article that can point to a young earth. The article linked here explains the process of beach formation was very quick.

Drizzle

Drizzle building up on our Crabapple tree.

Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)

Pawpaws grow in understories and along slopes and in bottom land. The leaves are 6-12” long leaves. One of the biggest leaves grown by trees in the US. They turn bright yellow in Autumn. And stay on the trees for a while. The tree normally does not attain much height. It has been said to grow up to 20 feet. I measured one at 21 feet.

The fruit is interesting and is said to be edible. Tasting somewhat like a banana.

“Picking up Pawpaws, putting them in a basket.”

Settlers used them for banana pie and banana bread. (Note some people have an allergic reaction to them.)

The buds are long brown, fuzzy and without scales.

The tree will produce suckers from roots, explaining why they occur in bunches at times. The wood is stringy, and Indians used this tree to weave fiber cloth.

The trees don't get big. This is a Pawpaw stem.

Creation in 6 24 Hour Days!

An outstanding post over at Christian Nature of the length of the days in Genesis chapter 1.

As God created the earth in 6 days and rested on the 7th, so we should rest on the 7th. If the 6 days in Genesis chapter 1 were ages and not 24 hour days then the requirement to rest one day a week would not add up.

Read her post here.

Brown-eyed Susan

Here is a photo of Brown-eyed Susan's taken in July 2011

Fox

I came across this fox at a cemetery near where I work. It was running along the fence and I whistled at it to get its attention. It stopped long enough for me to get my camera and shoot this photo.









Lamentations 5:18
Because of Mount Zion which lies desolate, foxes prowl in it.

There is not much going on in the cemetery. Therefore the fox seems to be at ease running around in the daylight.  If our life is desolate in the things of God foxes will play havoc with our life. Turn to God and let Him fill your heat with His life.

Early Morning Fog

I captured this photo on my bike ride into work this morning.

Fog is formed when the cool air from the evening reacts with warm air above the water. The cooler air mixes with it and is not able to hold the water the way warm air does. Thus fog is formed.

I sort of see fog as a type of the Holy Spirit. There is something about being with God in the morning that I see as neat and just lasts for a short time as I spend time with Him before the day gets busy.

Don't ignore the times of His presence. When the opportunity comes to spend time with Him, take it.