Honey Locust

The canopy of this tree shows that it used to be larger with all the broken branches.

One of the sure ways to recognise Honey Locust is by the thorns on the twigs.

Leaf stem left from the summer. Also the buds are encased by the bark of the twig.

Here is some sap seeping out of the bark.

Thorns growing from the base of the tree is another good way to recognise a Honey Locust.

Here is a photo showing the base of the tree and bark.

Broken branches. Many Black locust trees are susceptible to wind damage.

The Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

Father I look to You for truth and goodness that You always give.

James 1:17 "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."

Mallard Ducks in Flight

Watching ducks in flight is always interesting. When in flight they always seem to be in a hurry. Many times they are not in a hurry to land. They check the area for predators and hunters.

We should have the same idea in what we do. Look for God's help.

Psalm 25:15 "My eyes are continually toward the Lord,
For He will pluck my feet out of the net."

Father I look for Your help if I am trapped.

Block of Ice

Block of ice reflecting some sun as it floats down the river.

Wind Damaged Shingle Oak

We came across this wind damaged Shingle oak. All the limbs were broken off except the top left one. Not sure if the tree was dying before the storm or not.  There are not trees on the other side of the tree to shelter it from the storm.

Some trees need the shelter of other trees to survive a strong storm.  This tree may have grown up with other trees and then they died back and left it alone. It did fine for years but a storm came and tore it apart recently.

Other trees that grow in an open field, called wolf trees, put down stronger roots and the tree is better able to withstand the storms of nature.

Christians need to be able to stand in the midst of trials.  It is good to be with other people that have faith and courage to walk with God in life. But there comes times when you can't rely on others. God is our source and we need to rely on Him and not others. Let us put our foundation in Jesus.

Proverbs 10:25 "When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation."

Ice Forming on Lake

How does water freeze on a lake?

Water becomes more dense when it gets down to 40 degrees. This causes that water to fall and warmer water that is less dense rises.

When the whole lake reaches 40 degrees the water on top then becomes colder and starts to freeze. The water at the shore is shallower and so this water will get colder faster and  that is why the lake freezes from the shore to the center.

The air is much colder than the ground. the cold air will bring the temperature of the water down.

Ice is lighter than water causing the ice to float on top of the water. That is why ice floats in a glass of water. If it was the other way around life in a lake for fish would not be possible.

Water below the ice allows fish to survive.

The uniqueness of water is one of the things in nature that points to a Creator God.

Bald Eagles

Bald Eagles hanging out by some ducks and geese.

Ran across some Bald Eagles that were hanging around a group of Snow geese that numbered in the tens of thousands. We had gone by the day before and there was not any Bald Eagles to be seen. On this day around 20 were there.

In the wild they live about 35 to 40 years. They get their adult plumage at 5 years old. They breed in the north and come south in the winter. I would assume they are following the Snow geese.

Bald Eagles build their nest in the tallest tree possible. They return to the nest year after year. If the tree is blown down. They will build one nearby. They stay loyal to the same breeding area.

They lay 2 eggs a year. Many of the young don't make it past the first year. I have read that 10 to 20% of the young live beyond the first year.

Their ability to see is 7 times better than humans. They can spot prey from 1000 feet in the air. (300 meters) They can see prey in a 3 square mile area. (8 square km) They can view things from the side or in front of them.

Their view of life is from above. Christians can view life and live from above as well as we learn our place in Christ. We are seated with Christ in the heavens.

Ephesians 2:5,6
"Even when we were dead in our transgressions, {God} made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,"

Migrating Geese

Here is a group of birds of different species migrating south. They stopped at a lake nearby that I happened to notice. There are Canada geese, Snows and Blue geese, Mallard ducks, Swans and other ducks I can't make out.

Migration is a time of activity and change. Usually these birds will stay to themselves but here they are intermixed. Off to the side there are Bald Eagles and they were eating birds on the ice nearby.

One of the reasons the geese stay together is that they are protected from predators.  The encouragement we gain from other believers will strengthen  and protect us.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 "And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart."

Eastern Blue Bird

Blue bird caught out in the cold snap we are having. It was about 10 F  -12 C.

According to the map Eastern Blue birds should not be this far north in the winter. But with warmer winters some may have been induced to remain all year. But the cold this year may change their minds.

They eat wild fruit and insects. With the winter there are not insects, so they must eat only wild fruit. There is a lot of that around, especially the berries of Asian honeysuckle.

They next in cavities in trees etc. Many Blue bird houses are put up in parks to help them. We make these and put them around as well. There is a breeding population of 22,000,000. They catch their prey from 60' or more away.

What this Blue bird reminds me of is resiliency. Even when things are against him, this bird soldiers on. Better days are coming little bird. But it will be a while.

Life will bring bitterness but also blessings. We can overcome the bitterness and be a blessing to others as we live our life with faith in Christ.

Exodus 15:23-25
"When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah. 24 So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 Then he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet."

What brought sweetness to the water was the tree. Jesus was crucified on a tree and as we accept His guidelines in our life our life can be turned around.

Shagbark Hickory Bud and Leaf

Psalm 34:8-10

"O taste and see that the Lord is good;

How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

9 O fear the Lord, you His saints;

For to those who fear Him there is no want.

10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;

But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing."

Small Yellow Flower

Psalm 34:6,7
“This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him And saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.”

Sunflowers

Sunflowers are the symbol of faith, loyalty and adoration.

They follow the movement of the sun from East to West and this process is known as heliotropism.

Sunflower oil is used to soften leather, condition hair, for wounds, as a cooking oil, it has been used for medicine, animal feed and is a bio-diesel fuel.

It is one of the fastest growing plants. It has been known to grow 12 feet in 6 months.

A single sunflower can have up to 1000 to 2000 seeds.

The heliotropism characteristic makes this flower interesting to me. It reminds me of the importance of always having the Lord before you in all you do. This attitude of doing things for the Lord keeps me on the right tract by not having my will but God's in view.

Sweet Pignut Hickory

Found this hickory and it keyed out to be Sweet Pignut Hickory. I'll have to wait till spring to check the leaves to make sure.  Below is the tight fissured bark which is typical of hickories.

Sweet Pignut Hickories have thin husks. More reasons to head to the woods. I can compare the difference between the two nuts. There are a lot of Bitternut hickories in the area to find.

Unique buds show the tree and its character. Another hickory has orange buds. They are fuzzy and it is a Bitternut hickory.

These buds below come from a Bitternut hickory tree. It will be interesting to look at the tree in the Spring to verify  what kind of tree this is.

The pith of the twig is brown and solid.

The Lord is good. His mercy is everlasting. His word is true and can be trusted in hard times. He is a Father to the fatherless, a friend to the friendless. Let us give Jesus the opportunity  to show Himself strong for us as we serve Him.

Virginia Creeper

One of  the first to show color in the fall.

Matthew 6:33

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, 

and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 20:16

"So the last shall be first, and the first last."

The lowly vine of Virginia Creeper has its time of beauty in its season. Let us not look at our position but our purpose. Do that well and you will be given more to do.

Hackberry in NKC vacant block

Found this Hackberry in a vacant lot. This is a good profile of the tree, showing the branch structure.

The buds hug the branch.

God is good and will help us and provide a way for us no matter what the problem. Live in expectation of His guidance and help. Look to Him and believe our creator that He can be trusted and taken at His word.

John 16:33

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Branches grow from Fallen Tree

I see this occasionally. A tree falls but does not completely die. Branches start growing from the bole of the fallen tree.

Even when what we try to do fails. There is still growth possible if we will keep at it. Never give up.

Poison Ivy

Three leaves, let it be. Is a saying I heard as a child. This plant has an oil that causes a bad rash on many people. If you think you have been exposed to this plant, wash your skin as if you were trying to get car grease off. Doing this will keep you from getting the rash.

This plant is a vine. It can't grow up off the ground by itself. 

Large Poison Ivy vine growing up this Persimmon tree.

Just as we may be exposed to Poison Ivy we may be adversely affected by the cares of this life. Just as this Poison Ivy vine is strongly attached to the tree. Sin, anger, unforgiveness, bitterness, hardness of heart, a bad attitude, ungrateful heart will affect us adversely.

Jesus offers us the solution. Turn to Him and He will help you cut these these strongholds out of your life. To ignore this vine will put a strain on the tree causing it to die prematurely. When we ignore the sin that attaches to us we are hindered in living a fruitful life for Jesus.

Poison Ivy run amok can turn into a painful experience. Don't ignore God's direction. He wants to help us and heal us, so we can minister for Him to others.

John 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

Father, be merciful to me a sinner. Guide me by your Spirit to leave the old ways of the world and walk in newness of life. In Jesus name. Let it be.

Lightning Strike Cottonwood

I came across this tree last summer. There was a lot of bark on the ground that seemed to be stripped by the lightning strike. It is interesting to watch the results of this event. I watched a Kentucky Coffee tree a few years ago after it was hit by lightning and it ended up dying in a couple of years.

Even when disaster strikes us we have victory in Jesus. 

Romans 8:37-39

"But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 

38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, 

nor angels, nor principalities, 

nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 

39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, 

will be able to separate us from the love of God, 

which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Squirrel making use of Tree Cavity

Found a squirrel making use of a tree cavity for a home.

The Lord will bless us in life as we follow Him. He will show us places that will protect us from the storms of life. He will lead us to green pastures that will nourish our inner man.

Psalm 23:1-3

"The Lord is my shepherd,

I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside quiet waters.

3 He restores my soul;

He guides me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake."

River Birch

Circumference 37.5" The stem to the right was 32 5/8" but not used in the points.
Height measured at 52'
Branch canopy measured at 56' 40'
Total points 102

This tree is an ornamental planting in a park. They are usually found along rivers. The tree grows in open areas. If it is overshadowed by other trees, it will die out.

The paper thin bark of this tree makes it unique. Horizontal lines in the bark also are unique. The buds hug the twig.

I found a leaf that shows its characteristics.

It is unusual that the male catkins remain on the tree after the leaves have fallen. Is it unique for this species?

The variety of nature never seems to end. The same with people. We are all unique and offer to God and others an ability and gifts that others don't have.

Ephesians 2:10

"For we are His workmanship, 

created in Christ Jesus for good works, 

which God prepared beforehand 

so that we would walk in them."