Fox Haven Journal

Beau October 18th, 2008

We spent a nice day enjoying the fall weather and visiting a local pumpkin farm.  The kids love the activities, while the adults enjoy watching the kids.  Some sweet funnel cake was very nice, but if you see a sign for home-made rootbeer or something, don’t do it!  It sounded good, but it was really awful.  Their “rootbeer” tasted like soapy water without carbonation… and they probably didn’t clean the bottles properly, blech!  We stopped somewhere else later on and I had to drink a real rootbeer so that it didn’t ruin my appreciation of a good one.  I think that first one is embeded in my taste memory though.  But it was good to see folks out driving around the countryside (and lower gas prices certainly helped). 

Bought a bottle of BBQ sauce from a young entreprenuer who had a booth set up.  He said it’s a little tougher this year, but sales are going fine.  He was very upbeat about his prospects and said that when people talk about the economy and the hard times we’re having he said, “If this is bad, I’d sure like to see what good is!”  I thought that was great perspective in light of the emotions flying around these days. 

It was nice to see some Autumn color too. We’re still probably a week away from the peak of the season here, but the leaves are beautiful.   

And the roses are blooming again!  We’ve been fortunate that the frost has not arrived yet- apparently much of the eastern U.S. will see frost in the next couple of days.  We still have a few outdoor projects to take care of with winterizing equipment and protecting various plants.  Even the tomatoes and beans are still producing, but not for much longer.  For now we can enjoy the weather and the beauty of the flowers and leaves.

We were working outside the other day and the boy yelled, “Daddy, Come here!” He said he had a surprise for me, and showed me his discovery of this wild mushroom in a place we never expected.  We see so many different types of mushrooms and fungi that it’s hard to identify them all.  They only come up for a day or two and are gone.

But the Woolly Bear caterpillars are everywhere right now! These caterpillars are the larval stage of the Isabella Tiger Moth, and are seen crossing roads in October.  Folklore says the width of the middle brown band can forecast winter weather.  A wide brown band means it’ll be a cold one…  I’m not sure if this is very wide but it feels like we’ll have a cold winter this year for some reason.

• Rural Living , Landscapes , Seasons
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Beau October 16th, 2008

The wood cutting theme has continued over the past few days, and between cutting grass and fixing machinery, my bones are feeling the effects.  Good to get the exercise but it’s more of a psychological relief to clean up a couple of downed trees and get the wood ready for winter.  The young boy has been a big help too, but on weekdays we have breakfast together and then I get him off to school before heading outside.  The dogs are company of sorts, but not much help!  There’s so much more that would be nice to do, but you make progress where you can and come to some type of balance with nature’s energy and all the other stuff on the list inside and outside the house.

I was putting on my safety chaps the other day and I got to thinking (yes, it happens sometimes).  I realized that if I’m going to write about cutting firewood and using a chainsaw (see part I here), then I should probably talk about a few safety issues.

While mulling this over and bucking that log pulled out from the pond, I managed to pinch the saw.  Meaning that the chainsaw was stuck in the cut I was making (that’s why it’s sticking out from the log in the picture above).  Those cuts do not go all the way through the log.  They’re about 80% through, then the log is turned, and the final cuts are made to free the sections. Part of the log is under compression because of the slope of the land.

When cutting, you have to watch carefully for movement, be patient and not try to do everything at once.  Sometimes you have to pull the saw out a little faster when you sense or notice changes.  But sometimes the wood pinches the saw very quickly.  If the saw gets hung or stuck, the best thing to do is nothing!  Shut it off, step back and look at the situation.  Better a broken saw than a broken something else.

In this case, I used a log peavey and rolled the log enough to free the saw blade.   If I had been a little smarter, I would have used the peavey earlier, and shortened the log to prevent such compression and pinching.  But everyone does it their own way.

So I’m not going to talk about how to use a chainsaw, since there’s many sites that talk about using one safely.  OSHA has some excellent information about logging operations, and this site shows how to fell a tree using a chainsaw.  And if you read this site, you may never want to try using a chain saw at all:

“If you place your hands on a chain saw, you must keep in mind that it is like grabbing a hand grenade without a pin in it. It is very likely to go off in your face. From the moment that you take it out of storage to the time that it goes back to the same place, you can be hurt by either it, or by whatever you will be cutting.”

“The chain saw is the most dangerous hand tool that can be purchased on the open market. It requires no license and no training to own or operate it. “Most chain saw accidents are preventable. The only answer to reducing these accidents is proper training and knowledge with a lot of time using a saw - which is experience. You can gain experience the hard way and have the scars to prove it or you can do a little preventative reading.” -  Carl Smith, fifth generation logger and chain saw expert.

What I do want to mention involves the basic safety gear.  I strongly believe in the “accidents are preventable” mantra, and reading whatever I can to learn.  A chainsaw is one of those things that takes practice and as cited most folks learn by experience.

The way I see it, using a chainsaw could be a little like driving a motorcycle naked… It gathers your full attention (and everyone elses), you better not make a mistake, and you feel every bump along the way.   And no, I haven’t learned that by experience.

I have learned that when using a chainsaw, you need to stay focused and very deliberate or a moment’s inattention can really hurt something.   So what do I do before I start the motor?  I always check to make sure I’m properly dressed, no loose clothing and that I’m phyically prepared for the work. Most importantly, the chainsaw must be in good working condition, with a sharp and correctly fitted chain.    Here’s my safety gear list:

• Gloves:  Non-slip and cut resistant preferred.  Gloves are important to help grip and avoid the wear and tear, splinters and pinching that happens frequently when cutting wood.  They shouldn’t be too thick because you still need to “feel” the chainsaw properly when using it.
• Steel-toed Boots:  Essential.  I can’t tell you how many times a large chunk of wood has fallen or rolled on my foot.  Those steel toes are worth every penny, especially if the chainsaw blade hits your toe.
• Safety Chaps or Bibs:  Also essential.  These fit like leather chaps but are there in case the chainsaw blade slips and cuts toward your leg.  If the chainsaw blade hits the chaps, the material is designed to stop the blade, or at least slow it down greatly. It tangles up the chain blade with some type of fiber, but meanwhile the blade doesn’t cut through into your leg.  I’ve never cut into my chaps before, but sometimes the chainsaw seems close- and I’m glad to be wearing them.
• Safety glasses:  Also essential.  When you use a chainsaw the wood chips and dust fly everywhere.  Never know if something’s going to hit your eye, so it’s another thing that I’m glad to wear.
• Hearing protection:  Chainsaws are loud!  Foam earplugs help a lot, but should also be worn with some good “mouse ears” to cover your ears.
• Hard hat/Integrated face mask:  Depending upon the type of use for your chainsaw, a hard hat and facemask may be necessary.  Branches swing and fall from many directions, and a hard hat can save your life.
• Log Peavey or Cant Hook:  This tool is like a big hook on a wooden pole.  It is very helpful to move and roll over logs and cut sections.  I think it’s a safety item as well because it allows you to safely roll a larger log, and to brace it for cutting or on slopes.
• Pre-mixed fuel and chain lubricant:  Chainsaw gas tanks are small, and require frequent filling- which helps keep the saw light when using it.  But plan to have extra fuel on hand so you won’t need to take shortcuts or try to hurry.  Don’t fill the tank when they’re hot!  Needing to refill the tank actually gives you time to catch your breath and take a 15 minute break.  And when you fill the gas tank, you can also top off the chain lubricant which is essential for smooth operation.  Check the chain tension at the same time. Sometimes they work very loose and you don’t even realize it.

One other big point:  Take your time and be aware of your surroundings.  As you go along cutting or delimbing a tree, and work towards “bucking” the larger parts into sections, it’s very easy to have a huge mess of branches and cut logs laying around.  What’s the biggest safety hazard now?   That’s right… your work area.

You may think everything is going just fine, but then you step on a little round branch and your foot goes out from under you.  Don’t want that to happen.  So when you take breaks to fill the gas tank on the saw, use that time to clean up the work area around the place you’ll be cutting.  It’s peace of mind and a good habit to get into.   Otherwise, read and heed the safety intructions for using the chainsaw!

Those are the core essentials for safety…  Did I miss anything else?   Oh… all the cut wood needs to be moved somewhere else right?  You’ll be doing a lot of lifting and a tractor or truck bed helps a lot.  Lift with the legs and not the back ’cause “The job ain’t over ’till it’s over.”   Eventually you’ll have a nice pile of wood ready to split.

Then it’s time for the axe, maul and wedges, or a good hydraulic splitter.    If firewood is an important part of your home heating in winter, then investing in a hydraulic splitter could be helpful.  After using one this year I’ve found it works about four times faster than I can with a maul.  Not only that, it splits the really difficult joints much more easily than possible by hand.  This angle joint was split in half, and then into four good-sized pieces of firewood.

But the splitter is no picnic either; you still have to lift and position a lot of wood.  You’ll get a good workout either way, but the hydraulic splitter makes it a much faster process.

For now there’s a few other trees that need cut down and cut up. This hickory tree blew over in another windstorm, and it blocks a small area of grass I like to keep cut (actually it’s  on the way to the boy’s secret spot, so I need to do something about it!).  I haven’t decided quite how to “buck” it yet, and the fact that it sits higher makes it a little more dangerous.  Any ideas?

And just so you don’t think I go around cutting up all the trees here’s a couple of other pictures.  This little oak tree is a Mossy Cup or Overcup Oak.  The young boy and I found the acorns under an enormous, very old tree in the county and brought them here to plant on our property two or three years ago.  Two of them sprouted and this little tree is doing well!  Who knows, maybe when the boy grows up he’ll see a beautiful oak tree, or someone else will be sitting under this tree a hundred years from now.

And at the end of the day it helps to look at the landscape and appreciate the beauty of the living trees around us.  I hope these continue to stand strong and tall for generations to come.

• Rural Living , Landscapes , Seasons
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Beau October 14th, 2008

The last few weeks have been so busy, both at home and on the national economic front that it’s hard to keep focused at times.  Perhaps it’s the drumbeat of the seasons changing, and with winter coming we feel a pressing need to prepare.  It’s strange… sometimes it feels like there’s nothing more I can possibly write about or take pictures of.  Then I’ll see too many things and not have enough time to share them.  But lots of work accomplished this weekend outside.  Long days with the chainsaw that finally cleared a fallen tree.  This is Part I of the story, and Part II explores using a chainsaw safely.

This tree had been near the pond’s edge since April, blown over one night in 50 mph winds.  Here’s a picture the morning after I awoke to see it laying on it’s side.   Looks deceivingly small, but it was at least 50-60 feet tall.

And a different perspective of the same tree this weekend before it was cut up for firewood.

The tree was still living through summer, but in late August all the leaves turned brown.   No sense of urgency to cut it up in the hot summer, so I awaited for the right autumn day.  It took most of two days to “buck” the tree, cutting the wood in 16-18 inch sections and beginning to clean up the branches afterwards.  Most of the work was on the uphill side, and it’s slow going to make sure there are no surprises as the tree shifts and moves when cut up.

It’s always interesting figuring out how to drop the larger sections safely.  And then there was the slope to the pond with the large trunk of the tree almost over the water’s edge.   Should I hook it to a chain on the tractor?  I was afraid it might pull the tractor in the pond or damage it in some way if the tree rolled too quickly.  The base of the tree was tucked next to the small cedar at right, and the left end was wedged against another tree. I cut through the left side first and then cut the right side free from the base with the chainsaw… Whump! Splash!  Ah, success. Okay, glad I didn’t try to hold it with the tractor.

The twenty foot log floated out towards the middle of the pond.  I counted on the wind to eventually blow it back towards the side of the pond with a gentle slope, where I might pull it out with the tractor.  I love to watch how these logs float, and the young boy wanted to swim out and climb on it.

Gives new meaning to the word “waterlogged”…  I didn’t want to lose the wood, and thought it might become too saturated (and heavier) in a matter of days.  It wouldn’t sink for some time, but might be too difficult to handle if I didn’t get it out more quickly.  There’s probably several weeks of winter warmth in terms of firewood in that log and I plan to use it!   Meanwhile a large turtle found a new temporary home…

We went to bed that night hoping the wind kept it near the dam.  Sure enough, the next morning the log was snuggled near the spillway, within reach.  Interesting to see the greenish cast of algae blooming in the water. With a hoe I prodded and pushed the huge log along the shoreline, reaching a flat rocky area that would serve as a good foundation to pull it out.

A pair of tall rubber boots (with leaky toes!) helped me wrap a heavy chain under the log while in the water.  Then it was time for the tractor and wrapping the chain around the loader bucket.  I don’t know how heavy the log was, but I estimated it was close to 2,000 pounds.  The loader capacity on the small tractor is only 1,100 pounds, but with the tractor backed slightly uphill I knew it would not be lifting the full weight of the log.  I just needed to swing it out of the water. I’ve tried towing or pulling smaller logs out before, and that works.  But it damages the pond’s edge and makes a big muddy rut.  Plus this log had a heavy y-branch sticking down into the water making dragging it very difficult.

As I gently lifted the loader, the log swung up and towards the tractor, almost surfing through the water up and onto the bank, traveling about 6 feet.  I imagine the working weight of the log was quite a bit less while partially bouyant in the water.  But as it swung closer, I could feel the tractor slowly tipping forward and sideways.  And I quickly dropped the loader down.  A few more times however and the log was beached… hooray!

It really didn’t look that big until I pulled it out of the water.  The gloves at the end of the log by the bucket provide some perspective, and it was bigger than I thought.  I couldn’t even roll it over by hand.

 Now it’s time to cut the log into rounds, split them and stack the firewood for late winter.  See Part II of the story for more about using a chainsaw safely. They say “wood warms you twice… once when you cut it, and a second time at the hearth.”  Well, okay.  But by that logic I’ve been warmed 23 times so far!  It takes at least a couple of sharp chains on a good chainsaw to get an oak tree cut up.  A good 18 inch bar helps as well.  I can’t imagine how they did it by hand in the old days.  Then again they didn’t spend time taking pictures and writing on blogs either…

As for splitting the rounds I finally wimped out and got a small hydraulic splitter this year.  I went through 4+ trees a couple of years ago, splitting it all by hand with axe and maul.  My forearms were practically destroyed that year and took 6 months to rehabilitate.  Not getting younger by any means I guess.  I still love chopping wood with a sharp axe for the fire, but I don’t mind letting the hydraulic splitter go through the bigger rounds.  That’s the project for this week.

The wood smells really nice by the way.  This tree was a Red Oak and as much as I was sad to see it fall in the wind, I know the wood will provide almost a couple of month’s warmth in winter for us.   We took the time to count the rings… the boy counted along with me and the tree was about 125 years old!   I was amazed, because it looked smaller than that.  But we talked about the annual rings spaced closer together in times of stress and drought, and the wider rings where the tree grew faster in times of more rainfall or favorable conditions.

Some of the larger oak trees around the area must be closer to 200 years old.  I always have a  difficult time reconciling the age of trees to the passage of history.  If trees could talk… well they can, sort of.  Ever hear of dendrochronology?  Fascinating research.  I introduced it to a sixth grade class once with cut specimens of cedar and pine to let them count tree rings.  But it’s amazing to see how the wood from Viking ships helped researchers determine when and where the ships were built.

By the way, our small hickory tree was loaded with nuts for the very first time this year. We think it’s close to twenty years old which is about right before they produce nuts the first time.  We found quite a few on the ground, and also hugged the tree to shake it a little as more nuts came falling to the ground.  The boy likes the outer husks for boats in the bathtub. I wasn’t sure what type of hickory it was until we saw the nuts, and it appears to be a Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata). 

We have two other Shagbark hickory trees across the pond so it’s not surprising that it grew here, planted by some industrious squirrel.  I had not shelled and eaten hickory nuts before.  They’re small but we tasted one and it seemed mild and faintly sweet.  They probably need time to dry out and maybe we could roast them? But they’re going to require a little patience.  We’ll save them for winter along with those walnuts.

And here’s an interesting fungi specimen to add to our collection.  Anyone know what this is? There were two of them, with dozens of brown, round mushroom heads packed closely together.  The entire fungi was about the size of a dinner plate.  It sprouted and lived for only a couple days, fading quickly after that.  Reminds me of a pile of pennies…

• Rural Living , Landscapes , Science
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Beau October 11th, 2008

The green leaves of summer are finally giving way to yellows and reds.  In our area the peak of Autumn color is usually the third or fourth week of October.  It’s such an enchanting time that we often wish it would last longer.  But the next few weeks will be a lot of fun.  I think I see a leaf pile in our future… 

The bees are still hard at work gathering whatever they can.  The roses have come into full bloom once again, and the bees have found their pollen.

And weekends!  It’s not enough that we have work to do outside, here in Missouri football fever has gripped the state as we watch our Mizzou Tigers play.   But that’s not until this evening, so for now it’s time to head outside and get a little more work done.  Have a great weekend.

• Passing Thoughts , Landscapes , Beekeeping
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Beau October 8th, 2008

Sometimes the world seems so small, especially when fog blankets the landscape.  At dawn we see the glow of light, and the sun rises, becoming brighter through the gray curtain of cloud.   On days like this the world awakens more slowly, or at least we may feel a closer, measured pace to the presence of life around us.   What does the sunrise represent?  Hope?  A new day, or a new future?

Does it hold meaning for you?  I once read a story that framed the context of challenge by saying,  “In America we get up in the morning, we go to work and we solve our problems.”   And that’s pretty much a testament to action.  So often it’s that first step that is the most difficult.  But as we begin, as we move and as we take steps towards our goals, we are moving every aspect of our lives toward that new day.  With our action, opportunities will come, doors will open and circumstances will gradually shift toward our goals.  We don’t have to solve everything at once, but as we begin everything changes.   And we’ll get there.

Speaking of action, it seems the kitten and the yellow lab have become playmates.  The lab doesn’t quite know what to make of this little ball of energy.  The kitten romps and pounces, darts in and out and generally uses the retriever’s tail as a chew toy.  Instead of a “tiger by the tail,” this dog has a tiger on his tail.

The kitten chomps and wrestles until the lab puts a big ‘ole paw on top of him.  Then a little  “reeoow!” screech and the cat darts away again.  We watch them closely, but he is amazingly restrained to the needle sharp teeth and claws of the kitten.  It will be interesting to see their relationship as they grow older.   When I imagine friendship between dogs and cats, I think of Sparky, no longer with us, as he walked with Justin.

• Reflections , Passing Thoughts , Labrador Retriever , Wildlife, Insects and Pets
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Beau October 6th, 2008

Have you ever picked up walnuts off the ground?  Real walnuts that have just fallen from a tree?  We’ve got several of these trees around the property and with all the moisture this year there are tons and tons of the nuts all over the ground.  Last week they were all on the tree still, but all of a sudden they started dropping everywhere.  Here’s one of the trees with a few still clinging to the branches.  I kept trying to catch one… doesn’t work.  I found out if you stare at them they don’t drop off the tree.  But the minute you turn your back, “Thump!” one hits the ground. 

In the past I’ve just let them lie on the ground for the squirrels and other animals to eat.  But the squirrels must have plenty of other forage because they’re not that interested this year.  And with so many on the ground it’s difficult to cut the grass as they can really be hard on lawnmower blades.  So we’ve been picking up many of them… this small trash can is only half the crop from one of the trees.  I had a contest with the boy for who could find more of them… and darn it all, he beat me.  And the yellow lab has to help too, running around grabbing them and bringing them to us, all slobbery of course.

The nuts have this heavy but soft outer husk that peels off, and then the hard shell inside encasing the walnut meat itself.  One thing I’ve read is not to save the outer husks or compost them.  Walnut trees have a chemical compound called “juglone” that the tree gives off and it inhibits growth of other plants nearby.  The husks of the nuts also contain juglone, so composting them would not be helpful to the garden next year!   

Once cracked open, the walnut meat tastes pretty good. But I’m not sure I have the patience to really shell them all.  Maybe save them for those cold winter days coming up.  One of these days we’ll plant a pecan or chestnut tree also, but I better start soon since it probably takes quite a few years to produce a large harvest. We’ll see, but for now it’s time to get outside and put up a little more firewood.  Have a great day.

• Rural Living
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Beau October 3rd, 2008

The other day my dog had his day, his birthday in fact.  And I’ll remember it for a long, long time.  It’s hard to believe the big ‘ole yellow lab puppy is 2 years old.  Okay, he’s not a puppy anymore, but he sure acts like one.  Of course he’s my first Labrador, so maybe they act this way all the time.  We pal around everywhere together, especially while I do chores, or while waiting to pick up the boy at the bus stop.   His energy and good nature are unstoppable.  Nearly.  So guess what I did for his birthday?  I ran him over with a golf cart.  “What?!” I hear you thinking.  But it’s true.    

So there I go racing down the gravel drive at full golf cart speed, with the 90 pound labrador running along side as usual.  We’re going to do some retrieving in the field. Except this time he’s out slightly ahead of me, and cuts right in front and stops!  I yell at him and instead of jumping out of the way, he crouches down!  I was going downhill too fast to turn or do anything, and if you’ve driven on gravel you know that stopping quickly just doesn’t work.  So I cringe as the front tire goes “Whump! Bump!’ right over my lovable dog, and he squirts out the side.  I’m on the brakes sliding to a rocky stop in a cloud of dust, horror stricken that I’ve killed my dog.

I jump out and he’s sitting over on the grass looking at me like “What’d I do?!”   I’m more stunned than he is, and I check him over carefully and pet him and… he looks okay.  He really does.  He has a little cut on top of his head, but nothing more.  He starts nosing around and waiting for us to do something.   I’m not sure, so I slowly walk back to the house observing him, deciding whether to call the vet. The lab is sniffing and running around, and wants to play.  Heck, he just escaped death right?  Who wouldn’t be happy?  It’s time for his supper and he runs to the garage waiting.  If you have dogs, you also know they have this amazing, innate sense of time.  But I fix a smaller than usual bowl of food with extra vitamins and all kinds of other healthy stuff thrown in to help in case he’s bruised.  After he finishes I let him rest in the kennel for a few hours. 

Later we go out for a walk and he takes off running down the hill to find his usual smelly spots.  The boy and I hike over to the pond with the lab out in front as usual.  I’m thinking about the day’s events. Thankfully the tires on the golf cart are big and soft, relatively speaking.  And they’ve been low on air and I just haven’t got around to filling them up.  And then I wonder, “Maybe I didn’t really run him over… maybe he just got nudged by the side or something?”  He’s no worse for wear and I’m thankful.  

But my thoughts are quickly answered as I catch up to him, and for the first time I see this faint image of a wide, black tire tread going right across his middle.  Damn. I did run over my dog.  On his birthday.

If that’s not enough to make you feel bad I don’t know what is.  But he’s okay, no bruising or any sign of stiffness.  And of course the Lab doesn’t hold it against me.  Which doesn’t make me feel any better. But that’s the thing about dogs, and Labs especially-they always want to please.  Now I have to add another goal to my list:  Don’t run over the dog.

In thinking about the last two years, I couldn’t ask for anything more in a family dog or a friend that what he has become.   And to see the smile on the boy’s face as he plays and wrestles with the dog is another joy I didn’t expect.  If I’ve had any misgivings about him, they revolve more around my knowledge and ability as his owner, much like reflecting on one’s ability as a parent.  At many levels perhaps that’s the greatest testament to the dog he is, and the human I’m still trying to become. 

I was looking for a better way to describe how I feel about this dog, but noted Field & Stream columnist and author Gene Hill describes it perfectly:

“He is my other eyes that can see above the clouds; my other ears that hear above the winds. He is the part of me that can reach out into the sea. He has told me a thousand times over that I am his reason for being; by the way he rests against my leg; by the way he thumps his tail at my smallest smile; by the way he shows his hurt when I leave without taking him. (I think it makes him sick with worry when he is not along to care for me.)”

“When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive. When I am angry, he clowns to make me smile. When I am happy, he is joy unbounded. When I am a fool, he ignores it. When I succeed, he brags. Without him, I am only another man.  With him, I am all-powerful.  He is loyalty itself.  He has taught me the meaning of devotion. With him, I know a secret comfort and a private peace. He has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant. His head on my knee can heal my human hurts. His presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and unknown things. He has promised to wait for me… whenever… wherever - in case I need him. And I expect I will - as I always have. He is just my dog.”

• Labrador Retriever , Wildlife, Insects and Pets
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Beau September 30th, 2008

It’s one of those beautiful early fall days today, crisp and cool with bright sunshine.  Can we have a few more months of this please?  I love summer for the warmth, the garden, the outdoor fun… but the cooler weather is so invigorating!

The garden is slowing down, but there are still vegetables to be found.   The beans are almost finished, but I keep picking them here and there.  The beets have grown through the summer and I’m collecting them now.  I was hoping the beets would grow a little larger. I think I didn’t space them out enough, and I need to augment the soil a little better probably.  The cucumbers have finally given up for the year, but the tomatoes have come into their own.  There are many larger red and green tomatoes on the vine, so hopefully we’ll have a few more weeks for them to grow before the first frost.

When is the frost in your area?  We usually get it about the middle of October.  Just enough to snap the annual plants for the year.  I suppose we need a month or two of this weather because it helps us clean up the garden and everything else before winter.  The leaves have begun to drift off the trees, slowly and gently falling with the wind.

• Gardening
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Beau September 27th, 2008

An early morning the other day and two large flocks of Canada Geese decided to visit the pond.  They were obviously heading somewhere, and only stayed for a short while.  I think I counted over fifty-five geese, honking and chattering as they landed with a splash.  I walked down the hill and they looked at me as if I was intruding on their rest-stop!

The geese look so awkward as they begin to land, paddling with their feet and flapping their wings.  But then they quickly settle into the water, tucking their wings back in and heads erect, regaining their composure.

Soon we may see a few more ducks and geese and leaves on the water!  The leaves have begun to change color and fall off the trees.  Autumn is here.

• Birds
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Beau September 25th, 2008

Is it really Autumn already?  I’m not sure where the time went, but there are many changes now with the days growing shorter.  The weather this year has been so strange, but the bees really appreciate all the moisture.  They’re all over the goldenrod and small wild asters now, hopefully building up their stores of honey and pollen for winter.

But look at this blooming crabapple tree!  It flowered in the Spring and has many little crabapples now, but then began blooming again this week.   I think the leaves were defoliated from insect damage and that prompted it to flower once more.

Other strange sights include this gigantic mushroom.  I saw a white patch behind the barn and thought I lost a plastic grocery bag.  As I got closer I couldn’t believe how big it was!  So that’s a regular white straw cowboy hat near the monster fungus.  Anybody know what it is?  I’ve noted many other smaller mushrooms around now too.

And if you’re an arachnophobe, then you might want to skip to the next picture!  I think this is a Missouri Wolf Spider (Geolycosa missouriensis), but I’m not really sure.  Any spider experts out there?  All I know is it was almost two inches long and was strolling along the gravel driveway when I walked up to it.  Those rocks are chunks of one inch clean gravel recently spread on top of the driveway.  I let the spider continue its journey toward some bushes and I think it growled at me as it wandered off!

And here’s a colorized picture of a beautiful rose taken at dawn yesterday.  The sun had just risen in the background, and the rose was in the shade.  A little creative license helped to brighten the picture.  Have a great day!

• Wildlife, Insects and Pets , Science
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