Saturday, December 16, 2006

Quick Walk


















If we took a quick walk before heading out to Christmas shop, we might pass by this little oak who was very popular with some young buck in his past. (That velvet is so itchy!)
When I first moved to the woods and naively planted expensive fruit and nut trees hither and yon, this is how they all wound up ... except, unlike this oak, they died.















Above is a huge brush pile in flagrant slumpnicity. I rarely take the time to build the fancy State Wildlife Department model brush piles. The critters seem to appreciate them just as much whether I use a borrowed tractor to shove it all together or spend time building it like it was a gingerbread house.
This one was about twice as high originally, and will soon be just a nice pile of humus.














Whose "nekid" bark is that above?

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This magnolia (or maybe a Loblolly) was a 3 foot stick when I planted it years ago. I deliberately planted it in the forest shade, because I wanted a tall straight tree rather than a spreading one. It has taken a while to get to this stage, but seems to be growing great now.

I like this tree (for a lot of reasons) because it is one I transplanted from the first swampy piece of ground I ever bought. I've sold that piece now, but this is a little living connection to my first real estate adventure.

Now, I really must go join the gathering throng and spend all my money Christmas shopping.


On a serious note, I'm joining Wayne of Niches in wishing Libby of Roundrock Journal a very speedy recovery from her operation. Pablo, Libby and their family will be on my mind today and I wish them all the best.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Alan was quite impressed with that rub!

Anonymous said...

Thanx for the warm thoughts, FC. Libby is home now and is doing very well.

R.Powers said...

ThreeCollie,
I was impressed by their tree killing ability!

Pablo,
That is great news!

Anonymous said...

We also learned the hard way about planting such tyhings. I dreamed of picking fresh fruits off my very own trees, but Ma Nature had other ideas.

My brush piles are slumpnicient (slumpnicious?), as well. The critters aren't picky.

Does your Maggie Nolia bloom? We have one, of some sort, that has refused to cough up one single flower in all the years we've been here.

Your nekky bark looks like the elephant-skin-like trunk of a palm.

Anonymous said...

Slumpnicity is just the word I was looking for! Perfect. May I borrow it (with credit due, of course)?

I came by this morning and realized I was here last night but I am so easily diverted I popped right over to Pablo's to see how Libby was recovering.

Your magnolia is growing tall and straight and if you squint it's shaped sort of like a- Christmas tree! I had the builders leave a nice one and work around it as best they could so it would be near the new side porch- it's got something worse than slumpnicity. It's sort of sprawlnoxious and ramblicious at the same time. Whackd off in some places, growing robustly in others. Needs organization.

I have a Florida bug that Hoss has incorrectly but cleverly guesssed at my place- perhaps you know what it is.

R.Powers said...

SophieMae,
Yup, nekky cabbage palm. Isn't it funny how some strip and others stay clothed in old frond brackets?

Vicki,
Went to Outside In and left a note. It's an oleander moth.
Oleanders are stupid, toxic ornamentals down here. I can't believe they still sell them.

Anonymous said...

So I'm guessing that photo of the buck-rubbed tree is actually upside down, correct?

R.Powers said...

Pablo,
What? You mean your trees grow UP out in MO?
Weird.

Alan said...

I am so glad I don't have any deer around the place. The coons and squirrels make me crazy as it is.

Brush piles are great. No burning, no having to be careful not to set everything else on fire with it!

.....Alan.

R.Powers said...

Alan,
I agree, brush piles just make humus piles, which beats burning and smoke any day.