I have used up my hot cocoa mix. Thus my conclusion; winter is over. That’s how it was last year. 😉 In fact the seven day forecast does say the temps will be going up. What do you believe? Groundhog Day is just a few weeks away. So Phil has only gotten it right 40% over the last ten years. I’m going with spring will be here soon. Since my hot cocoa is gone. 😉
The ice still covers much of our back pond. However, the color of the ice had turned clearer again.
Bubbles in the ice!
The Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) was closed today. However I did not check on it yesterday when it was 56f. Today’s high was 32f.
At sunrise yesterday Canada Geese flew over.
Yesterday was the best day to be outside this week. Jeanne and I took advantage of the warm day. We headed over to the grasslands.
I chose a bottomland with little brushy understory.
Like most bottomland around here, the trees get pretty dang big. This area has some big Bois D’arc (Maclura pomifera) trees. Bois D’Arc was the original name the French gave it. Literally it means bow-wood. Osage-orange is the other common name. The species have separate male and female trees. It was originally only found in the east until folks planted it for the hard wood and to make fence rows. Furthermore if used for fence posts, they will last a very long time. However be warned, the tree will quickly dull a saw. Jeanne’s shadow was casted on the right. The other shadow you can decide whose. 😉
Some common names for the fruit include horseapple, mock-orange, hedge-apple, hedge balls, monkey balls, and monkey brains. Monkey brains? Who has seen monkey brains??
Ooops, I stepped on old one. The horseapples are not poisonous to humans, domestic animals, or wildlife. Squirrels will often eat the seeds when the fruit is green. Horses and cows will eat them too. A myth that still lives on is the horseapple repels insects. Even though it does have a grain of truth to it. Scientists have found that it is such low concentrations that it not effective. Which explains why I have seen insects on the horseapples. 🙂
The colors were vibrant!
And of course being me, I wanted a movie of the clear juices. However if you were to cut open a green one the juice will be a milky white.
Just remember to not stand under a female Bois D’arc when she is dropping her fruit. 😉 The fruit is heavy.
The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know
13 Comments
Love the Ecuadorean cities. Bois d arc may be my favorite tree. My horse loved the fruit and i love the fence posts. Don’t think the posts ever rot. There are some on the farm, still in use, put there by my great grandfather. I didn’t know the juice was clear if not cut. I’ve only seen the white juice.
Love those iced-in bubbles! But glad it ahs warmed up – I do have a bit more hot choc left just in care.
The Amazonian lidar scans are really remarkable – it all seems so clear in the landscape. And such huge cities! New revealed wonders every day – just have to look in many ways.
Love the Ecuadorean cities. Bois d arc may be my favorite tree. My horse loved the fruit and i love the fence posts. Don’t think the posts ever rot. There are some on the farm, still in use, put there by my great grandfather. I didn’t know the juice was clear if not cut. I’ve only seen the white juice.
That a long time! And the fence posts get some lichens growing on them too. 😊
Sorry, I haven’t finished my cocoa yet so some of our cold air might leak over the river…
If you want it warmer, start drinking faster. 🤪
My recommendation is to buy more hot cocoa mix…🙃
🤣Heavens NO! I want spring sooner not later. And I still have hot tea. 🙂
Love those iced-in bubbles! But glad it ahs warmed up – I do have a bit more hot choc left just in care.
The Amazonian lidar scans are really remarkable – it all seems so clear in the landscape. And such huge cities! New revealed wonders every day – just have to look in many ways.
Interesting how these big societies had failed and they are just now finding them. Maybe lessons to learn?
Better buy some more cocoa. We have only half the chill hours that our peach crops need, so far. We need another 400 hours below 45 degrees.
That makes me wonder about native plants needing cold weather too??? Wild plums??? Very interesting about the peaches! Thanks for sharing 😊
I don’t know about fruits but some species’ seeds definitely need it, which is why we have to do cold stratification if we’re growing indoors.
Good point! I guess I was only thinking about the fruit trees. 🙂
Kathy I hope you get your 400 hours!