RIVER BIRCH, AND BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY TO A DOG

YOUNG RIVER BIRCH...

DECEMBER SUNRISE

...BEAUTIFUL EXFOLIATING BARK

DAWN THROUGH THE PINES

Tuesday, 9:15 AM.  24 degrees F, wind WSW, light at present.  The sky is overcast, the humidity is up to 87%, and the barometer is trending down, at 29.86".  It is now snowing lightly,  in addition to the  four or five inches we got yesterday.

   I have mentioned river birch, Betula nigra, a number of times in previous posts.  It is native to stream banks, lakesides, and other wetland areas throughout much of the eastern and southeastern US and the lower Midwest.  It is hardy and adaptable, and makes a good street tree.  It is resistant to bronze birch borer, a serious pest of the more popular paper birch,  Betula papyrifera.

  The young river birch pictured above is growing on the shore of Lake Superior at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore's Little Sand Bay facility.  It certainly was planted, since it is not native in this region.  As is evident, the exfoliating bark is every bit as attractive as that of paper birch, perhaps more so.  The papery bark has a pink to orange tinge that is quite unusual and beautiful.  Unfortunately, it is only the young bark that is so attractive, since as the tree matures the bark on the trunk and larger branches becomes much darker and less papery.  River Birch is a very useful tree, just don't expect it to retain its beautiful bark as it matures.
  Dogs understand a lot of words, but they are utterly clueless when it comes to the subtleties of context.  I said "O.K." to Buddy this morning regarding some minor thing  and he immediately bolted for the partially open door to the garage, obviously interpreting the offhand remark as permission to run at large, and probably do all sorts of other prohibited activities as well.  I could almost see the wheels turning in  his head;  "Boy oh Boy, he said 'O.K.'! now I can sleep on the couch, chew on the table leg, and open the refrigerator door and get a sausage any time I want!  He said 'O.K.' !" Not so fast, Buddy, not so fast.
   Be careful what you say to a dog.