LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING (ALSO THERMOMETERS)

GOLDEN YELLOW SILVER MAPLE

ONE OF MY FAVORITE VIEWS: A COUNTRY ROAD, TREES, WATER AND SKY

Friday, 8:45 AM.  40 degrees at the ferry dock, 33 on the back porch.  Wind WSW, light with stronger gusts.  The sky is clear, the humidity 89% and the barometer is steady, at 30.24".  It was close to freezing last night up here on the bluff, but exacting accuracy of thermometers is a myth, unless they are truly professional and certified.  One near neighbor had 35 degrees this morning, so we were certainly near freezing.  There was no ice on the bird bath, and that will be my accuracy check.
   Road, trees, water and sky; makes me want to take a trip.  The above is one of my favorite views, looking east toward Chequamegon Bay on McCulloch Road (little more than a fire lane in the Bayfield County forest).
   Silver maple, Acer saccharinum, is a fast growing tree native to much of eastern  North America.  It's natural habitat is river banks and bottomlands, but it adapts to much drier sites in cultivation.  It is not a desirable tree for street use or for planting near homes because its branches are quite brittle and are subject to wind and ice damage. In old age the tree often breaks apart, shedding huge, heavy limbs. Its roots are notorious for clogging sewers and getting into pipes.  That said, it can be a beautiful tree, as exemplified by this one on Rittenhouse Avenue, all decked out in its goden-yellow fall foliage.