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| MALE ASH TREE...NOTE OPPOSITE BRANCHES, AND DESICCATED MALE FLOWERS... |
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| FEMALE ASH TREE...NOTE DRIED, WINGED SEEDS CLINGING TO BRANCHES |
Tuesday, 8:30 AM. 53 degrees F at the ferry dock, 48 on the back porch. Wind W, with powerful gusts (no day to be on the Big Lake). The sky is partly cloudy, the humidity 74%. The barometer is rising, now at 29,66". The week ahead is predicted to be seasonally warm, with no chance of frost and a chance of rain on Sunday.
Last night was Halloween, and Bayfield trick or treat night. We had a number of little ghosts and goblins come to the door, most if not all Coast Guard children, without whom Bayfield would have few if any little folks. Some were probably from the neighboring Red Cliff Rez. Anyway we had a good time, especially Buddy, who barked joyously whenever there was a knock at the door.
I like to show off sometimes by identifying plants while driving down the road at sixty per. It really isn't hard if one knows a few tricks and has some inside information.
For example, I can identify ash trees (in winter mostly to genus if not species, of which there are at least three hereabouts) and even to species if I can discern the habitat (i.e., black ash is a swamp species, white ash an upland forest hardwood, green ash mostly a woods edge and roadside tree). But more amazingly, I can tell a male from a female ash tree at considerable distance and high speed. Even when I myself am driving. Really, it's quite simple.
First, only two native large tree species in our region have opposite branching; ash and maple, and ash twigs are much larger than maple twigs. Second, female ash trees will have lots of dry, winged seeds attached to the twigs throughout much of the winter. Third, the flowers of male ash trees are often attacked by a mite that causes the flower to dry up and cling to the twigs through much of the winter, and they look nothing like the seeds of the female tree.
See? Now you too can amaze friends and associates with your arcane arboricultural knowledge. If anyone cares.
Last night was Halloween, and Bayfield trick or treat night. We had a number of little ghosts and goblins come to the door, most if not all Coast Guard children, without whom Bayfield would have few if any little folks. Some were probably from the neighboring Red Cliff Rez. Anyway we had a good time, especially Buddy, who barked joyously whenever there was a knock at the door.
I like to show off sometimes by identifying plants while driving down the road at sixty per. It really isn't hard if one knows a few tricks and has some inside information.
For example, I can identify ash trees (in winter mostly to genus if not species, of which there are at least three hereabouts) and even to species if I can discern the habitat (i.e., black ash is a swamp species, white ash an upland forest hardwood, green ash mostly a woods edge and roadside tree). But more amazingly, I can tell a male from a female ash tree at considerable distance and high speed. Even when I myself am driving. Really, it's quite simple.
First, only two native large tree species in our region have opposite branching; ash and maple, and ash twigs are much larger than maple twigs. Second, female ash trees will have lots of dry, winged seeds attached to the twigs throughout much of the winter. Third, the flowers of male ash trees are often attacked by a mite that causes the flower to dry up and cling to the twigs through much of the winter, and they look nothing like the seeds of the female tree.
See? Now you too can amaze friends and associates with your arcane arboricultural knowledge. If anyone cares.
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