SPINDLE TREE

EUROPEAN SPINDLE TREE IN FOUNTAIN GARDEN PARK...

...HEAVY WITH ITS UNUSUAL FRUIT

Saturday, 8:20 AM.  41 degrees F at the ferry dock, 37 on the back porch.  Wind WSW, breezy with strong gusts.  The sky is clear, the humidity 70%.  The barometer is falling, predicting seasonally cooler weather with a chance of rain on Tuesday.  We had frost on the roof this morning so our mild weather is leaving us, although the weather still looks good for the immediate future.

   Almost all trees and shrubs are bearing fruit heavily this year, including a very unusual small tree in Fountain Garden Park (south entrance to Bayfield on route 13).  It is the European spindle tree, Euonymus europaeus, in the Celastraceae Family.  Its yellow flowers are relatively inconspicuous, but the fruit is absolutely unique and beautiful, what is called an aril, this one a pink, valvate husk surrounding a bright red fruit.  In a good year such as this, the tree is loaded with the unusual, colorful fruits.
   It is not a plant I would normally use in a landscape and in any case may be hard to obtain, but as a conversation piece or focal point it is hard to beat.
   It is called "spindle tree" because its very hard wood was used to make the spindles on spinning wheels centuries ago.  It is a close relative of the common burning bush, Euonymus alatus, and the native Euonymus americanus, the strawberry bush (so called because of its bright red fruits).

OFF THE CUFF 

   I find it highly ironic that the pundits and polls on the left accused President Elect Trump and his supporters of plotting to delegitamize the election when they lost, to riot and cause disruptions.  And of course that is exactly what they, the left,  are now doing in defeat, supported by the majority left wing media, who have evidently not yet learned their lesson.

   Peaceful protest is the right of everyone at almost any time, but riot, destruction of property and bodily harm to others is against the law and should be punished to its fullest extent.  Allowing what has been happening in some cities  to continue is inexcusable and will only encourage more lawlessness.  

   President Elect Trump is not the cause of these despicable actions, and hopefully will stay out of it; there is only one president at a time and it is up to the present occupant of the White House to speak out against the current outrage and take whatever action may be appropriate for the federal government;  but by and large the lawlessness is at this time a state and local matter, and if they do not at least attempt to control it the onus will be on those entities.  

   And the shame of it all  is upon the permissive persons and organizations that have encouraged this dangerous and infantile behavior.