9/14/08 AS THE SONG SAYS, "THIS CAN'T BE LOVE"

Sunday, 8:15 AM. 50 degrees, wind WNW, light with gusts. The channel is m0stly glassy and the sky overcast. The barometer predicts rain, which we got six-tenths of an inch of yesterday afternoon.
Note the orange vine growing on the ornamental plants in the large pot. It is a parasitic flowering plant, without green leaves or any chlorophyll at all, and I thus thought it would be of interest. It is in the genus Cucutus, in the morning glory family. There are perhaps a dozen species of these plants native to North America, and more in Europe and South America. This plant, variously called dodder, strangleweed, hellweed and love-vine, can be a very noxious weed on some agricultural crops and is a very nasty thing one would not wish to escape into a garden, even though many species of dodder need very specific host plants to survive. The species are very difficult to key out and I will not try. I was called to identify it and my recommendation is to destroy it before it flowers (it is about ready to), burn or bury the ornamental plants it is growing on, and sanitize anything that could harbor seeds.
My supposition is that the seed that produced this plant survived in improperly sterilized potting soil. Composted soil or manure, etc., must reach a temperature of above 180 degrees for a good length of time to kill seeds and spores, or must be properly steamed or chemically treated. With a “lover” like this, who needs enemies?

9/13/08: LEAVES OF THREE, LEAVES OF FIVE

Saturday, 7:30 AM. 46 degrees, wind WSW, calm. The channel is like glass with light fog. The sky is blue with some mare’s tails. The barometer predicts rain, the advancing remnants of Hurricane Ike, up from the Gulf.
Pictured here are the woodbine, or Virginia creeper, Parthenocissus quinquifolia, previously described, and poison ivy, Rhus radicans. It is easy to see how they can be confused, but just remember the old saw, “leaves of three, let them be.” Five leaflets are harmless.
Well, we have phone service for the next few days at least, and will keep our fingers crossed.

9/12/08 GREAT FALL COLOR, LOUSY PHONE SERVICE

Friday, 8:00 AM. 48 degrees, wind NW, calm. The channel is glassy, and there is fog on the waters. The sky is clear and the barometer up, predicting partly cloudy skies. We got one-half inch of rain yesterday but I managed to get the lawns mowed.
Fall color is becoming apparent, the rusty orange leaved shrub is one seldom seen, it is mountain maple, Acer spicatum. It has typical maple opposite branches and leaves somewhat resembling red maple. The species name spicatum refers to the spiked inflorescences of small white flowers, quite attractive, which bear typical maple winged samara fruits. It is native to northern woods and should be used more in the landscape.
The purple leaved vine is another native, woodbine or Virginia creeper, Parthenocisus quinquifolia, which occurs throughout most of the eastern half of North America and beyond. Its purple fruits are quite decorative, and the fall color outstanding. As the species name indicates it’s compound leafe has five leaflets, and unfortunately it is often confused with poison ivy, which as you know has three leaflets (leaves of three, let the be).
It promises to be a beautiful day, uninterrupted by pesky calls from friends and customers, as we do not have any incoming local phone service.

9/11/08 GOOD PARTY, SAD MEMORIES

9/11/08: Thursday, 8:00 AM. 50 degrees, wind SSW, calm. The channel is calm, it is drizzling rain, the sky is overcast and the barometer predicts rain.
Judy’s birthday cake party turned into a campfire dinner, with “dessert first.” Andy and Judy, Joan and me, Myron and Mike talked about everything but religion and politics until dark (no party should encompass those subjects). Our only regret is that we forgot to sing Happy Birthday (next time, Judy).
This morning, anniversary of the 9/11/01 attacks is fittingly somber. I was fishing that day when I heard the news and got home in time to witness the accounts of the second tower collapse. I was sickened by it all, particularly since I had been in the Twin Towers on business often (did you know that on a windy day, you could feel the towers sway on a high floor?), and if we had still lived in New York we would be mourning friends and neighbors. America is one of the largest and certainly the most powerful of nations on the planet, economically, geographically and in population, but we are just a small town in many respects, connected with each of our fellow citizens in myriad and mystical ways that I do not think others understand.
At present Joan and I are not that well connected with anybody, as we have not had local telephone service in a month, due to the gross incompetence of several companies who cannot or will not get their act together. If Nippon Telephone offered service here I would sign up. In the words of the bard, “A pox on both their houses.” Where is Ma Bell when we need her?

9/10/08 GOOD DOGS AND A SOMETIMES BAD TREE

7:00 AM. 42 degrees, wind WSW, calm. The channel is dimpled. The sky is mostly cloudy and the barometer down, predicting more of the same.
I walked Erick’s dog, and of course Lucky, and Roxy tagged along. All are good dogs, at least as long as one has a pocket full of treats. It gets light later and later each day now, so it was kind of a dusky walk.
The hawthorn tree pictured here is Winter King hawthorn, Crataegus X ’Winter King’. It is a very handsome, smallish tree, with deep maroon fall color and attractive berries which last the winter. Most of the hawthorns are hard to use as street trees due to their spreading habit and sometimes vicious thorns. As a young nursery worker I hated them, because digging one was like tangling with a wildcat. I may still have some scars on my backside from the three inch long thorns of the cockspur hawthorn.
The geese are starting to flock up to move further south, and their honking V formations are commonly seen every morning now.
There is a surprise ice cream cake birthday party for Judy at camp this afternoon and we will be happy to attend, and maybe pick some blackberries and collect some more wild carrot plants as well.

9/09/08 READY TO LOAD UP THAT BIG BUCK

Tuesday, 7:30 AM. 41 degrees, wind WNW, moderate with gusts. The channel is crawling. The sky is mostly sunny and that is what the barometer predicts.
Joan and I are going to Duluth today for a doctor’s appointment and I will stop and look for a tailgate cargo carrier for the pickup. Joan suggested it for deer hunting as when hunting alone I would have a hard time getting a large deer up into the bed of the truck. I hope all this anticipation does not cause jinx the hunt.
Later: the trip was all good, and the carrier, purchased at Gander Mountain, is assembled and on the truck (I will have to remove it to put the trailer hitch on for the boat). There were lots of signs of fall along the rout to Duluth but I saw nothing that I thought would make an effective photograph. Have to walk Erick’s dog Morgan tomorrow morning. He is in Florida helping parents deal with the hurricane’s and his wife Nancy has an early morning meeting.

9/08/08 A WONDERFUL VISITOR CENTER AND A GREAT TREE SYMPOSIUM

Monday, 7:30 AM. 41 degrees, wind W, moderate with gusts. Te channel is crawling and the sky mottled blue with high gray clouds. The barometer is up and a strong high pressure system is coming in.
Today is the tree symposium at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center west of Ashland on Hwy. 2. This is a wonderful tourist information facility with interactive displays an movies on local history, and is a must-see for visitors to our region. It has a unique gift shop as well.
Later: the program was absolutely great, even for an old pro like myself. It concentrated on the common mistakes made in planting and selecting trees, the bottom line being that most trees fail because they do not match their planting environment (ecological error) or that they are planted too deep (not as easy to determine as one might suppose). It was very hands on, with a good balance of lecture and hands on. I saw no one nod off, which is a feat in itself.
The photos are of the facility, with two tree board members at the entrance, and some of the lecture and demonstration activity.
Tomorrow I must accompany Joan to Duluth for an eye doctor appointment.