WINTERGREEN TEA ON A DAMP FALL MORNING

WINTERGREEN GROUNDCOVER

WINTERGREEN LEAVES

Thursday,  9:00 AM.  46 degrees F, wind N, calm at present.  It is a foggy, misty morning, very quiet, without a bird sound, nor even the bark of a neighborhood dog disturbing the quiet; all nature seems damped down.  The humidity is 97%, and the barometer has dropped to 29.93".

   Now, before either leaves or snow completely cover the ground, is a good time to see aromatic wintergreen on the mixed deciduous/coniferous  forest floor in the Northland, where the creeping, evergreen plants can form large patches.  Wintergreen, Gaultheria procumbens, in the heath family, bears small white flowers in the spring, followed by red, berry-like fruits that are no longer present at this time.  There is another very similar wintergreen species, G. hispidula that grows in coniferous woods and bogs.  There are several other creeping evergreen species, including partridge berry (Mitchella repens) but wintergreen is unmistakable due to its characteristic wintergreen aroma when the leaves are crushed.

   The leaves have long been used as a tea by both Indians and whites, and tea-berry is one of its common names.  Decoctions  and poultices  of the leaves have been likewise been used as a cold remedy and anti-arthrytic by both cultures, as wintergreen has many of the same properties as aspirin.  Wintergreen salve is still available commercially.  Internal use of wintergreen, other than as a dilute tea, may not be safe, however.
   Come to think of it, a hot cup of wintergreen tea might be just the thing for my creaky joints on this damp fall morning!

TAMARACKS, TAR SPOT, AND THE VERY ESSENCE OF TOTALITARIANISM

TAMARACK IN ODE BACK YARD

SUGAR MAPLE WITH TAR SPOT 

Wednesday, 9:00 AM.  41 degrees F, wind N,variable from calm to light.  It is overcast and things are wet from a trace of rain earlier.  The humidity is 89% and the barometer down somewhat at 30.10".  The Farmers' Almanac predicts cold and dry weather for Halloween, but it looks like warmer and wet instead (I'm tracking the Farmers' Almanac out of curiosity as to its accuracy, just for fun until I get tired of it).
   When we travelled to Wausau in central Wisconsin two weeks ago the tamaracks in most of the northern part of the state were already turning their golden fall coloration, as they approached their annual defoliation.  Here in Bayfield, a hundred and fifty miles north of Wausau, they are just now turning color. That is how much proximity to Lake Superior affects fall leaf retention, hardiness and many other physiological factors of plants,
   Tar spot of maple leaves is a lesion caused by several species of the fungus genus Rhytsma. I have been seeing quite a bit of it.   It is seldom a serious disease, although it looks threatening.  The best control, if deemed necessary, is to rake up and burn or bury affected leaves to prevent an outbreak the following year.
   Is a mere five-percent of anything something to be concerned about?  After all, it is less than fifteen million people, about five percent of the US population, who may loose their present insurance, doctors or hospitals under Obamacare, despite the President's repeated assurances to the contrary.  After all, that is a statistically unimportant number.
   Consider this: the Jewish population of Germany in 1933, when Hitler became Chancellor, was only 500,000 out of a population of sixty-seven million.  Less than one-percent. Hardly noticed as they were loaded into the cattle cars and shipped to the crematoriums.   As we all know, they didn't count to most Germans, and neither to most of the rest of the world.  It is easy to sacrifice someone else's life, health, or property, particularly if they are only a small minority.  Why can't they just "take one for the team,"  shut up, and get out of the way?
   My friends, sacrificing some else's life, liberty or property for the supposed "common good" is the very essence of totalitarianism.

FRONT YARD PLANT SUCCESSION, AND FEELING LIKE A DAMNED FOOL

PIONEERING PAPER BIRCH AND WHITE PINE DOMINATE..

SHADE TOLERANT RED OAKS AND MAPLES WILL SUCCEED THE PIONEER BIRCH, PINE AND SUMAC...

...DITTO...

...DITTO

Tuesday,  9:00 AM.  32 degrees F, up from 28 or lower earlier. The wind is N, calm to light. The sky is mostly to partly cloudy, the humidity is 80% and the barometer stands at 30.43".  We had our first hard frost last night and many of the trees are shedding their leaves this morning, simply giving in to the inevitable and letting them go.
   The southwest corner of the Ode property is a mini-woodland which is quite beautiful, especially in the fall.  The dominant trees are a maturing (perhaps twenty-five years old) multi-trunked paper birch, which hopefully will live another ten or fifteen years, and a young white pine of about the same age, which, absent any intervention, may live another century.  These are both pioneering species, which often are established after fire or blowdown, and thrive in full sun.  Sun loving trees do not reproduce well in heavy shade, and thus their own seedlings do not normally thrive under the parent plants.
   Instead, the seedlings of more shade tolerant trees grow under the maturing pioneer species.  In these fall photos it is easy to pick out the yellow-lleaved sugar maple saplings and the red leaves of red oak saplings growing up under the birch and white pine trees.  They are also springing up under and around the clumps of sun-loving sumac on the steep bank. Also in this successional mix are two shade-tollerant young balsam fir trees, which are difficult to see in the photo.  If I do not manage this collage of plants in any way the shade-loving trees will soon take over and dominate the original trees (but probably not the massive white pine).  I do some thinning and pruning of all the trees and shrubs to optimize the esthetics of the grouping, but by and large plant succession is taking place the way nature dictates.
   I managed budgets and contracts for government and non-profit agencies my entire career, always under the watchful eye of boards and committees, and always under written rules on the bidding process.  So I am virtually dumbfounded by the venality of spending (I guess legally, at least by present analysis) over $600,000,000 on the Affordable Care web site contract without competitive bids.  And by all recent accounts the work was given to a Canadian firm, an executive of which is a personal and professional friend of the First Lady.  The fact that there are evidently no rules in place to prohibit such malfeasance makes congress and both political parties complicit in this unarmed robbery of the American taxpayers.
   I do not understand why there is not more popular outrage over this blatant misuse of public funds, and it makes me feel like a damned fool for worrying about and accounting for every penny of public money I ever was entrusted with.

QUESTION ANSWERED

ICE ON THE BIRDBATH THIS MORNING

UNDER CONSTRUCTION: TREE STAND OR TREE HOUSE?

IF IT'S GOT A MAILBOX, IT HAS TO BE A HOUSE...

WITH A GREAT VIEW OF THE ODE'S FRONT YARD

Monday, 8:30 AM.  34 degrees F, wind NE,  moderate with occasional very strong gusts.  It was a foggy dawn, with traces of snow on roofs and cars, but no significant accumulation.  The bird bath was frozen over, a reminder that I still have a few things to store for winter. The humidity is 81%, and the barometer has risen sharply to 30.49", so hopefully it will clear up some.  I have a Tree Board meeting this morning and we plan to put fertilizer spikes around young trees, so better weather would be welcome.
   The kids project across the street continues apace, accompanied by a constantly playing radio, as is every other bonafide construction site.   And the question, whether it is a tree house or a tree stand, is now answered: the boys have put up a mailbox, so obviously the structure is a treehouse.

NO BUILDING PERMIT

TREE HOUSE CONSTRUCTION SITE

HEY, KID...WHERE'S YOUR BUILDING PERMIT?

Sunday, 9:00 AM.  Wind WSW,  calm to light, with occasional stronger gusts.  The sky has a high, light overcast of gray clouds.  The humidity is 77% and the barometer is mostly steady, at 29.83".  Hopefully the sun will poke through at some point and liven things up.

   The neighborhood kids are building a tree house, or tree stand, I don't know which, on the edge of the the woods across the street.  They have the first floor done and are working on the next.  They are doing a good job of it and are very industrious.  I don't know whose ladder the've borrowed, but they have at least one of my shovels (they did ask permission).  I asked them if they were going to deer hunt from it and they said they were't old enough for a license (they are in the seven to nine year old age range).  I didn't ask them if they had a buiding permit.  

MORE FALL TREES, AND A CONTROVERSIAL WOLF HUNT

SMALL GROVE OF TREMBLING ASPEN, FLANKED BY WHITE PINE AND SUGAR MAPLE

RED MAPLE AT THE CEMETERY

   Wisconsin wolves have made an amazing comeback since they were reintroduced a few years back, so amazing that they are no longer on the federal endangered species list and need to be controlled, since they have no natural predators but man,  by hunting and trapping.  The 2013 season is still ongoing, but the state announced last week that 95 wolves have been trapped or shot out of a targeted harvest statewide of 251 wolves.  Of the 95 harvested in 24 counties, 12 have been taken in Bayfield county, the highest  number of any county in the state.  The hunt will continue through February or until the harvest goal is reached.

SILVER MAPLE ON RITTENHOUSE AVE.

Saturday, 9:00 AM.  40 degrees F, wind WNW, moderate with strong gusts.  The sky is mostly overcast with dark storm clouds, but there are occasional patches of blue sky.  We have had a shower or two, rain and snow pellets.  The humidity is 81% and the barometer has fallen to 29.89".
   The parade of colorful fall trees continues, despite  changes in the weather.  The poplar trees, both the familiar trembling aspen and the less recognized big-toth aspen are very colorful this year, turning hillsides and valleys bright yellow.  As I have noted, many red maples have turned shades of yellow this year, but the one pictured, along Washington Ave. at the cemetery, is its usual fiery coloration.  Even the normally drab silver maples are pretty this fall.
   The delisting of the gray wolf from the federal endangered species list and the resulting hunting season has been controversial, with many environmentalists, along with some Indian tribes, opposed to it.  In addition, many forestry interests desire a reduced deer population to control browsing of seedling trees.
   But farmers, ranchers and many deer hunters have been calling for the delisting for some years.  Wolves can cause great economic damage to farmers and ranchers, and can decimate local deer herds, regardless of whether they may be of benefit to the overall deer population by culling  weak individuals and keeping the population in balance with its food supply.
   Last year, the first hunt since delisting, there were 42 wolves killed at this point in the hunt.  This year there have been more than twice as many killed.  Some will say too many wolves are being killed. Others will say the kill has more than doubled because the wolf population is far greater than was estimated.  One thing is certain; the Wisconsin wolf population has expanded exponentially,  from virtually zero to almost a thousand in only a few years.  There are almost four thousand wolves in the the tri-state region of Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
   I myself remain rather neutral in the wolf debate, recognizing both the value of wolves in the balance of nature, and the economic damage that results from out-of-control predators.  A major predator, such as the wolf, that loses its fear of man is best controlled through hunting.  I am not personally interested in hunting wolves, but neither do I want to loose my dog to wolves or coyotes when we are out in the woods, so my pistol goes into my pocket along with my dog whistle.
 

BETH'S SUSTAINABLE GARDEN

A RUSTIC, FRONT YARD VEGETABLE GARDEN

SUSTAINABLE GARDENS MIX VEGETABLES AND COMPANION PLANTS

A "KEYHOLE " GARDEN

YOUNG HAZLENUTS

THE" SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE"

Friday, 8:00 AM.  35 degrees F, wind W, light with moderate gusts.  The sky is mostly clear, the humidity is 80% and the barometer is trending higher at 30.32", promising nice weather.  Maybe I'll be able to get some leaves mulched and other fall yard and garden work done after things dry out.
   At the lakefront in Ashland the other day we saw something we had not seen before; a majestic bald eagle, soaring high, being mobbed by a gang of crows.  How humiliating!  Like Rodney Dangerfield, he didn't "get no respect."  That's just the way it goes sometimes, no matter how high one flies.
   A few weeks ago I wrote about Martha's Fantastic Garden, and that has been a very popular post.  I said at the time that there are as many kinds of gardens as there are gardeners, and Beth's "sustainable garden," just up the street on the corner of 11th and Old Military, is at sort of the opposite end of the spectrum.
   I have been watching the progress of the garden up the block since it was started by the previous owner of the home about five years ago and never knew quite what to make of it, as it is very rustic and didn't seem to have any particular stylistic qualities.  Which didn't much disturb my sensibilities, since that could be said of my own landscape.
   When Beth and her family moved in a year ago, it was obvious that more effort was being put into the garden and landscape, but all in the same vein.  Since then I have gotten to know Beth, who practices sustainable gardening, which is an aspect of the sustainability movement, the goal of which is to integrate environmental, social and economic factors in an attempt to create a more sustainable future (that's a succinct and probably grossly incomplete definition).
   Beth practices companion planting to reduce the need for pesticides and fertilizer, plants perennial food crops (berry bushes, nut crops) as well as annual vegetables, does a lot of recycling, saves rain water, and is experimenting with plant "guilds" (what I would call plant associations), the companion planting of trees and shrubs that naturally grow together.  I sure can't argue with any of what she is doing, and do much of the same myself.
  I have to admit that I haven't been enamored by the whole "sustainability"movement, as I don't know why anyone would wish any garden or landscape effort to be "unsustainable."  I am also very suspicious, by nature I guess, of social movements of any kind, and the usual jargon and attempts at social control that go along with them.  And I definitely part ways with those who worship the earth goddess Gaia,  as some in these parts do.
   But I like what Beth is doing, and promise to learn more.

MAYBE A LITTLE SOMBER

SNOW CLOUDS OVER CHEQUAMEGON BAY

THE SOMBER COLORS OF FALL, 2013

Thursday, 8:30 AM.  Wind WNW, calm to light with occasional gusts.  The sky is cloudy with a high overcast.  Decks and roads are wet, and a few errant snow pellets are falling from a leaden sky. The humidity is 77% and the barometer is up significantly, promising fairer weather.  

   Fall is a season of reflection.  The seasons are visual evidence of the progression of life, from the youthful joy of spring through the fulness of summer and the anticipation of harvest time, and then fall, in one last, glorious fling, presages  the  inevitability of winter.  For man or dog,  life itself does indeed mimic the seasons.

   Someone said to me the other day that "fall is bittersweet," and it certainly can be that.  In any case, the season evokes moods like none other.  This fall has been quite beautiful, and of course it is still far from over, but it has had little of the usual riot of color that brings out the Octoberfest in a person.
   This fall the leaf colors have been muted, yellows and bronzes mostly,  and it has often  been cloudy, foggy, rainy, the atmosphere itself closing down the damper on the leafy fires of fall.  And yet it is not a season of sadness, as the earth is too lovely, in whatever dress she wears,  for us to be sad for long.  Maybe a little somber.

UNCOMMON OR MUNDANE, BOTH ARE BEAUTIFUL

MOUNTAIN MAPLE (JUST IN TIME FOR HOLLOWEEN)

MOUNTAIN MAPLE LEAF

BURNING BUSH (OVERUSED BUT STILL BEAUTIFUL)

SUGAR MAPLE ON OLD COURTHOUSE LAWN

Wednesday, 8:30 AM.  Wind NNW, light.  The sky is partly cloudy, with towering gray and black storm clouds in the northeast.  The humidity is 74%, the barometer steady at 29.96".  We had some precipitation last night which left a trace of snow on roofs and decks.  Some snow has been predicted but the atmosphere is probably too dry to produce much.  The Farmers' Almanac predicts cold and dry conditions through the end of the month.
   I have  mentioned mountain maple, Acer spicatum, before, but it is worth mentioning again.  The fall leaf coloration is spectacular, ranging from pumpkin orange (this year just in time for Holloween) to other typical maple leaf colors such as shades of red and yellow.  It is probably not rare but is not often seen, perhaps because it inhabits cool northern woods, along stream banks, cliffs and lake shores, places hard to traverse.  This one is in the woods on the east side of Tenth St., right along the road, between Old Military and Wilson Ave.  It is just a  shrub, tucked under a big old willow tree, but others deeper in the woods are small trees, standing out amongst other trees with their unusual fall color.
   Mountain Maple is native to the eastern forests  of Canada, New England and the Great Lake States, and in micro habitats as far west as Iowa.  It has attractive yellow flower spikes (thus its latin species name) and colorful red, winged maple seeds.  I have no experience with growing or transplanting it, but in the right location it would be a wonderful addition to a northern landscape.
   As uncommon as is the mountain maple, the burning bush, Euonymus alatus, an introduction from Asia,  is ubiquitous.  It is baldly overused but undeniably attractive in its fall attire. Uncommon or mundane, both are beautiful.

INTENSIFYING FALL COLORS, AND "THE DICTATORSHIP OF THE PROLETARIAT"

VIEW OF CHEQUAMEGON BAY FROM GOLF COURSE, BEFORE SNOWFALL

RED AND SUGAR MAPLES AMONG THE CONIFERS

HACKBERRY ON WASHINGTON AVE.

MAPLE ON WASHINGTON AVE., OLD COURTHOUSE

Tuesday,  9:00 AM.  36 degrees F, wind light, variable.  The sky is covered with a low overcast.The humidity is 73%, and the barometer is trending up slightly  at 29.98".  Yesterday's blustery first "snowfall"(really ice or snow pellets) left no accumulation but everything is quite wet.  Neighbor Marilyn is out puttering in her yard but I won't do any outside work until things dry out.
   After several nights at or near freezing, the leaves have intensified their coloration.  Sugar maples and red maples in particular are more vivid, some of the sugar maples that had been quite golden yellow now turning to hues of red.  The yellow leaves of some ash, birch and poplar are more brilliant, and even the lime green leaves of hackberry trees stand out.  As of this morning, most of the leaves appear to be hanging on, even after yesterday's stormy weather.
   With all the agonizing over the monetary cost of Obamacare, I have been wondering why some analyst hasn't asked what the out-of-pocket cost of simply paying the annual medical expenses of the estimated 15,000,000 uninsured might be.
   I am certain those expenses are being paid by society presently anyway, since in all my long life I have never personally known  of anyone being denied needed medical care of whatever kind or expense necessary.  In fact I have known many people, including extended family members, who received or are receiving medicaid, SSI or other government or private assistance that pays their medical and other bills,  usually with great generosity.
   So, take a guess at what such expenses might average per person per year: for example, $10,000 each would total $15B.  Take a guess, a generous guess, and multiply that number by fifteen million. if you do the math, I'll bet you come up with a number that is less expensive than Obamacare, that could be paid with income taxes or other taxes, without its Soviet-style oppression.  And remember, it is being paid by all of us one way or another already!
   Obamacare is not about health-care, it is about the government controlling the most crucial aspect of our lives and, ultimately, our freedom.  Ever heard of "The Dictatorship of the Proletariat," comrade?

GUIDELINES FOR CONTROLLING EMERALD ASH BORER FOR THE CITY OF BAYFIELD AND ITS RESIDENTS

SNOW CLOUDS AND MAPLE LEAVES

SNOW PELLETS AND OAK LEAVES

Monday, 9:00 AM.  33 degrees F, wind W, light with strong gusts.  The humidity is down, at 72%.  The sky is overcast, with some dark, billowing snow clouds.  The barometer is more or less steady at 29.83".  It rained some last night which turned to snow pellets, and my unlined jean jacket was poor defense against the weather this morning.

   The emerald ash borer (EAB) is a beetle that infests only ash tree species.  It is of Asiatic origin and has caused the death of millions of trees in cities and woodlands in the Midwest in the last ten years.  'The vascular tissues of ash trees are destroyed by the feeding of tghe larval stage (borers) of the insect.  The adult itself does little damage.  It takes several years for infected trees to show damage, and at present, without treatment with systemic insecticides an infested tree will die within four or five years.
   Currently available insecticides or of relatively  low toxicity to higher organisms and are mostly retained in the tree they are targeted to or are bound in the soil.  There have been instances reported of toxicity to bees but they have been rather poorly documented.  The USDA sets standards for use, and some chemicals must be applied by a licensed applicator.
   Chemicals, according to their types, are applied by injection into the tree, by soil drench around the base of the tree, or by spray application to the trunk of the tree.  What methods and chemicals to use are a choice of the municipality or the home owner, and are based on many factors, including cost, ease of application and environmental concerns.
   Since detection of the insect is almost impossible before damage occurs to the tree, and the chemicals have a relatively short useful life span, chemical applications are not recommended until actual insect damage occurs in the tree or nearby trees.  Chemical control is usually good before the tree has lost 30% of its leaf canopy, and declines after that.  Once 50% of the tree is affected the chance of survival is slim.

   Infested trees, or trees within an infested location, must be treated every two years, and regardless of the cost of the initial treatment is bound to become expensive over time.  This factor should be balanced by the cost of tree and stump removal, which can be several thousands of dollars for a large tree, as well as the importance of the tree in th landscape.  For most chemicals, regardless of type or method of application, spring is the preferred time to apply.

CHEMICALS CURRENTLY LICENSED FOR EAB BY THE USDA

Xytect (imidacloprid) is applied to the soil as a liquid drench  by the owner, or by soil injection by a professional applicator.  It is sold as Bayer Home Advanced in larger stores .  As Optrol it is stronger, for trees over 15" DBH, and must be applied by a licensed applicator.  Zytect costs about $10 for a tree under 15" DBH and is the least expensive of the chemicals.

Transect (Dinotefuran) is used as a soil drench or bark spray.  It costs about $20 for a tree under 15" DBH, but bark spraying is a simple application.

Tree-age (Emmamectin benzoate) is injected into the tree by a licensed applicator.  It is highly effective and a good control for larger trees.

Tree-Azin (Azadirachtin), is an organic insecticide made from the African Neem tree, and is injected by a caplet system. It is the only registered EAB treatment in Canada.

   My recommendations at present for City of Bayfield trees are to consider bark spraying with Transect for the few good ash street trees it has.  A final decision can be postponed until EAB actually shows up in the area.  This would not be expensive and relatively easy to do.  I do not consider treating large trees in the Dalrymple Campground woods practical and if they become infested they will have to be removed.

   My recommendations to Bayfield homeowners is to consider the cost and landscape factors involved and make their own decisions.  Larger and more prominent trees may well be worth treating and aging, and home applications of the easier to use chemicals may be practical for smaller trees.  Dead ash trees disintegrate quivkly and must be removed before they become dangerous.

LOST TRADITIONS

LAST YEAR'S TOWN OF RUSSELL GUN RAFFLE

VIEW TO WEST OVER VALLEY OF N. BRANCH OF PIKES CREEK

VIEW OF HILLS SOUTH OF HWY. K IN TOWN OF RUSSELL

VIEW TO WEST ON HWY. K, OVERLOOKING SAND RIVER VALLEY

Sunday, 9:00 AM.  36 degrees F, up from 33 earlier.  The wind is NW, variable and light.  The sky is partially overcast, the humidity is 90% and the barometer is steady, at 29.78".  Snow is predicted for tonight and tomorrow, and I am more or less ready for it, although it is too early to put the gardens to bed and the leaves still need to be mulched.  If we do have a taste of winter now, we should still have Indian summer to come.

   The peak of color may be past, but the countryside is still splendid and absent any violent weather should be beautiful for another two weeks.

   Now is when our small Northland communities normally have their harvest dinners, and there will still  be some in our region, but we have now lost two that were quite wonderful, iconic gatherings of our small towns and countryside.       Two years ago The Belanger Settlement,  a small, historic off-reservation Indian community located half-way between Bayfield and Cornucopia, ceased its thanksgiving dinner and fund raiser for its historical society, and this year there will be no Town of Russell harvest dinner, which supported, among other things, the local gun range and youth gun safety programs.  We always attended both, were always welcome even when when we were still strangers, and bought raffle tickets to support them.  With those two now gone, I don't think there are any others for us to attend locally.  And we will miss them.

   Communities change over time.  Old residents die or sell properties they can no longer keep up, and move away.  It is a natural process, with the hope of eventual renewal by younger residents.  Unfortunately,  older people who are mainstays of community traditions and activities also simply tire and wear out, and if younger folks don't step into their roles the traditions and activities die out.  At this point, others in The Settlement and Town of Russell communities haven't stepped into the supporting roles.  There are many reasons; family pressures, everyone working two jobs, whatever.  But the result is a real loss to the community.  

CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR

NO BUFFALO...AND NO CIGAR!

HISTORIC APPLE SHED ON WASHINGTON AVE.

SMITH FIRE LANE...

...AFTER THE RAIN

Saturday,  8:30 AM.  40 degrees F, wind WNW,  with occasional light gusts.  The sky is mostly cloudy but clearing. We had a trace of rain last night, and the humidity is still 90%.  The barometer is trending down slightly and stands at 29.72".  The weather forecasts are predicting frost, and the Farmers Almanac calls for "unseasonably chilly" weather over the next few days.  Glad the plants are in.

   Yesterday morning it looked like it would rain most of the day, but by early afternoon it suddenly cleared and  the rest of  the day it was cool but sunny, with big, puffy cumulous clouds, so we ventured down the muddy back roads.  The Ridgeline didn't get stuck, but we won't brag about it and jinx our luck.

   A few posts ago I was pretty cocky about identifying and describing a buffalo berry bush, Shephardia argentea.  Of course, as you can guess, it turns out I was wrong, and it is instead a very closely related plant in the same small family, Eleagnus umbellata, Japanese silverberry, native to the Himalayas and much of Asia.  Introduced to North America in the 1830's as a useful food plant, it has of late been considered an invasive species.  The main identification difference between it and buffalo berry is that it has alternate leaves and branches, and the later has opposite.  

   I was proven wrong in my identification by Beth, the savvy gardener  who first asked me what it was, as she took my name for the plant, Googled it, and found the information that proved me wrong.  One has to be darn sure to double check his facts in these days of instant knowledge.  As they say, "Close, but no cigar."  Anyway, thanks Beth, we are all the wiser now.  

   And thanks also for the fruit leather you made from the berries, it is really quite good.  I guess if we all picked the silver berries for food  as they do in Asia the plant wouldn't have a chance to be invasive.

   I heard a political analyst say today that the only thing wrong with Obamacare is its implementation, that the theory behind it is perfectly valid.  That may be true, but a theory isn't of any practical use until it can be implemented.  It wasn't the Theory of Relativity that was dropped from  the Enola Gay to end WWII.  Forget about the cigar; Obamacare isn't even close!

RECOGNIZING GLOSSY BUCKTHORN

GLOSSY, OR EUROPEAN BUCKTHORN...

...MANY PEA-SIZED FRUITS...

...CONTAINING THREE SEEDS

WALNUT TREES ON 6th ST. AND RITTENHOUSE AVE.

Friday, 8:00 AM.  42 degrees F, wind WNW, light with moderate gusts.  The sky is overcast and it rained off and on last night, another .25".  The humidity is 88%. The barometer is mostly steady at 29.86". The Farmers Almanac predicts cold, dry weather for the net few days but it looks like we will get wet cold, weather instead, with perhaps the first snow of the season.  I have brought the plants in from the porch and decks but there's still a lot to be done before winter sets in, and once it dries out I have to mulch leaves and put the gardens to bed.
   The European, or glossy buckthorn is an invasive large shrub to small tree with pea-sized red to black fruit that might be confused with cherry fruit.  The bark also looks much like the bark of a young cherry tree, being smooth, shiny brown in color and with dotted lenticels like cherry bark.
   Now is a good time to recognize Rhamnus frangula, as the leaves stay green and attached to the branches much longer than most native shrubs.  The fruit ripens from red to blue-black, and each berry-like fruit has three, or sometimes four, black seeds that are flat on one side.  The fruit is not really poisonous, but has an acrid taste and if eaten in any quantity will cause gastritis, as its former latin species name, cathartica, testified.  Seedlings and even larger plants can be pretty easily pulled up by hand, or popped out with a shovel.  Just cutting the trunks at ground level only causes them to re-sprout, unless treated with herbicide.  Don't just throw larger bushes with lots of berries in a wood chipper and then use the chips for mulch, as the berries will germinate and spread new seedlings elsewhere.
   Walnut trees, Caryua ovata, with their long, pinnately compound,  golden-yellow leaves and black trunks, are conspicuous now in the landscape, and their yellow-husked nuts can be found lying under the trees.  They are not native much north of central Wisconsin, but there are more in the Bayfield area than one might think, many having been planted in farm yards and elsewhere for their edible nuts, and spread from there by squirrels.

NORTHERN WISCONSIN AT PEAK FALL COLOR, AND A LAST MINUTE REPRIEVE

COCKSPUR HAWTHORN IN WAUSAU...

...LOADED WITH FRUIT

WISCONSIN RIVER VALLEY BLUFFS

TAMARACK TURNING FROM GREEN TO GOLD ALONG HWY. 51

HWY. 2 EAST OF IRONWOOD

Thursday, 9:00 AM.  44 degrees F, wind moderate with stronger gusts, westerly but variable.  The sky has a high overcast with the sun tryingtot shine through.  The humidity is 87% and the barometer is 29.82".  There is a feeling of change in the weather, and forecasts call for rain and possibly snow over the next few days.  It is time to bring in plants and furniture from the porch and decks and roll up and put away the outdoor rugs.

   Tuesday's trip to Wausau to attend a demonstration of chemical controls for Emerald Ash Borer was stormy but the return yesterday was rewarding, as the fall color throughout most of northern Wisconsin is certainly at its peak. It is a more subdued color season, the primary colors being shades of gold, yellow and bronze, with far less reds than usual, but beautiful none-the-less.  Tamaracks have pretty well turned from green to bright yellow (ours in the yard are still completely green).  As usual, the colors nearest Lake Superior are not as advanced as further inland to the south, and will last longer. There are also more colors in the red spectrum near the lake.  I will report on the meeting after I have had a chance to analyze the information.

   I spotted this spectacular cock spur hawthorn, Crataegus crus-galli, in Wausau, loaded with fruit, a fit subject for a Christmas card. This tree was loaded with wicked thorns, however.

   So the debt-limit crisis is over, or at least postponed for the next ninety days.  We are like a man on death row who keeps getting last minute reprieves, but never a commutation of the sentence.