BLUEBERRIES

LARGEST BLUEBERRY GROWER IN WISCONSIN...

HIGHBUSH BLUEBERRIES IN FALL COLOR...

...THE BLUEBERRY BARN

Monday, 9:00 AM.  47 degrees F at the ferry dock, 49 on the back porch.  Wind NE, mostly calm with occasional light to moderate gusts.  The sky is partly cloudy, the humidity 86%.  The barometer is falling, currently at 29.91", predicting a seasonally warm week ahead with a chance of rain on Thursday.

   The native blueberries and their hybrids have beautiful fall leaf color, and Highland Valley Farm of Bayfield, Wisconsin's largest blueberry grower, is right now a  sight to behold.  There are a number of North American blueberry  (Vaccinium) species in  North America, in the Heath Family (Ericaceae) both highbush and lowbush; the former are easier to harvest, but all have delicious and healthful fruit.  

   Blueberries are great northern landscape plants, as they are attractive in all seasons, especially fall, and the edible berries are an added attraction.  They do need plenty of moisture when bearing fruit, and an acidic soil, which can be attained by mulching with pine needles or oak leaves or fertilizing with an acid based fertilizer.

DRAIN THE SWAMP

VOTE TRUMP

TAG ALDER

HOW IDENTIFY THIS LEAFLESS SHRUB?...

...BY NEXT SPRING'S DORMANT CATKINS...

...AND LAST SUMMER'S EMPTY "CONES".

Sunday, 9;00 AM.  41 degrees F at the ferry dock, 37 on the back porch.  Wind NW with moderate gusts, the humidity 87%.  The barometer is more or less steady at 30.25", predicting mild temperatures and mixed skies, with no chance of rain for the week ahead.

   Tag alder, Alnus glutinosa, in the Hazel Family,  the Corylaceae, is a nearly ubiquitous large shrub or small tree of the north, a major component of swamp and woods edge vegetation.  But how does one identify it once it looses its leaves?

   The easiest way is to look for next spring's dormant catkins (which bear the plant's male flowers) and the empty husks of its last year's female "cones," both very obvious now that the plant has lost its leaves.

DRAIN THE SWAMP!  

VOTE TRUMP

RIVER BIRCH

YOUNG RIVER BIRCH, YELLOW, IN FRONT OF MAPLE, GOLDEN

EXFOLIATING WHITE BARK OF YOUNG RIVER BIRCH

Saturday, 11:00 AM.  51 degrees F at the ferry dock, 49 on the back porch.  Wind variable and light.  Sky overcast and foggy, and it is misting lightly. the humidity 91%.  The barometer is rising, now at 29.97", predicting rain on Monday, with clearing skies and low temperatures well above freezing.

   River birch, Betula nigra,  in the Haze Family (Corylaceae) is a medium to large tree native to the South and East Central US, in moist habitats such as river banks.  It can be a good street and park tree, grown with either single or multiple trunks.  It is much more resistant to borers that paper birch, and can be grown further south, and like other river bank trees, will withstand drier conditions. 

   River birch has a very decorative exfoliating bark when young, that has shades of pink and terra cotta along with white.  It has become a quite popular substitute for paper birch in landscaping, but its bark is only decorative when young, as with age it loses the colorful characteristics of its bark.  But, overall, it is a handsome and useful tree, but it does grow very large.

LOOKS LIKE OUR ONLY CHOICE

  

NEW STUFF

VIEW FROM THE PORCH...MAPLES AND PINES, THE CHANEL, MADELINE ISLAND IN THE DISTANCE

Friday, 9:00 AM.  44 degrees F at the ferry ock, 42 on the back porch.  Wind from the south, calm with light gusts.  Humidity 89%, sky again overcast.  The barometer is bottoming out, now at 29.87".  It will be an unsettled week, with temperatures near 60 today, then cooler, with overcast skies and  rain on Monday.

   Our big news is that yesterday we traded the 2008 Honda Ridgeline pickup in  on a 2010 model with a hundred thousand fewer miles; new tires,  major routine maintenance done, and a lower monthly payment.  A great deal on a great vehicle.  Love the Honda Ridgeline!

   My emphasis today is whether we can get trees dug and planted for a new client up on Bear Ridge Road, and finish before snow flies.  Much of today will be spent on meeting with the client and ironing out the details  with the nursery and the planting crew.  That and therapy for my arm, which takes a chunk out of the mid-day.

  Anyway, so much for retirement, which I sort of tried a few years back and didn't think much of, and if I were a decade younger I would think even less of. Can't work like I used to, though.  As the old guy in the nursing home said, "If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself."

VOTE FOR REAL CHANGE!

FALL IS OVER

OUR TWO 'AUTUMN BLAZE' MAPLES ARE STILL SPECTACULAR

Thursday, 9:15 AM.  Temperature 41 at the ferry dock, 39 on the back porch.  Wind mostly calm and variable, sky overcast and humidity 87 %.  The barometer is falling gently, now at 30.23", predicting overcast skies with rain by Monday,  temperatures in the forties and no chance of a hard frost.
   Our trip yesterday to Duluth proved without a doubt that fall color is over, done, fini. The only color on the rainy trip were a few tamaracks still holding on to their bronze needles, and some willows with a few scarce yellow leaves.  Everything else was pretty drab.  I can't even prove those swatches of color with photos as my camera battery dried up.
   Right here in town and along the lake shore of the Bayfield peninsula there is still some color, but otherwise we are ready for Halloween, and our first snow. The later will have to wait for cooler temperatures, but they won't be long in coming either.

VOTE FOR SMALLER AND LESS INTRUSIVE GOVERNMENT AT ALL LEVELS; FOR THE CONSTITUTION AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS, AND FOR JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!

AMERICAN SMOKETREE

AMERICAN SMOKETREE FALL COLOR...

...IN A SUNNY LOCATION

... IN A SHADED LOCATION

Wednesday, 8:30 AM.  41.5 degrees F at the ferry dock, 39 on the back porch.  Wind E, blustery at times.  The sky is cloudy and overcast, the humidity 84%, and rain is expected.  The barometer is at 30.34" and beginning to fall.  The week ahead should be mostly cloudy, with low temperatures around 40 and highs in the high 40's, with rain again by Monday.

   We have an appointment in Duluth at 1:00 PM today, which kind of shoots the day for anything else, but it will give us an opportunity to see the last of the color along the lake.  Buddy will get a ride, which he loves, if not a run.

   The  American smoke tree, Cotinus obovatus, is in the Cashew Family, the Anacardiaceae, the same family as sumac and poison ivy.  In fact, some authorities list the smoke tree in the same genus, Rhus.  Like sumac, the smoke tree has strong smelling yellow wood, unusual flowers and fruit,  and spectacular fall color.  The smoke tree has alternate, entire leaves, whereas the sumac has compound leaves.  The genus name is derived from the Latin name for the wild olive, and the species name refers to the obovate shape of the leaves.
   The smoke trees (there is also a Eurasian species, C. coggygria) are mostly planted for their unusual large, filmy flower plumes that evoke the appearance of smoke. The individual flowers and fruit themselves are visually insignificant.  There are many cultivars of the Eurasian species, some with purple leaves.  But, it is the American species which has the spectacular fall leaf color.
  The American smoke tree, also called Chittam-wood, is native to calcareous rocky woods and bluffs in a small geographic area in the far south-central American Midwest and south into Texas, but  it is perfectly hardy much farther north. It has been a favorite shrub of the National Arbor Day Foundation to distribute free to its members, so it has been widely planted.

VOTE  FOR TRIUMP, TO SAVE THE BILL OF RIGHTS AND THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION

  

FALL IS NO LESS BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE IT IS LATE

BEAKED HAZELNUT FALL COLOR

AMERICAN CHESTNUT FALL COLOR

TAMARACK NEEDLES TURNING GOLDEN

Tuesday, 9:30 AM.  45 degrees F at the ferry dock, 40 on the back porch.  Wind variable and calm, sky clear, humidity 80%.  The barometer is falling, predicting rain on Wednesday and again on Saturday, with low temperatures in the low 40's and highs around 50 for the next seven days.
   As fall becomes later and later, the finalists in the color competition  take the stage.  The bright yellow hazel nut bushes stand out on the woods edges,  the American chestnuts give a hint of what the forests of eastern North America looked like a hundred and more falls ago, and the tamaracks turn overnight from light green to gold, and in another night from gold to bronze.
   Fall is no less beautiful because it is late.

OFF THE CUFF

   I gave up reading The New York Times some years ago because it became biased against conservative values and candidates, and I am about to abandon The Wall Street Journal for the same reason.

   But isn't the WSJ the quintessential conservative publication?  No, it is the quintessential Establishment publication. I fear the Establishment is now comprised of the major players in our economy and politics, which includes both the right and the left, the Republicans and the Democrats, and every persuasion in between and beyond that has a stake in the status quo and is therefore against any change or real progress.

   So these combined vested interests all rail against Donald Trump and do everything they can to destroy him. Case in point with the WSJ: Peggy Noonan, their vaunted conservative pundit,  had a long opinion piece in last weekend's paper that railed against Trump, calling him insane many times throughout. This was not in jest and was in no way meant to be humorous.  Not crazy, not daft, not nuts, but insane, a clinical term meant to completely and with finality preclude him from the office of president.  

   No one would elect an insane man the presidency.  This is the most serious of slanders, meant to cripple, injure,  and kill his reputation and candidacy.  It is even worse than what was done years ago to Ross Perot, another  successful, prominent businessman and  patriot who had the audacity to challenge the establishment with an independent run for the presidency in 1992 and 1996.  He predicted the disastrous job losses that would result from NAFTA (remember his "giant sucking sound" statemet?), and was ridiculed for his prescience.
   Ross Perot was an honorable and brave man, who rescued his employees held by a foreign government via a helicopter raid, when the US would do nothing.  As with Trump, his opponents took offhand comments out of context and called him crazy, and they destroyed him.  The same tactics were used to destroy Herman Cain, another successful businessman, but neophyte politician.  I could go on, but I think I have proved my point.

   It is the Establishment that is corrupt and  unqualified, not their opposition, that they slander as insane.

THIS IS NOT INSANITY

HACKBERRY

HACKBERRY ON WASHINGTON AVENUE...

ALTERNATE, ELM-LIKE LEAVES (Google photo)

LIME GREEN FALL LEAF COLOR AND ROUNDED FORM 

Monday, 8:15 AM.  40 degrees F at the ferry dock, 33 on the back porch, a surprise, since frost was not predicted at all.  Wind variable and calm, humidity 87% and the sky clear.  The barometer is holding steady at 30.42".  Rain is predicted for Wednesday, with low's in the high 30's and highs in the high 40's for the week ahead.
   Hackberry, Celtis occidentalis, in the Elm Family (Ulmaceae) is a medium to large sized tree, depending upon growth conditions.  It is native to rich moist soils and riverbanks in the east-central US, with its center of population being in the central Mississippi River valley.  It has some degree of shade tolerance and prefers lime soils.
   Hackberry has elm-like leaves and a very corky, warty bark and bears pea-sized, edible blue berries. It has gained some popularity as a street tree due to it being in the elm family, although its shape is rounded, not vase-like as is the American elm. It is immune to Dutch elm disease.
   Bayfield has a number of hackberry street trees, and they add interesting diversity to the street tree population. The trees appear to be perfectly hardy this far north. The lime-green fall leaf color contrasts nicely with the reds and yellows of oaks and maples.

VOTE THE ISSUES, NOT THE  UNPROVEN ACCUSATIONS

  

QUAKING ASPEN

ASPEN GROVE...

...GOLDEN LEAVED, SHINNING  IN THE MORNING SUN

ODE RESIDENCE, SURROUNDED BY OAKS, MAPLES, BIRCH AND PINE

Sunday, 9:00 AM.  47 degrees F at the ferry dock, 44 0n the back porch.  Wind NE, calm with strong gusts. The sky is overcast and it is raining lightly, the humidity 86%.  The barometer is rising, now at 29.91".  Rain is forecast on Wednesday, with temperatures in the low forties to fifty degrees forthe next week.  There are now as many leaves on the ground as on the trees, but it is still colorful.

   Quaking aspen, Populous tremuloides, in the Willow Family (Salicaceae), is one of our commonest northern trees, and a backbone of the logging and paper industries, as it can be clear cut for pulp and grow back rapidly from stump sprouts.  Aspen can  grow very large, up to 80' tall and 3' and more in diameter. Aspen can be very beautiful in fall; some falls it is rather drab, but this year it turns the hills to gold. 

   I also like the fact that the leaves move gaily in the slightest breeze, a function of the flattened leaf petioles.  Unfortunately, it has limited usefulness in landscaping, as it is very short-lived and is subject to disease and storm damage.

   Aspen is the most widely distributed tree in North America, occurring in most of Canada and Alaska, around the Great Lakes and in New England. Elsewhere, it occurs at elevation in mountain ranges as far south as Georgia and central Mexico.
   Many people think that having a house in the woods renders it maintenance free; unfortunately, trees are constantly becoming damaged, diseased and prone to blow down, and this is particularly prevalent in an aspen dominated woodlot, where constant monitoring, pruning and removal is necessary for the safety of people and property.

PERSPECTIVES

SIOUX RIVER ABOVE THE BIG ROCK, LOOKING UPSTREAM

SIOUX RIVER ABOVE THE BIG ROCK, LOOKING DOWNSTREAM

 Saturday, 9:00 AM.  45 degrees F at the ferry dock, 43 on the back porch.  Wind WSW, calm with light gusts.  The sky is mostly clear, the humidity 70%.  The barometer is more or less steady, at 30.0".  A chance of rain is predicted for next Wednesday, otherwise weather should be good, with  low temperatures in the high 30's and highs in the upper forties, with no predictions of frost.  It has been a fine fall.
   Fall colors are always beautiful on the Sioux River, and I was particularly taken with these scenes at Big Rock Park west of Washburn.  There have been a lot of fishermen on the Sioux but I have seen no fish nor heard any tall tales.  When there is a heavy run of spawning trout or salmon they can be seen struggling up river.

PEOPLE ARE NOT ANGELS: VOTE THE ISSUES

WILD GRAPES

FROST GRAPE TOOTHED LEAVES...

...A NATIVE CLIMBING VINE

...FRUIT CLUSTER (Google photo)

Friday, 8:45 AM.  40 degrees F at the ferry dock, 38 on the back porch.  Wind variable and calm, the sky partly cloudy, especially in the east.  Humidity 86%, barometer 30.26" and falling.  A chance of rain is predicted for Sunday AM, with temperatures in the high 30's to 50's for the next week.  There was a nip in the air this morning, and fall is turning gradually to winter.
   There are several species of wild grape native to eastern North America and Wisconsin, the most common being the riverbank grape, Vitis ripparia, in the Grape Family (Vitaceae).  It is also called the frost grape, as is another native species, V. vulpina.  Both are are quite similar and bear grapes that are edible and good for wine making after a frost, thus the common name.  There were no grapes on the vines I found in the woods at the end of Old Military Road, so I hesitate to give an exact name to them.  Most native grapes are found further south in the state, but are obviously hardy here along the lake.
   V. vuilpina is also called the fox grape, as it was reported to Linnaeus that foxes were attracted to it, and the species name refers to foxes in Latin.  The species name ripparia is Latin for riverbank.
   American wild grapes are used as root grafting stock for the European wine grape, V. vinifera,  since they are cold hardy and disease resistant.  Indeed, they saved the French wine industry more than a century ago when the European wine grapes suffered a devastating epidemic of fungal disease.
   The University of Minnesota is working on developing a good hardy wine grape from the native species, which would extend the growing of wine grapes to far more northern latitudes.
   A note of caution regarding wild grapes: the wild native moonseed, Menispermum canadense, is poisonous, and the fruit clusters can easily be mistaken for grapes.  The leaves of the moonseed vine are lobed but not toothed, and the seeds resemble a crescent moon, so careful examination will separate the moonseed vine from the grape vine.

MORE FALL POTPUREE

CITY-SCAPE

WOODS-SCAPE

PAPER WASP'S NEST

Thursday, 8:30 AM.  41 degrees F at the ferry dock, 38 on the back porch.  Wind variable, calm with light gusts.. The sky is mostly clear, the humidity 74%,  The barometer is steady at 30.31", predicting pleasant weather with seasonal temperatures until next Wednesday, when there is a possibility of rain.
   We will plant the trees we brought from Northwoods Nursery this morning, after waiting for utilities to be marked.  I know where all the lines are from previous markings of the property, but am disciplining myself to never put a shovel in the ground to plant a tree or a shrub without calling Digger's Hotline and waiting the three days for utilities to be marked.  It is just too expensive to take a chance on hitting a shallow or unnoticed cable (my last experience cost $750}. Communication cables (TV, telephone, internet) are often very shallow.
   The Bayfield fall continues to be beautiful, although leaves have been dropping for some days.  Still time for some leaf-peeping!
   The summer nests of paper wasps are abandoned by winter. They are beautiful natural objects, and if hung on the porch or deck next spring will keep other wasps and most hornets and bees away. They are usually high up in trees and difficult to reach, however.

DONALD TRUMP HAD A GOOD DEBATE LAST NIGHT!

VOTE THE ISSUES, NOT THE HYPE!

FALL POTPUREE

AUTUMN BLAZE MAPLE

PAPER BIRCH

RED MAPLE

RED MAPLE

CHEQUAMEGON BAY FROM GOLF COURSE

Wednesday, 8:45 AM.  48 degrees F at the ferry dock, 44 on the back porch.  Wind W, calm with light gusts.  The sky is mostly cloudy, the humidity 85%.  The barometer is rising, now at 30.05", predicting no rain until next Tuesday, with temperatures in the 40's to 50's.

   A picture being worth a thousands words, I will let our Bayfied fall speak for itself.  Note: red maple, Acer rubrum, does not always have red fall leaf color.

DON'T FORGET TO WATCH THE DEBATE TONIGHT

TRIP TO NORTHWOODS NURSERY

TAMARACK WITH YELLOW NEEDLES

TAMARACK WITH BRONZE NEEDLES

COLORFUL PLANTS IN NURSERY

Tuesday, 8:20 AM..  Wind WNW, gusty at times.  52 degrees F at the ferry dock, 48 on the back porch.  The sky is partly cloudy but clearing, the humidity 88%.  The barometer is at 39.53" and rising, predicting clear skies and seasonal temperatures for the week ahead.

   We had a nice trip to Northwoods Nursery in Rhinelander, mission accomplished.  Color along the way was great, tamaracks already turning yellow and bronze, while ours here in Bayfield are mostly still green along the lake shore. As usual, we saw turkeys along Hwy. 51 in the Mercer area.

   Now the trees we brought back must be planted.

VOTE THE ISSUES