A CAR SHOW LAMENT: NO BARN, NO MONEY

1935 FORD ROADSTER STREET ROD

1955 FORD THUNDERBIRD

1957 STUDEBAKER SILVER HAWK

1961 CHEVROLET HARDTOP

1937 WILLYS OVERLAND (RARE)

Monday, 8:45 AM.  72 degrees F at the ferry dock, 71 on the back porch.  Wind variable and mostly calm.  The sky is clear, the humidity 81%.  The barometer is falling, now at 30.17".  Today's high is predicted to be in the mid-80's, becoming significantly cooler by Thursday, when it will be in the 60's.  There will be chances of rain and thunderstorms as the weather cools. Pleasant weather around 70 with clear skies should arrive by the coming weekend.  I have a design project to work on while the weather is too hot to work outside, but the lawn needs to be mowed and weeds pulled in the gardens when the weather is more amenable.
   The neighboring city of Washburn held its annual Brownstone Days celebration Saturday and Sunday. It is a combination historic architecture festival, carnival and car show.  We have gone often enough over the years that we no longer tour the historic buildings, but are always interested in the car show, since many of the entries are automobile classics that Joan and I knew well in years past, and a number of the models we may even have owned.
   There was only one car at the show that I do not recall seeing before; a 1937 Willys Overland, a vehicle obviously ahead of its time, at least stylistically. Willys was a pioneer in the auto industry and went through numerous changes and transformations over the years, and finally became a major producer of the WWII Jeep, but disappeared from the industrial scene after the war.
   I was never enough of a gear head to build a real hot rod, but I owned a lot of great cars and trucks in my younger days.  Some standouts: 1939 ford pickup truck;  1939 Buick Century; 1948 Hudson; 1951 Studebaker Starlight Coupe;  1957 Chevrolet; and too many others to even think about.
   Looking at the price tags on some of the vehicles in the show, I came to the realization that if I had kept all the cars and trucks I have owned in my lifetime I would be a multi-millionaire.
   Unfortunately, I never had a barn to put them in, or the  money to own more than one vehicle at a time.

BLUEBERRY WINE

A NEW BAYFIED FRUIT WINERY...

...MADE FROM LOCAL BLUEBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES AND RASPBERRIES...

...THE PARENT COMPANY IS HIGHLAND VALLEY FARM, A MULTI-GENERATIONAL LOCAL BJUSINESS...

... AN ORIGINAL AND INTRIGUING LABEL

Sunday, 7:45 AM,  75 degrees F at the ferry dock, 71 on the back porch.  Wind variable, with light to moderate gusts.  The sky is partly cloudy, the humidity 86%.  Highs today and tomorrow will be in the mid-80's, then cooling to the 60's and 70's with mostly clear or partly cloudy skies through the week, with a chance of rain next Sunday.  It is a very quiet, breezy, pleasant summer morning.
   The first of the Bayfield blueberry crop is now being harvested,  We stopped by Highland Valley Farm yesterday to check it out, and it will be bountiful.
   Highland Valley Farm is a multi-generational family business, as are a number of the Bayfield orchards and berry farms, and the younger generations often come up with new and innovative business ideas and models that give new life to their enterprise.
   One such innovation is Pike's Creek Winery, just opened at the Dale Family's Highland Valley Farm. The berry farm is just a short distance from the North Branch of Pike's Creek, which originates in the valley. The wine produced is not from grapes, but from their own blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.  Each wine has a  logo with a different color berry in a black bird's beak; blue for blueberry wine, red for raspberry and black for "black and blue," (blueberry and blackberry mix),  The wines are naturally fermented  to 13.5% alcohol without fortification, a pretty potent beverage, and sell for $16.50 a bottle, or $45 for one of each.  One dollar tasting samples are available at the winery.
   Highland Valley is the largest blueberry grower in Wisconsin and a bumper crop begs to be made into wine, so the winery goes hand in hand with the parent operation.
   I did not sample or buy wine yesterday but shall very soon, and  will report on the taste and quality, which is bound to be good.

STILL FOOLING THE WASPS

                                                        THE ORIGINAL "WASPINATOR"
                                               THE REAL DEAL IN FOREGROUND,
                                                     THE FAKE IN BACKGROUND

NEW DESIGN WASPINATOR

Saturday, 8:30 AM.  67 degrees F at the ferry dock, 64 on the back porch.  Wind variable and calm.  The sky is clear, with a few wispy white clouds here and there, the humidity 84%.  The barometer has begun to fall, and now stands at 30.6" of mercury.  The week head is forecast to be mostly sunny, with highs from 65 to 85, and the possablity of rain by the end of next week.  But for now, it is a fine summer morning.
   In years past we were often bothered by wasps and yellow jackets buzzing around our porch table (we eat outside a lot in the summer). Sometimes one would fly inside an open soda can, posing a pretty serious threat to the drinker.  About ten years ago I found a good sized paper wasp nest in the woods (they are abandoned by fall) and having heard that wasps are territorial and will stay away from each others nests, I hung it on the porch. It worked! We weren't bothered much after that.. but, since time takes its toll on everything, it got pretty ragged and finally fell apart, even though I took it inside during the off-season.  Paper wasps nests are usually high in a tree and I never found another that I could conveniently purloin after the owners abandoned it.
   Enter the  original “Waspinator,” an artificial wasp’s nest that mimics the real thing, purchased online in 2010 from the Canadian company that invented it.  I followed the instructions and hung one up on the porch and another on the downstairs patio. 
    I don’t think the Waspinator looks much like a wasp’s nest, but then I am not a wasp, and I know from using goose decoys that what I consider to be a realistic goose is not necessarily what the geese think. And I have to tell you, it is pretty ugly and ungainly to the human eye.  It appears that it is more the nuances of pattern and shading of the Waspinator that fool the insects than other characteristics.
   We used two Waspinators to good effect for six years, but being made of cloth they deteriorated as well, and I couldn't find replacements.  Last summer we were without our faux wasp nests and stinging insects returned (they repel most other bees and yellow jackets as well as wasps, since wasps are predatory to other insects).
   Last winter I finally found a version of the Waspinator online again; those I purchased are no longer ugly, and look much more like a paper wasp's nest.  Actually, I think it is designed similar to a Chinese paper lantern, and folds up, and is really pretty ingenious.  Does it work?  So far no wasps, yellow jackets or bees buzzing the porch, although the summer is still young.
   I just did an impromptu online search, and I see the original Waspinator is back on the market; we'll compare results and if necessary go back to old ugly.

THE NOT-S0-COMMON MILKWEED

r

COMMON MILKWEED FLOWER UMBELS...

...SIMPLE, TOOTHLESS, OPPOSITE LEAVES...

...MILKY SAP

    

                   MONARCH CATERPILLAR

                                    

                                                   MONARCH BUTTERFLY (Google photo)

Friday, 8:00 AM.  66 degrees F at the ferry dock, 62 on the back porch.  Wind variable and calm.  The sky is clear, the humidity 84%.  The barometer is mostly steady, now at 30.15".  The week ahead is forecast to have highs between 70 and 80, with mostly clear skies and a chance of a thunderstorm on next Tuesday.  Nice weather, overall.

   The common milkweed, Asclepias syriacus, in the Milkweed Family (Asclepiadaceae) is a ubiquitous roadside and field plant in the eastern half of North America and beyond.  It has simple, opposite leaves and milky sap.  It's umbels of sweetly fragrant flowers are old rose to whitish or greenish, and have been blooming in Bayfield for perhaps a week or ten days

   The genus is named after the Greek god of medicine, because of the traditional medicinal uses of plants in the genus (too complicated and somewhat arcane to go into here).  The species name was applied erroneously by Linnaeus when the North American plant was confused with another from the Mideast.

   The most well known property of common milkweed today is that it is the obligate host of the Monarch butterfly caterpillar, and thus an object of great conservation interest.  For that reason alone it is a plant that should be protected and encouraged where possible  Other uses have been as cordage made from the stems, both commercially and by American Indians, and the fluffy seed heads as filling for pillows and in former times, life preservers.  At certain stages and with proper preparation the leaves and stems are edible, but I wouldn't recommend doing so.
   Common milkweed is interesting enough (obligate host, ornamental flower, sweet scent) to  be grown in the garden, but it is very aggressive and is best left where it is found.  Butterfly weed, A. tuberosa, is a beautiful prairie plant and much more amenable to garden cultivation.

     The swamp milkweed, A. incarnata, is common in wet places and is also quite attractive and worthwhile.

BUTTERFLY WEED

PURPLE CONE FLOWER

 PURPLE CONE FLOWER

Thursday, 8:00 AM.  68 degrees F at the ferry dock and on the back porch.  Wind variable and calm, the humidity 82%.  The barometer is mostly steady, at 30.07".  The forecast for the next week is highs 70-80 and clear skies.  Summer for sure.

Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days
of Summer

Nat King Cole

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Those days of soda and pretzels and beer
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Dust off the sun and moon and sing a song of cheer

Just fill your basket full of sandwiches and weenies
Then lock the house up, now you're set
And on the beach you'll see the girls in their bikinis
As cute as ever but they never get 'em wet

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Those days of soda and pretzels and beer
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
You'll wish that summer could always be here

   Purple cone flower,  Echinacea purpurea, in the Sunflower Family, is an iconic plant of the American tallgrass prairie that has found its way into the hearts and gardens of America and the world.  It is tall, strong and quite beautiful, with pink to purple ray flowers and prominent, prickly bronze  disk flowers (echinos is ancient Greek for hedgehog).  The leaves are stiff and rough.  It is probably not truly native north of southern Wisconsin but is certainly hardy much further north.

   The roots, indeed most parts, of Echinacea purpurea and related species are strong immune system stimulators, and are much used in herbal medicine and in Native American traditional medicine.  It is prescribed extensively in Europe, and especially in Germany, where it has been most researched.

    In these days of overuse of antibiotics, Echinacea should probably be used much more for colds, the flue and minor infections.  I have used Echinacea for probably 50 years, and always before a plane flight, where the air is recirculated and people are packed together like sardines.  One caveat is that users be sure that they are not allergic to the plant, although I would think that to be quite rare.  It is easy to find in the drug store.  Give it a try.

(from)FLOWERS

by Saren Roberts

Purple coneflower spreads her petals,
Around a browny head;
And hanging heads of soft bluebells,
Are like a blanket spread.

BLACK EYED SUSAN AND THE STOCK MARKET

PRAIRIE CONE FLOWER

COREOPSIS  FLOWER AND SEED HEAD

BLACK EYED SUSAN

Wednesday, 8:30 AM.  72 degrees F at the ferry dock, 68 on the back porch.  Wind W, mostly calm with light to moderate gusts.  Humidity 75%, after a brief shower last night.  The barometer is wavering downward, now at 29.97".  Highs will be in the mid-seventies for the balance of the week, with mostly clear skies and chances of a thunderstorm on Sunday.  Looks like summer is finally here,.
    It being almost August, it will soon be prime blooming time for prairie and meadow species, and native plant restorations in the Bayfield area will be at their height of interest.  Although prairie technically is not really part of the far northern flora, most of the more northerly prairie species grow here in one plant association or another; meadow, beach, fen, etc. All the plants mentioned here are in the sunflower family, which pretty much rules the prairies and meadows at theis time of year.
    The prairie coneflower, Ratibida pinnata, is now in bloom.  It is a tall, very strong perennial wildflower, excellent in native plantings or the garden.
    The black eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta, is a familiar roadside wildflower common to prairies and meadows and also makes an excellent garden perennial, although it may spread too much.
    We have mentioned the tickseed, Coreopsis lanceolata, before; it is almost through blooming.
    . What do the stock and bond markets and credit ratings (The stock market reached a new high, over 21,000 yesterday) have to do with  prairies, ecology and conservation? Everything.  Without money, public or private, either through taxation or gift,  there can be no restoration projects, no research, no education. 

   Throughout history, poor countries have always been those in ecological jeopardy; ignorance, deforestation, desertification, soil erosion, monocultures, starvation;  only wealth and knowledge can produce “sustainability” and ecological health in the modern world, although it is no guarantee.  

    Want sustainability and ecological health without wealth? Get ready to see ninety percent of the people of the earth die.

MEADOWSWEET AND MEADOW ROSE

MEADOWSWEET FOWER SPIKE...

...MEADOWSWEET SHRUBS IN BLOOM...

...WILD ROSE AND MEADOW SWEET BLOOMS

Tuesday, 8:00 AM.  62 degrees F at the ferry dock, 60  on the back porch.  Wind variable and calm, skies partly cloudy, the humidity 92%.  The barometer is falling, now at 30.08".  The high today will be in the seventies, and so on the rest of the week.  Skies will be mixed, with a chance of a thunderstorm next Sunday.  Looks like nice summer weather.ahead. 
    Meadowsweet, Spiraea alba, in the rose family, the Rosaceae, is blooming along the back of the foredune at the beach.  It is quite attractive and is sweet scented.  It is not uncommon if one is a frequenter of swamps and other wet places.  It is growing along with beach grass, blueberries, wild roses and poison ivy in the damp sand.

   The spiraeas are important ornamental plants and there are a number of introduced European and Asian species so used, and they have been much hybridized. There are a number of other North American species as well. All contain methyl salicylates, the primary ingredient of aspirin.  Therefore it is not surprising that many Spiraea species have herbal and folk medicine uses, and there are references to American Indian use of the plant as a medicinal tea as well.  In Quebec meadowsweet is called The' Du Canada (Canadian tee).
  Rosa blanda is known by several common names, among them early wild rose, meadow rose, and prairie rose.  

   It is native to southeastern Canada, the Great Lakes states, and south and west into the prairie states.  Its flowers are mostly single, with five petals that are light to dark pink.  The flowers have little scent.  The leaves are pinnately compound, the leaflets toothed.  The plant is virtually thornless. which is a good identification characteristic. They can grow to 5' in height.

   Rosa blanda grows in full sun to part shade, and prefers sandy soil and a moist location. The red rose hips add winter interest.  Although it is not as floriferous as cultivated roses it is quite pretty, and is a good plant for native landscapes.

  Both meadowsweet and meadow rose are blooming now at the beach (right on time according to my records), basically located on the far side of the foredune, although the almost constant east winds have so eroded the beach that the foredune is almost gone in places.

FIREWEED IS BLOOMING

FIREWEED ALONG TOWNSEND ROAD...

FIREWEED COTTONY SEEDS

...FIREWEED FLOWER SPIKE

Monday, 8:00 AM.  57 degrees F at the ferry dock, 57 on the back porch.  Wind variable and calm.  The sky is overcast and cloudy, the humidity 100%.  The barometer is falling, predicting a chance of thunderstorms tomorrow and Wednesday.  The high today will be in the low 70's, rising to the mid-70's for the remainder of the week, with mostly clear skies,  Looks like nice weather ahead.
   I took Buddy for a run on the beach yesterday evening.  We hadn't gone to the beach for several weeks because there were always too many people.  Buddy overdid it and is limping around and feeling sorry for himself.
   Juneberries at the beach were ripe.  When blue-black they are as sweet as raisins.

JUNEBERRIES: SWEET AS RAISINS WHEN FULLY RIPE

   Fireweed, Epilobium angustifolium, in the evening primrose family (Onagraceae) is a circumboreal  perennial plant that typically occupies disturbed habitats, such as occur due to a fire, hence its common name. Chamerium angustifolium is a botanical synonym.  It is also called willow-herb (because of its long, narrow, willow-like leaves) as well as wicup.  It is often seen in large masses in fields and roadsides after a fire and can be very prominent in the landscape.  It is quite beautiful and blooms for a long time, the lower flowers on the flower spike blooming first, the ripe seed pods being as colorful as the flowers. The fluffy, cottony seeds are also very attractive.   It is native to most of the northern half of North America, and at elevation in the western mountains.

  All parts of the young plant and roots are reportedly edible, sweet and quite good, eaten raw as a salad, or cooked.  It has many reported medicinal properties, including for the treatment of urinary tract problems, and the leaves have been used as a restorative tea.  I have no personal experience with it as an edible or medicinal plant. Once again, never ingest any wild plant without definite identification and exact knowledge of edibility or medicinal use. 

   The stem fibers are quite tough and were used by native peoples to make cordage and fish nets.

   Altogether it is a very beautiful and traditionally useful wild plant. I have never seen it used as a garden plant, and it probably would be difficult to do so, although I have used it in a natural setting as a pioneer plant, which other plants replace in time.

BEARS AND CATTAILS

A GOOD HAY CROP

CATTAILS ALONG COMPTON ROAD

BEAR  GOING DOWNTOWN FOR ICE CREAM

Sunday, 8:45 AM.  57 degrees F at both the ferry dock and on the back porch.  Wind variable and mostly calm, with occasional light gusts.  The sky is overcast, the humidity 99%.  The barometer is rising, now at 29.84".  The high today will be around 60, warming into the mid-seventies thereafter.  Chance of thunderstorms Tuesday and Wednesday, and mixed skies for the rest of the week.  It is a very quiet morning.
   Yesterday around mid-day a cop car sat outside the house with whistle blowing, and I immediately looked for a bear but saw none.  I found out from neighbors this morning that the cops were indeed chasing a bear out of downtown, where they cause considerable havoc among the tourists buying ice cream at The Candy Shop.  It evidently ran through the yard but I missed it.
   Another neighbor had a bear cub in her garage going after garbage after she forgot to close the garage door.  That reminds me to keep the garage door closed, as they have been known to open a freezer to steal the contents.  Buddy was barking and growling and patrolling around the house about 3:00 this morning so we probably have a bear on the prowl again.
   Cattails are in bloom. The flowers are similar to those of the grasses, and have no colorful floral parts. They are rather unusual, the male parts being produced above the female, on the same flowering stalk. This is quite evident, particularly before the “cat tail” sets seed.
    Cattails are in the genus Typha, and are quite primitive plants, just a step above the Gymnosperms, or conifers. They are monocots, like grasses, sedges and lilies. T. latifolia (wide leaved) and T. angustifolia (narrow leaved) are both native, that pictured probably being the latter. They may grow together, and often hybridize. There are perhaps ten species of cattails, growing throughout much of the world. These are along Compton Road.
   When we were kids we used to smoke the ripe cattails, which burn like punk and produce a heavy white smoke.  The seed stalk is hollow and when sucked on, the burning cattails smolder brightly, like a cigar.  My mother would have given me a good licking had she found out.
   The first hay crop is in, and with all the wet weather it looks like a good crop.  There should be a good second crop as well.

SUMMERTIME...

A TERRIFIC SUMMER FOR ROSES

LOCAL RASPBERRIES AND CHERRIES

Saturday, 9:00 AM,  63 degrees F at the ferry dock, 61 on the back porch. Wind variable with occasional light gusts.  The sky is mostly cloudy with some sun, the humidity 96% after a rain squall last night.  High temperatures today and tomorrow in the mid-60's, warming to mid-70's, with mostly clear skies next week.
   As summer progresses, it's one local fruit crop after another, beginning with strawberries, then cherries, then raspberries, blueberries and finally apples and pears,  Strawberries are over for the most part now, and the second crop of cherries, the Lapins, are in, along with the raspberries.
   The raspberry crop is large and very good, and the Lapins are excellent, better than the earlier Cavaliers, which suffered from poor pollination.
   Shrub roses are more floriferous than I have ever seen them here, the 'Knockout' roses pictured being especially so.  Bayfield is too far north for the Japanese beetle, so they bloom unscathed.

Summertime

Summertime, and the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high
Oh, your daddy's rich and your ma is good-lookin'
So hush, little baby, don't you cry

One of these mornings you're gonna rise up singing
And you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the sky
But till that morning, there ain't nothin' can harm you
With daddy and mammy standin' by

songwriters Du Bose Heywood/George and Ira Gershwin

WATERLILY AND SPATTERDOCK ARE BLOOMING

WHITE WATER LILY

.

                               

YELLOW WATER LILY:MORE PROPERLY, SPATTERDOCK...

...IN A BACKWATER OF THE SIOUX RIVER

WATER CHINQUAPIN  Green Dean photo

LOW LYING FOG AT DUSK ON OLD HWY. K

Friday, 8:15 AM.  68 degrees F at the ferry dock, 66 on the back porch.  Wind variable, with very light gusts.  The sky is overcast, but looks like it will clear, the humidity is 78%.  The barometer is starting to fall, now at 20.87".  High temperatures will be in the mid-70's today, then fall to the mid-60's tomorrow, and remain around 70 for the coming week.  There will be chances of a thunderstorm tomorrow, and mixed skies thereafter.
  We took a ride at dusk last night, and the fields and low spots were filled with  fog, some of which looked for all the world like snow. Quite beautiful.
  In other "backyard news,' the Juneberries are finally ripe and the birds are having a feast. 
  Yellow pondlily, AKA spatterdock, Nuphar advena,   synonym lutea, in the Waterlily Family (Nymphaceae) is blooming in backwaters of the Sioux River and other quiet waters.  
   Our native water lilies, Nymphaea odorata, which have also begun to bloom, have mostly white petals, and the flowers float flat on the water ( N. alba is an occasional escapee from cultivation and may have roseate petals).  As the species name indicates, the native waterlilies are very fragrant.   The yellow Nuphar flowers are cup shaped and rise above the water on a long stem; the leaves also float.  Both species are in the water lily family. 
    There is a third species of waterlily-like aquatic plant, native to southern wisconsin, Nelumbo lutea, the water chinquapin, or wonkapin.  It's pale yellow flowers are also held above the water on a tall stem, and are otherwise very similar in appearance to those of Nuphar advena.  It appears in southern Wisconsin along the southern reaches of the Wisconsin River. The entire plant is edible and was a mainstay of the American Indian diet.
    N. nucifera, the oriental sacred lotus, is an occasional escapee in the same regions in southern Wisconsin. It has pink flowers.  I do not recall ever seeing it in the wild.  The leaves of the last two species are often held up out of the water by long stems, rather than float, like water-lily leaves.
   According to my records, all these species are blooming essentially at the right time, in mid-July.

FLOWERS 4
by 
Soul Survivor

floating, water lily is free
but ever has her anchor
in the bottom of the pond
   

TANSY IS BLOOMING

TANSY... JUST COMING INTO BLOOM...

COMPOUND FLOWER HEAD...

...FINELY CUT LEAVES

Thursday, 8:30 AM.  69 degrees F at the ferry dock, 58 on the back porch.  Wind NW, light with slightly stronger gusts.  The sky is clear with some haze, the humidity 83%.  The barometer is steady, now at 29.92" of mercury.  The  high  tpday will be around 80, then the temperature will fall through the weekend, with mixed skies and chance of a thunderstorm on Saturday.  It looks like it will be a nice summer day.

   Buddy and I had a close encounter ast night with the large coyote I mentioned a few posts back.  He ran right past us, at full speed.  Actually I don't think Buddy even saw or smelled him, but he startled me. It doesn't seem to be aggressive so I don't think I will be concerned about it at this point.

   Tansy, Tannecetum vulgare, (vulgare meaning common) is in the Sunflower Family, the Compositae.  Its golden yellow flower heads are a cheerful addition to the summer landscape. The name Tansy is of uncertain and ancient origin.  The species is European, probably coming to North America with agricultural seeds, and now is naturalized over much of the North American continent.
    The garden variety  millfoil, Achillea millifolium 'Moonshine' and the common tansy,Tanacetum vulgare, are easily confused at first glance.  Both have heavily dissected leaves and bright yellow flower heads, and grow to about the same height.  But the former seldom escapes the garden , and the latter is mainly a roadside plant (which should be kept out of the garden as it will take over).  Both have somewhat similar foliage, but the Tansy leaves smell rather medicinal when crushed, and the Achillea leaves have a strong rosin odor.  The individual Tansy flower heads look like golden buttons, and in fact "buttons" is its common name in England.  The individual flowers in the flower heads of the Achillea are minute and closely crowded together in an umbel.

   Tansy's aromatic leaves were used to strew over dirt floors in the Middle Ages.  It had many herbal uses in the past, particularly for stomach complaints and worms in children.  The dried root is said to be a remedy for gout  but I have not  tried it (I am pretty careful with herbal self-medication).  

   My recorded blooming dates for Tansy are: 7/11/15; 7/15/12; 7/22/11; 7/13/10; 7/21/09, so this year's bloom date  is right about on average.
   Tansy is on the Wisconsin DNR prohibited list of invasive plants.  However, it is everywhere, couldn't possibly be eradicated, and as far as I can see does little harm and is very colorful.  But you don't want it in your garden, because it spreads so vigorously, and I suppose it could be a problematic weed in farm fields.  In any case, I think worrying about things like Tansy is pretty much a dilettante luxury.

AMERICAN CHESTNUT IS BLOOMING

AMERICAN CHESTNUTS RIPEN IN LATE SEPTEMBER...

CHESTNUT BUR OPENING...

REVEALING (USUALLY) THREE  EDIBLE NUTS...

FLOWER CATKINS BLOOM IN EARLY TO MID JULY.

YOUNG AMERICAN CHESTNUT TREE ON TENTH AND MANYPENNY AVE. IN BLOOM NOW

LARGE NATIVE AMERICAN CHESTNUT TREE IN BLOOM...

HUGE OLD CHESTNUT ON 7TH AND MANYPENNY...

...WITH TRUNK CAVITY...

NOTE THE RIGGED BARK

CHESTNUT LEAF FALL COLOR; NOTE THE SHARP, CURVED TEETH

Wednesday, 8:00 AM. 67 degrees F at the ferry dock, 65 on the back porch.  Wind variable and mostly calm, with occasional very light gusts.  The sky is clear, the humidity 72%.  The barometer has begun a gentle decline, now at 30.12" of mercury.  The forecast is for clear skies and highs in the mid-70's today and tomorrow, then temperatures dropping into the 60's with cloudy skies and chances of rain and thunderstorms into next week.  It is a very quiet, pleasant morning.

   The American chestnut, Castanea dentata, in the Beech Family (Fagaceae) , as most people know, was until around a century ago a major component of the temperate deciduous forest of northeastern North America east of the Mississippi River.  It grew in close association with sugar maple, beech, and red oak. It was a major timber and food species for both animals and man. The trees were so numerous that it was said that a squirrel could travel from chestnut tree to chestnut tree from the east coast to the Mississippi  River without ever touching the ground. Upon the demise of the American Chestnut other species assumed its ecological role, even if imperfectly; nature always compensates for disasters, and none of its components are irreplaceable.
   The native population was decimated by an invasive Eurasian fungal disease that wiped out all but a few outlier populations of the species.  Those in and around Bayfield were either isolated enough to escape the disease or may have some immunity to it, I suspect the former.  In any case, a few of these trees have been propagated and planted around Bayfield, or have grown spontaneously, and the one pictured is a street tree located on the corner of Ninth Street and Mannypenny Ave.   

  The male flowers of the chestnut are long and filamentous, and are a creamy light green in color.  They have a very distinctive, pungent odor, akin to that of freshly turned earth, which must have once filled the forest. The female flower, which develops into the chestnut upon fertilization, is a minuscule catkin which subtends the male flower bract, or develops in the axils of nearby leaves.  The trees bloom in early to mid-July.  The edible nuts are released from the opening burr in late September or October, either while the burr is still attached to the tree or when it falls to the ground, where they sprout and begin to grow immediately, if not eaten by squirrels.
   The tree on Ninth St.  is  well worth a look if you are in Bayfield. A mature tree, unfortunately much in decline, is located on Seventh St. and Manypenny Ave., and more large trees are located in a ravine at the southeast end of the Apostle Highlands Golf Course, and here and there throughout the area.

UNDER THE SPREADING CHESTNUT TREE
Nursery Rhyme

Underneath the spreading chestnut tree,
There we sit both you and me,
Oh how happy we can be,
‘Neath the spreading chestnut tree.

I'm as happy as can be,
With my banjo on my knee,
Singing songs just you and me,
I'm as happy as can be.