The mums, purchased in
late September, in the pot were done-in by a late October frost. The
mums were once a brilliant white and are going to be moved to a
nearby ground location when the small Oak Tree was discovered. And
another acorn in the pot.
When the mums were
purchased there wasn't an Oak Tree is sight for miles. But in the
yard here, there's plenty of white and red Oaks. This seedling
appears to be a white oak and was likely planted by a chipmunk?
Perhaps, the warmer than normal temperatures and fleeting cold snaps
help to germinate this seedling? It was just odd to see a seedling
sprout,
the National Tree , just before Thanksgiving. Any thoughts?
Happy Thanksgiving
Thursday.
Uninvited Guests
Speaking of chipmunks
and other unwanted household guests, it's that time of year to be on
guard. Raccoons and possums can also be a major nuisance. But by far
the most common winter time pest is the common mouse. There are
several methods to get rid of these creatures, some very creative and
others ghoulish. For more info on how to best handle the mice, learn
more about the origins of the original mousetrap,
A Better Mousetrap ?
For some thoughts on
other wildlife, winter problem animals, here.
The Flip Side of Powerful Winds
Earlier this past week,
a series of violent thunderstorms, and even a tornado, were in the
region. It's amazing while walking in the woods how many dead trees
and branches were scattered about.
It's a good time to
build a brush pile on some obscure corner of the property. The
brushpiles provide shelter, safety and sometimes food for a wide range of
smaller animals.
It is fun to watch the
footprints coming and going in the snow. The tracks tell many
stories.
A November Woods
Maybe there's a big bear over there?
After the severe
weather on Monday, Nov. 14, the weather improved and by Saturday it
was a great day to be in the Pennsylvania woods. My friend Tyler, his
dog, Niki, me and my dog Yaw, decided to take a woods walk.
Deer rifle season in
Pennsylvania opens Nov. 28 (New York opened Nov19) and the the signs
of deer were numerous. Several
buck rubs were discovered as well as,
some well used trails. While hunting is basically an adult sport, children can
become involved in the deer season.
The only green in the
woods are the
Christmas Ferns which can make a yard plant for one of
those shady, wet spots. They remain green all year.
OW
The scenes of the
pepper spraying of non-violent students at UC- Davis were rather
disgusting. Here is the
link in case you want to view the police
brutality. And here is a
different angle of the police attack. The over-reaction of officials will only add more fuel to
the movement as can be seen in dozens of countries in the world.
There is a better way.
The OW movement stems
from the
Oligarchy here in the USA and the subsequent economic and
social injustices. Despite what some say, the protesters are many
more than students, who in Newt Gingrich's viewpoint (and other
conservatives) need to take a shower and get a job (wonder what jobs?). There are many
adults, senior citizens and veterans are joining in the movement.
Amazingly,
a PR firm
wants to charge a fee to certain clients to run a smear campaign
against OW for a hefty fee. Of course twisting the truth is nothing
new in America, it has been getting worse over the last decade or so.
Rural areas also
suffer from the Oligarchy and need to pay attention and help to
support the movement, after all most in the rural areas are the 99 %. More importantly, there are many
Christian issues involved as this movement gathers steam.
Good Blogs to Follow:
