April 15-16, 2011

Weather

The horrible front that spawned tornadoes and wrecked havoc throughout the south came through our area Thursday night. Lucky for us we just had wind and rain, and it brought much cooler temperatures. The rain gauge (which I remembered to put out the previous weekend) showed over 3 inches for the week (Thursday night plus Monday's storms). Friday was overcast and spitting a light drizzle with a high of 50 and howling winds well into the night. Sally barely got out of the house. Saturday started gray, damp, and cool (40 degrees) but later turned into a beautiful day.

Wet

I was glad we had gotten the rain since we have had a relatively dry year -- several inches below normal. There was water standing on the road north of the house and the tank below the spring was full (a rare site).

Garden/Trees

The garden and my little trees were thankful for the rain. Sally picked some radishes and spinach. It doesn't look like the basil plants (hit by a freeze) are going to make it, but bell pepper was putting out a green shoot.

All but two of the trees I brought out from town were beginning to leaf out. One, I can't even tell what kind it is. The well established Japanese maple and northern red oak looked great.

Morel Hunting

We'd never found any Morel mushrooms, but we had heard that this was the time of year they are growing. Apparently they are only around for a couple of weeks. I went out Friday with my loppers and hand saw and looked up the draw next to the road coming in, up into the pasture, and back across the woods above the house. I found no Morels, but pulled, lopped, or sawed 725 cedars and elms. I even climbed the dogwood by the road and cut out the big oak limbs that have been hanging in it since the January 2009 ice storm. (They had really been bugging me, but Sally didn't like the idea of me climbing and cutting -- no big deal though.)


For our Saturday morning walk, I talked Sally into going up Plume Creek. I really love this area, especially now that I have it somewhat cleared. Again we struck out on finding any Morels, but I really enjoyed the hike, the water, and all the new vegetation. We came across the wild iris in the creek bed, some pretty little yellow flowers, and the dog woods were still blooming. We also hiked up into the pasture to check under the big sycamore (a type of tree where you are suppose to be able to find Morels). Again no luck.


While at the sycamore, we could hear what sounded like a waterfall up by the bluff yet there is no creek or drainage from that area. So while Sally and Tender (wanting his breakfast) headed back to the house, I went up to investigate. It is amazing that no more water than this could create such a loud sound. And it just goes right into this karst ground and disappears (like the creek in dryer weather). This same bluff is where there were huge icicles just a few months back.

On the way back to the house, I decided to check on the large dog wood that is growing in the field. It is hidden from the house by the huge cedars on its north side, which seem to be trying to consume it. It was also ravaged by the ice storm, but is still alive and was blooming nicely. I'd love to clean it up and cut back the cedars -- oh for retirement and more time. When back at the house I noticed I could just make out the blooms right at the top of the tree peeking above the cedars.

Walnuts

Saturday morning while waiting for the grass to dry, I cracked another box full of black walnuts – almost finishing off my 4th bag. There is still a 5th bag, and I'm beginning to wonder if I am going to get through it. The meat is still very tasty.

Mow

The mower started again, though a little sluggishly. I cut the road to the pond, around the pond, in front and behind the barn, and the front yard. The algae at the pond didn't look bad, like a lot of it had washed out with the heavy rain. I decided not to treat it this week.

Spray Apple

With leaves on the apple now, I went ahead and sprayed fungicide on it to attempt to ward off the apple-cedar rust. (I was successful last year.)

More Lopping

Just before leaving I lopped another 125 cedars back of the barn. I worked my way up the bluff getting many growing on the little shelf there, and ended up in the back yard.