Pep Talk From A Maple Tree

   Resiliency is one of those things that I have always admired in folks....or in anything for that matter.  Being able to bounce back after a traumatic event takes toughness.  Toughness is what it is going to take to get this country out of the mess it is currently enduring.  

  I was out back in the creekbed this afternoon when I came across something that made me believe that there is hope.  A red maple tree had been severely damaged by a storm this past fall.  The tree had suffered many broken limbs but there was nothing I could do to remedy the situation.  For that matter, I have not been able to even get back here to survey the damage until now.  One branch on the tree had been broken but not completely severed from the trunk.  The part that would have been reaching for the sky was now nigh on touching the ground.  At first, it saddened me to see my beautiful red maple so broken but, on closer inspection, I gained great hope from the tree.  That branch, although battered and torn, had bloomed.  The tiny samaras were starting to form.  These seeds would soon ripen then fall to the ground to give a new start to life.  Regardless of what the tree endured, it was still trying.  It did not give up to the enemy.  It endured.  It survived.  It reproduced and will make the woods great again.  Life is good.  Don't give up!

Tiny, Red Helicopters!

  Down behind the canebrake, there is a good stand of red maple trees.  Usually, these trees are still dormant during February and do not set their samaras until late March.  Our very short winter (which lasted a whopping four weeks or so) and the sudden onset of warm (almost hot!) weather has made most of the trees start to bloom and even set fruit.  The maples have the woods ablaze with their bright red samaras making the hikes back to that part of the property even more enjoyable.  

  Samaras are actually the seeds of the maple tree.  These are sometimes erroneously identified as flowers which is easily understood when viewed from a distance.  The paper thin, winglike structures have a hard seed at one end and are usually in pairs.  These wings and being paired allow the seeds to act like little helicopters when a good stiff wind knocks them from the tree.  The seeds are airborne for a quite a distance before sinking to the ground.  Their flight takes them far from the parent tree. This spacing lets the trees grow large and strong.

  Red maples are somewhat invasive as they make thousands and thousands of seeds each year.  Not too many critters eat the seeds like they do acorns and pine nuts.  The sheer number of seeds that germinate coupled with the trees' ability to grow in any soil type lets them soon take over a forest.  Here, there are many maples far up on the hill where the soil is dry and just as many down in the watery creek bed.  The trees have no preference where they take root.  Some even survive in the salty marshes.  

  My afternoon hike surprised me with the maple samaras but the threat of stormy weather tonight may see the trees stripped of their glory by morning.  The high winds and torrential rains will most likely have tiny, red helicopters flying all over the hillside!

Death Grip

  Today, once again, saw me in the midst of the yard cleaning.  This is a humongous chore and will continue for the next few weeks as I am literally ripping out most everything.  It is a long overdue task but I am willing to tackle it.  When trimming a red maple tree that seems to have decided to grow long and lanky instead of nicely shaped, a single vine was not cooperating with my efforts.  A large smilax had wormed its way up the tree and was about to strangle the poor thing to death.  It had a death grip around several of the limbs and, no matter how hard I tried, the vine was not budging.  It came down to the small tree being trimmed far more than I had originally intended.  Poor thing now looks a bit lopsided and bald!

  The smilax roots had to be dug out from in between the maple's roots which was no easy task.  Leave just one smidgen and by the end of summer the tree will be engulfed again.  Smilax has a tendency of growing where you least expect and where you least want it.  Once it is established, it is the dickens to remove completely!  The vine twists and turns, grips and strangles until its host prop perishes.  While it is not a parasitic plant, it usually kills any nearby plants merely by choking them.  Even dead parts of the vine are capable of having a strong, strangling grip!

  My red maple will have a struggle to become shapely again but, at least, it is free from its suppressor!  No more will it gasp for life!  Live free, little maple!  Die, smilax!  You can grow all you want anywhere else but not in the yard where you stifle the growth of everything you touch!  Tale your death grip elsewhere!

Just a tad Confused

  Things seem a mite strange here on the Bayou as it does with most of the nation.  The weather is just weird.  Of course, this far south, one never knows how to dress as the weather can change with the drop of a hat.  Son has the weather forecast thing down pat, though.  "Rainy, Freezing, Sunny, Foggy. Hot....one big cycle in that order and all that in one week".  He is usually right.  Here lately, even Mother Nature is in a quandary.   She controls that weather but does get a tad confused at times.  The flora and fauna around here are in just as much as a dither as she is.  

  I went out back by the canebrake this morning to dump some old coffee grinds in the compost.  A heavy fog was starting to blanket the creek behind the house.  With the sun not quite high enough to make things bright, the fog sort of emanated a blue glow.  Wow.  That was gorgeous. It is funny how a bunch of leafless trees and scrabbly underbrush can be so pretty.  At least in my brain, this is where beauty hides.  

  It was about this time that I noticed some of the maple trees were not so leafless.  A few of the ones under the taller trees were starting to bud. Oh, geez!  Trees, do you not know that it is far too early for you to be doing this?  Obviously, my chiding the trees would do no good but at least no one could say that I did not try.  Just as I was turning to go back to my fresh-made coffee, a small bird caught my eye.  A little Warbler was busy in those maple trees. I suppose that little one was in search of breakfast.  What a cutie!  I guess I better go fill the bird feeders.

  Son and I did a bit of salvaging today.  With the weather like it is, the lemon trees were starting to bud as well.  Both trees are full of buds with some open blooms.  The weather is predicted to turn cold soon so we decided to dig up the small lemon tree in the garden and move it into the greenhouse.  There it can sit next to the new tree and hopefully be protected as it pollinates and sets tiny fruit. 

Wood Sprite Market

  When I was a tyke, Pop used to take me with him when he would plow the fields.  I would play in the soft dirt while he plowed.  Since I was out in the middle of the field, it was easy for him to keep an eye on me.  He could work and I could play.  This was a grand deal for Mom, as well, as she could either get a bit of rest or get some sewing accomplished.  I had a delightful time playing in the dirt but occasionally, I would wander close to the woods just to inspect some flower or small critter.  Pop kept a watchful eye out on me but let me explore.  The old dog would always be at my side so all was safe.

  One of my favorite trees was the Red Maple.  Even before the leaves budded out, the "wings" would turn the tree bright red.  That red would stand out against the darkness of the surrounding woods.  I remember searching the ground beneath the tree for the "sprite wings".  To any person in the know, these sprite wings were actually the samaras or winged seeds.  The double wings allow the samara to rotate when it falls from the tree.  This rotation gives the seeds an extra boost as they float on the wind.  This is to ensure there is plenty of space for the seed to take root.  But!  In my wonderful imagination, these were sprite wings and the maple tree was sort of like some immense shopping market where sprites could buy new wings once theirs became tattered from use.  (We all know that sprites do not grow their own wings, now don't we?)  Anyway, to say the least, I was always fascinated by the winged seeds.

  Today, I was just as enamored with the Red Maple samaras.  It was late afternoon when I was hiking down behind the canebrake.  A dozen or so raucous blue jays were trying to scare off the Cooper's Hawk and I wanted a photograph.  Sorry to say, I never made it to observe the hawk.  The setting sun caused the Red Maple to be ablaze with beauty! My interest immediately turned to the winged seeds.  What a flood of memories hit my brain!  I was taken back to the woods behind the fields! Those bright wings just dangling on the limb waiting for a wood sprite made me smile.  Yep, sometimes it pays to have an overactive imagination.....and happy memories.

A Thing of Beauty.....

Sometimes folks will give me compliments on the nature photographs that I have taken. While these are all taken graciously and appreciatively, I must admit that I find it a tad amusing that a photograph is worthy of such laud. It is not my picture that is beautiful or noteworthy but whatever the image represents. I do photograph things at times that some folks deem are not "picture-worthy" but I just sort of see the beauty in things that most are too busy to even notice. I suppose that on my random hikes around the Bayou and creek areas, I do have the opportunity to view more unique things but my answer to that is...people need to walk more! Not only is it healthier to get out and take a hike now and again, the scenery in most places is nice if not awe inspiring! True, not everyone lives on the Bayou, but regardless, ninety percent of beauty is how a person looks at something. That old adage.."Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" rings true. True beauty exists in the mind's eye of an individual.

Today was one of our first sunny days in quite some time..after all, it is the first day of March. February's grayness has faded from the mind on this lovely day! As I headed out on my long-needed trek, I found many things had changed since I was weather-bound to the Little Bayou House. The warmth of the coming Spring had set all sorts of things in motion, not the least of these being the Red Maple. Behind the house and all throughout the creekbed, there are many, many Maple trees. They are all setting their seeds after the short blooming session. The wing-shaped seed pods are more noticeable on the Red Maple and are what most folks regard as the blooms. They are fascinating little things that used to work wonders on my creative mind as a child. I always wondered just what small being had lost its wings and how sad that little creature must feel to be wingless. This evening as I walked under one of the Maples, the sun was just starting its slow decline in the west. The sun's rays beamed through the Maple seeds causing them to literally glow with a fiery luminance! I took several pictures before thinking that these would be some of those photographs that folks would regard as "special". They are special..very special...a thing of beauty. It was not by my doing, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Black and White..and Red All Over.....

Today brought some good things..some bad. I was out and about taking in the sights of the day when I came across something that saddened me to the core. To say that I like crows somehow confuses a lot of people. The usual stigma attached to these birds extends far from the cornfields all the way to urban areas. Most still view a crow as a nuisance bird and extend all efforts to shoo them from the vicinity. Not so here on the Bayou. I like crows. I like to hear them in the tall pines..I like seeing the glint of the sun on their ebony feathers..I like the way they cock their heads to the side as if to see you better. I just like crows. I was saddened earlier today because I came across the lifeless body of one of these beautiful birds. First thought was that someone had shot it but after observing it closer, I decided that this was not the case. Obviously, it had met with a force larger than itself as its neck and one wing were broken. There were no other wounds. Perhaps it had been hit by a car or maybe a hawk or osprey had attacked it but whatever the applied the force had done its job. The gorgeous, black bird was dead..drained of life..no more to caw from the treetops. Today's "black"..the ebony feathers and the dark feeling of death. Rest in peace, my feathered friend.

On a lighter note..the pear trees are blooming! "White!" The heavily scented white blossoms gleamed in the sunshine today! Oh, how I wish this tree was in my yard! Its branches were simply covered with the large white blossoms. The constant buzzing of honeybees told me that there would be plenty of fruit replacing the blooms in the coming weeks but I will never get any pears from this tree. They are destined for consumption by every animal in the area. The tree stands on what used to be my uncle and aunt's property. It is now overgrown to the point that it is a haven for wildlife and this pear tree gives sustenance to the fauna living there. I remember how fine these pears tasted and would love to gather the crop later this summer but I know that there will be none for my hands to pick. Happy munching, animals!

Near the pear tree, I came across another "white"..these Narcissus blooms emitted such a sweet aroma that I hated to leave the spot. These bulbs have endured all sorts of hardships and still had the strength to push through the weeds and bloom! This area was once an impeccable garden wonder. The yard was once filled with luscious fruit trees of all sorts and flower gardens that would hold their own against any botanical gardens ever created. My aunt and uncle worked hard to keep the grounds in order and now the remnants of plants still try to flourish even through the worst conditions. I was impressed with the durability of this plant. The matted weeds that it had to push through just to bloom was several inches thick. The plants seemed to be trying to revive the beauty that was once here by refusing to give in to despair. How much more inspiring can a couple of little bulbs be? A lesson in survival or just one in persistence? I am thinking that I should dig up these bulbs and give them a home closer to my house!

Finally, the "red"..another bloom..or at least the appearance of a bloom. The Red Maples are in bloom or were in bloom. What is showing on the branches of the trees now is not the flower but rather the seed pods. These seed pods look similar to tiny "wings" and when the sun hits them, they are brilliant crimson! Later in the summer, the pods will darken to almost a brick red and then will come fluttering down to cover the ground. I remember years ago, I was enthralled to find so many "wings" dancing on the wind. To my young mind they were faerie wings. I would try to catch them thinking that if I succeeded then surely a faerie would grant some special wish for me. Yep..that imagination really soars at times! These red seeds are so beautiful against the bright blue skies like we had today! There are several large Red Maples down in the creekbed. I can see these from my kitchen window each morning as the sun comes up. Their fiery red "wings" brighten the Bayou!

Also as a "red"..the Summer Tanager! This tiny bird has been making its presence know here in the yard for the past several years. I can hear its calls loud and clear through the open windows. If I head outside when it is near, the Tanager will swoop down within arm's reach and sing its little heart out. I have not figured out just why it feels the need to be right next to me but I secretly feel a bond with the bird! How strange that this wild bird seems to call for me to come out and play!