Acclaimed Science Fiction…
…writer I never heard of. How can that be?
Luckily, I get the chance this evening to make up for lost time.
Serviceberry
My list of great native shrubs (November 19) omitted perhaps the best of all—the Serviceberry, aka the Saskatoon or dwarf shadbush (Amelanchier alnifolia). This is the cultivar with the best fruit. (The November 19 blog has been updated, btw.)
Here’s Robin Kimmerer’s (longish) essay on the shrub, using it (as she does) as an example of the important concept of reciprocity. THE SERVICEBERRY An Economy of Abundance
Above, yew bushes, showing that we went above freezing today and snow is melting. Below, the ingredients of tonight’s “tube dinner.”
Abscission…
…when the leaf falls from the tree.
Above, the leaf scar from the Kentucky Coffeetree in the front yard, planted from seed 4 or 5 years ago. KCTs have enormous compound leaves, and this tree, though taller than me and growing fast, had just 30 this year. It still looked extravagantly foliated.
If you look closely at the scar you can see the vascular bundles, the pipes through which water and minerals flow into the leaf and where sugars (food) flow outward to the rest of the tree, including the roots.
Shrubs…
…presentation.
Presented by Wild Ones at the Kettle Moraine State Forest Southern Unit headquarters. Interesting small natural history museum.
Near Eagle, WI, not far from here. Surprised not to have been there before.
Here’s a selection of good native shrubs (for this area):
Serviceberry—this variety best for fruit: Saskatoon or dwarf shadbush (Amelanchier alnifolia)
Elderberry, Button Bush, Choke Berry/Cherry, Pagoda Dogwood, Hazel Nut, Viburnums, Lead Plant, St. John’s Wort, Meadowsweet. Also, current/gooseberry.
Interesting weather—heavy snow showers followed by blinding sunlight.
Ship’s Wheel
“I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.”
And this wheel needs work—pieces reattached, screw holes plugged, gaps filed, and the whole thing refinished. I don’t think it has had any attention for 44 years.
Cold and Getting Colder…
…with a few snow showers.
I’ve switched from filling the bird feeder in the morning to filling it in the evening. When it is filled in the morning, it’s emptied by noon, An afternoon filling gives the cardinals, and other, a chance.
Early morning PT session—and it’s slow going…the knee just doesn’t want to bend.
Lo and Behold
This blog is being written on an iPhone. Squarespace has capitulated, and redressed their failing. Here’s part of the email I got this morning:
”We released an update to the Squarespace app which changed the content editing experience for some customers. After reviewing some of the feedback about the update, we've reverted the app to an earlier version. If you experienced any issues editing site content during this time, this should now be restored.”
About an hour at the library in Fort, which is a nice place to hang out, and then chile and a sandwich at Cafe Carp the unique little bohemian restaurant and folk music venue that has been in business for 37 years.
Sparrows In Paradise
More than two dozen sparrows (primarily house sparrows, I think) crowd the feeder, and empty it within a few hours. When not at the feeder they congregate in the dense cover of the front-of-the-house yews. They seem to be a very social group, noisily chattering all day long.
There are far more in this flock the can fit on the feeder at one time, but they seem to share pretty well, only occasionally pecking and pushing for room at the table.
For these birds it’s a wonderful life.
Sometimes the house finches join with the sparrows, but mostly they show up when the sparrows are away.
About a dozen juncos drop in several times a day, mostly beneath the feeder, alongside the half dozen scrounging squirrels.
Cardinals prefer stopping by on an evening, but by then the other critters have pretty much scraped the platter clean.
Above, recess at an elementary school in Milton. Snow excitement.
In other news, Squarespace has confirmed that they disabled the iPhone editing app. Seems customers don’t count.
Squarespace Sucks
The Squarespace iPhone app has been updated and now fails to work. Complete meltdown, totally unusable. Which I find unfortunate since that is how I have done this blog since 2014.
(One might think that the Squarespace engineers would test a revised app before releasing it, but apparently not.) Anyhow, to blog now is to use the computer, and that is considerably more bother. And that, combined with my limited mobility, along with a finite supply of wisdom, is making me think that the time has come to switch from daily posts to occasional posts, like two or three a week—whenever I come up with a great photo or something worth saying. Who knows. but this could be the last daily.
I spent a good bit of time today updating the Arboretum website (which I don’t mind doing on the computer). ArbAtStarin.org
Intimations of Winter
Chilly on the playground before the kids had to head home. Ice on the lake once there.
Photos by Ab
Big Family Gathering
MJ here from the east coast, so an excuse for a party. Ping pong, podcasting, pie, among other things.
First Birds, First Flakes
Occasional tiny snow shower. First birds: house finch, sparrow, downy woodpecker.
The feeder may be redundant, since so much food, as in the birch seeds above, is still available in the wild.
Bird Feeder Up…
…on another amazingly warm day. I think we all know winter’s right around the bend.
The ever bearing roses in neighbor’s yard haven’t given up yet either.
It’s all phenology.
Finishing The Pavilion
Walking better and better, but glad not to be up a ladder.
Errands and Appointments…
…and some dog sitting. Chilly day.
It being Election Day I am studiously avoiding all news, in every form—can’t face the ignorance and gullibility of the American voter, and the relentless attacks on democracy.
Clematis seeds
Back To The Beginning
The very first blog, way back when, had gutter cleaning as it’s topic. Today the gutters were cleaned again, and they badly needed it. During the recent rain event water was sheeting off the roof, as if the gutters were not really there.
Fun With The Family…
…Antler Circle and O’wock.
Another Arboretum Event
This time a talk on the geology and glaciation of this kettle moraine area. We had to move into a university classroom on account of wicked weather.
But here are photos of the school field trip of a few days ago.
Amazing Day…
…if a bit damp.
The pavilion kit donated by Generac was assembled today, in spite of the weather, largely by volunteers from Generac. Wonderful folks—friendly, fun, funny, talented, skilled, hard working. We would have been up a creek without their energy and effort.
Getting Windy…
…change is in the air.
Photos of school group not yet available. Sue up North.
I was able to get a sock on my right foot all by myself. After that, making a huge batch of Sloppy Joe (for Democratic canvassers on Saturday) was a piece of cake. Also prepared for tomorrow’s erection of the pavilion kit donated by Generac., on the pad pictured above.
Weather may not cooperate.