Things That Make You Go, "Hmmm...."

This morning I spied a duck on our pond.  It is a good way down to the pond and it was impossible for me to make out any detail -- even with the aid of binoculars.  It didn't look like any duck that I was familiar with.

We did a little quick research on the computer, and I still was unsure of what it might have been.  I suppose it will go in my "Hmm..." category for the day.  It was interesting, made me stop and think, but it remains in the unknown category for me.

I find that in a lot of things.  The Internet has made researching the unknown much easier than it once was.  I look up things frequently and often find that my preconceptions needed adjustment.  One of the keys to learning is to realize that what we know may not be accurate and must be refined as additional knowledge is accumulated.  With the duck in question, I can only hope that he returns to give me a better look at some point in the future.

They say that curiosity killed the cat, but I find curiosity to be the fire that kindles learning.  You likely will note in the things I write that I am curious about many subjects.  Sometimes my travels down the trails of trivia border on the ridiculous, but even those things can provide some minor enjoyment.

Yesterday I continued on my current task of cleaning up dead and fallen tree limbs and brush on our place.  The neglect of years created the opportunity for us to acquire this piece of land but also came with the added price of the work necessary to bring it up to our expectations.  Since we are currently not under a burn ban, I am trying to burn as much of the gathered debris as possible.

The photo below is the last of a pile of limbs that were present when we purchased the place.  We have only been out of the burn ban a short time which delayed me in disposing of them.  I took a photo of the fire late yesterday as I sat enjoying gazing into it.  I don't know what it is about a campfire, but most people enjoy gazing into the flames.  This morning as I looked at the photo before posting it here, I noticed that one of the stones bordering it is unique.  I don't know where it came from, but it appears to be a broken piece of statuary.  It's just one of those things that make me go, "Hmmm...."

 Contemplation

What is it that sometimes causes us to become so lost in thought that we lose track of time?  It seems to go against the natural "wiring" of our brains that is a result of survival through the eons.  Alertness, awareness of surroundings, those should be constant since the genetic lines which resulted in the survival of our ancestors must have had something going for them in order to beat the odds against oblivion at the will of some predator.  Survival is wired into our DNA.

Perhaps it is the protective nature of our species that has allowed those who might lack the basic survival skill of awareness to thrive and reproduce.  Those who have strong doses of that survival skill tend to provide protection and oversight which allow those less suited to continue on their merry, oblivious way.

Those woolgatherers are often the ones who end up espousing some of the strangest causes.  It is likely that their mind travels into realms where those more attuned to survival simply ignore the irrelevancy of the errata and move on to more important things.  The softness of our society has allowed those "thinkers" to proliferate and fill the air with their invectives against perceived injustice when the reality is, they are protecting those even less fit for survival than themselves.

Maybe that's it!  Part of our genetic wiring is telling us to protect those less capable than ourselves and so we are shepherding in the slow degradation of our species through such behavior. It is a built-in mechanism that will result in the eventual cleansing of the species when civilization collapses.

Why would we be wired that way?  Maybe it is because none of us would survive without that basic tendency to protect each other.  It is too bad that tendency has been corrupted with greed and the self-serving manipulation of those less capable.  The strong tend to exploit the weak or less capable.

The photograph below is of a large Loblolly Pine tree (Pinus taeda) located on our property.  The Loblolly is native to much of the Southeastern U.S. and is a very important source of wood for construction and for pulping to make paper.  It is fast growing and may reach heights well in excess of 100 ft.  Some of the pines on our property have been there long enough to be approaching that 100 ft. threshold.  They annually shed seed-filled cones to continue the spread of the species.  If left un-thinned, they will be surrounded by younger trees ranging from seedlings to those many 10's of feet in height.  Eventually, most of those seedlings will die and only the hardiest will survive.  Survival of the fittest once again.  Maybe humans need to mimic nature in that regard.

 Flight of the Bumblebee

There are over 250 species in the genus Bombus which we know as Bumblebees.  Charles Darwin called them the Humble Bee in his major work, "On the Origin of Species."  The name "Bombus" is from the Latin for "buzzing" or "booming."

In the Walt Disney film, "Fantasia", we hear the "Flight of the Bumblebee" which was an orchestral interlude composed around 1900 by Nickolai Rimsky-Korsakov for the opera, "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" in a representation of the turning of Prince Guidon into a bumblebee so he could visit his father, Tsar Saltan.

They are important pollinators and sometimes raised domestically for the pollination of tomatoes grown in greenhouses.  Unlike honeybees, bumblebees can sting repeatedly because their stinger is not barbed and can slide in and out of their victim without injuring themselves.  They are not usually aggressive however and rarely sting unless being tormented or disturbed.

Yesterday we had an unwanted visitor to our corner of Texas -- a skunk.  It was down by the pond, and I took steps to discourage it from exploring further for fear that our canine watchdog, who really only watches for an opportunity to be petted, spotted the small black-and-white critter and went to introduce himself.  Fortunately for all, that was accomplished and the discouraged visitor headed across the road and disappeared into the thickets of a nearby creek bottom.

I walked down to check and be certain that he was gone and in doing so noticed a couple of large thistles that had grown near the edge of our property and investigated.  There, in the top of the largest flower, at the top of the largest thistle, were two Bumblebees.  One was headfirst buried into the heart of the blossom while the other walked frustratedly around the rim of the flower seemingly awaiting his turn to partake of the nectar.  It was obviously a Kodak moment.

Now I must decide whether to allow the thistles to remain for a while or to remove them.  I think a compromise of a few days is in order.  It's good to see the bees thriving.

(For more information see "Bumblebee" at Wikipedia from which a portion of the above information was found.)

 Genius

This morning, Thomas Jefferson is on my mind.  He is probably my favorite President although he is certainly not without controversy.  I think what sets him apart to me is the breadth of his interests and his affinity to agriculture.  He was wealthy but always in debt, likely because his varied interests kept him from focusing on making money.  He was too busy exploring new ideas or building his library of which he had three different ones during his lifetime.  The first was lost to fire, the second he gave to the Library of Congress after it was destroyed by fire by the British and the third was those books collected subsequently.

He is an interesting individual of what I would describe as "broad genius."  Most of the time when we think of genius it is in regard to individuals who have a level of understanding which surpasses the norm, but often in a very narrow field (Stephen Hawking comes to mind).  They typically have the capacity to learn deeply outside their primary field of expertise but rarely do so.  That "focused genius" is what we recognize.

I believe a significant number of the Founding Fathers of our country had "broad genius."  The most prominent to come to mind is Benjamin Franklin.  Others would include Thomas Paine and James Madison.  Those were the types of genius rarely seen today in our world of specialization.

Perhaps Elon Musk would fit into that category and possibly our current President.  Whether you like them or hate them, they exhibit the characteristics of "broad genius" to me.  I don't wish to make this blog political and would appreciate that any comments avoid politics.  I am merely observing the behavior and accomplishments.

Back to Jefferson -- he was one of the most advanced agriculturalists of his time.  He constantly sought to improve his production practices and breadth of knowledge.  In some ways he may be at least partially the inspiration for my looking at the medicinal and other uses of the various plants growing on our small property.  Today I wish to point out the Dewberries which are just now pushing their way up through the debris of winter.  Dewberries are of the genus Rubus and are closely related to Blackberries.  There are many different varieties.  They typically grow low to the ground and send out long tendrils as they seek to spread across the landscape.  It is just now the beginning of their time to bloom in our part of the world.  Besides their uses in cobblers, jam and pies they are often eaten raw.  What is not widely known is that the leaves can be used to make an herbal tea (tisane).  It is claimed to aid in relaxation, sleep and immune health.  Many birds, mammals and insects love them.

 Tangled

The woods of Northeast Texas are often a tangled mess of trees and vines.  Many of the vines are not particularly friendly such as Poison Ivy or Greenbriar.  Often, however, the most prolific vines are Honeysuckle.

Sometimes the vines wind around young trees to the point of killing them due to strangulation.  They tightly surround the tender bark and as the tree grows, the vines cut into the bark and cut off the flow of sap to higher points in the young trees.  Eventually the trees succumb.

We like the biodiversity of plants growing on our small piece of Texas, but some have been allowed to get out of control.  It seems a never-ending chore to tame them into spaces that make better sense for managing the land.  It also allows less aggressive species to flourish since we are unlikely to use nature's tool of fire to burn the dense undergrowth.  There are far too many houses within range.

I am not a fan of using chemical means for control, so much of our effort is simply mechanical.  It is more labor intensive, but the result is flourishing plant, insect and animal life.  One small example is the Tiger Swallowtails of which I posted a few days ago.  We see many of them daily.  Yesterday we saw our first Monarch butterfly of the year.

The benefits of our efforts will be realized over coming years but occasionally the reward is immediate.  The photo below is of Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens).  The flowers attract Hummingbirds, Bees and Butterflies.  The fruit is favored by many bird species.  Traditional medicinal uses include for asthma (dried and smoked), for bee stings (chewed and applied to the sting) and for sore throats and coughs (a tea).  I just think it is a nice splash of color against the greens and browns of the forest.

 

 Establishing Routine

When I first started Blogging it was a response to being challenged to do so.  I decided that committing to write something every day for 30 days was enough to either establish the habit or to decide that it was not for me.  The result of that commitment led to writing a couple of columns for a trade publication and to writing and publishing a small book of poems and illustrations (the book can be found in a small ad at the top of my Blog page).

There have been times through the years since that beginning that I have lapsed for extended periods for various reasons.  Sometimes it was due to significant life changes such as a job change or a move or both.  At other times it was likely due to discouragement resulting from a lack of readership.  I had to learn, or re-learn, that I was doing this for myself and not for others.  The discipline of writing is certainly a solitary pursuit, and most writers never achieve fame or a great following.

Now that I have entered into a time of retirement the realization that one of my strengths through the years was to write has prompted me to reignite the daily discipline of writing.  That doesn't mean that I will Blog every single day, but I do intend to write something on a regular basis and am attempting to make it a part of my established daily morning routine.

Retirement really isn't something that I intentionally planned for this particular time.  I expected it to be a few more years away.  It happened though and making the best of it is my current focus in life.  The symbolism associated with Spring and the budding trees along with early flowers pushing up through the soil seems especially relevant to where I am in life.  I am choosing to make the best of it in spite of all the challenges which seem to be working in opposition.

Yesterday we noticed the first of the Irises blooming along the road winding through the trees to our house.  They seem to be randomly situated as if they were wild, however I suspect they are the remnants of a deliberate planting by some previous owner of this small corner of the world.  Irises are common throughout the world and prominently appear in artwork.  They have been used for medicinal purposes by many people seeking natural cures -- especially for stomach cramps by making a tea of the dried roots.  Certain varieties are used to help filter water.  The plants remove many particulates and chemicals, clarifying the water.  Mostly, I just think they are a beautiful, showy flower.

 Cleaning

There is an old shed on the property that we purchased this year.  We have been doing some cleaning in order to be able to utilize it.  One corner of the roof has been destroyed by a fallen tree which will need to be removed and then the roof repaired.  I'm sure that will be the subject of a later post.  In the meantime, we decided to clean up and haul off the leftover junk scattered about the floor with the intent of parking a small tractor there where it will be protected from the rain.

Along with the rusted cans, nails and bolts scattered on the floor there were piles of leaves and other forest debris that had fallen through the hole in the roof or blown in through the open front.  We used rakes to pile the loose things and then spent a good bit of time on our knees picking up nails, bolts and other sharp pieces of metal that might potentially damage tires.  I hope we got them all.

I must admit that I get angry when cleaning up messes left by other people.  I was taught that when I left a house, piece of land or anything else that it should be in the best condition that I could possibly leave it.  I was taught to clean up my own messes rather than to leave them for others.  I hope my children and grandchildren have learned to leave things better than they found them.  Just think what that type of attitude would do for our country.

One of the small creatures we disturbed in our cleaning is in the photograph below.  It is an Eastern Bark Centipede (Hemiscolopendra marginata).

 Going Native

As is obvious from my last few posts, Spring is on my mind.  It is planting time.  To the extent possible we want to use native plants which are indigenous to our area for our landscaping.  Our first plantings at this new home are Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens). It is not a true sage but is in the figwort family.  It is known by many other names but the one I find most interesting is "Barometer Bush."  It is an appropriate name because when we lived in South Texas where it is commonly found across the semi-desert scrubland, when it blooms you can expect rain within the next 24-48 hours.  Another name is Cenizo.  Historically, natives of northern Mexico where the plant commonly is found, made tea from the leaves.  Its medicinal uses were for treating colds and congestion.

Below is one of ours which we planted near our front porch.  Over time it can grow up to 10 feet tall.  We will keep it pruned back so that it doesn't block our view.

 Front Porch Rocking

I grew up hearing about sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair watching the late afternoon fade into evening, but I never thought that would be me.  

The place we recently moved to is very conducive to that type of activity especially since we bought a couple of wooden rocking chairs to set on the front porch.  The weather has been absolutely perfect.

In the photo below you can see piles of raked twigs and Sweet Gum seed pods.  I'm not quite through with the task but expect to complete it this morning.  It was certainly relaxing to end the evening looking out toward the pond just enjoying the peacefulness of the birds singing in the trees.

 Springtime

Springtime brings optimism.  It is a time of fresh beginning -- for the year and sometimes for our lives in other ways.  It is a time to clear out the detritus of winter and begin the freshening for what is to come.  It is a time of flowers and budding trees, of yard work and planting, of newborn animals and of re-born hopes.  The air is filled with scents and pollen and the buzzing of insects.  It is butterflies and mosquitos.  Okay, maybe it's a mixed bag in some regards.  But it is Spring and I will let optimism rule.  The Redbud tree in our front yard is the perfect symbol.