Nature's Energy Food

I picked up this small handful of native pecans off of our front sidewalk.  They aren't very big but they are very flavorful.  It's probably because their oil content seems to be higher than many of the cultivated varieties.  That oil makes them high in energy.  We had a pecan pie made from some off of the same tree for Thanksgiving.

Most people in this part of the world don't bother with the native pecans since they are so small; they prefer the cultivated and grafted varieties that produce much larger nuts.  As a consequence, most of the smaller, native pecans are wasted.  Some, of course, are eaten by wildlife, including the pervasive squirrels which seem to be the most prolific of the local fauna.  Many, however, are buried by the squirrels to come up as trees in the spring.  I never would have thought that I would view seedling pecan trees as weeds.

One of our dogs -- the redbone coonhound -- can smell the pecans in the ground.  We find her digging them up from where the squirrels had buried them.  If you watch, you will see her sniffing around the yard until she comes across one of the subterranean treasures which she then will dig up and eat.  I'm sure the shell isn't good for her, but I don't know how to stop her from doing it.

Growing up I wasn't a big fan of pecans.  I still don't care for pecans in cookies -- except for Pecan Sandies and maybe a few others where the nut has been ground to tiny pieces.  I definitely don't care for them in chocolate chip cookies but, I have found that as an adult, it's hard to beat a Pecan Pie.  My preferred way to eat it is on top of a bowl of Bluebell Ice Cream.

This was a bumper crop year for pecans in this part of Texas.  A number of people have mentioned that their trees are loaded and I have observed it to be true as I drive about the area; it's easy to spot the clusters of nuts hanging high on the bare branches.

Every few days I will walk around the front yard picking up the pecans that have fallen.  I often find half-eaten ones that the squirrels got to first.  They waste an awful lot of them.  We should be getting close to the end of the crop since most have fallen from the trees.  Now, I just need to get them all shelled....

Deep Roots, Spreading Branches

I find that trees are illustrative of many things in life.  I have used the above image before, but it seemed appropriate to use it again.  It is of an ancient oak tree that grows deep in the woods on what we call "the island" which was our name for a location which was between two creeks on the land we recently sold.  This particular tree is probably about double my age, but is an example that is fitting.

Yesterday, two things occurred that were reminders to stay connected to my roots.  The first was a phone call from an uncle who said one of his New Year's resolutions was to do a better job of staying in touch with people.  I deeply appreciated the call and took it as a reminder that I should do the same.  The second was getting together with a small group last night who had roots to my home town.

The comparison to the tree is that we shared a common beginning and that included many memories and points of connection.  Like the tree, however, we have grown and spread our branches through children, grandchildren and the experiences we each have that took us places far from our roots.  The amazing thing is how we were drawn back together primarily because of that shared origin.

It isn't as though we all were close in our formative years, but one of our number seemed to be the common denominator that drew us together.  Such people are rare and to be treasured.

Wherever you go and wherever you grow, don't neglect your roots.  They are the anchor that keeps us grounded into fertile soil which is what allows us to reach our potential.  I pray that 2020 will be a year of reaching for the sky.  Just as the branches of this tree strain upward in their quest for the strength and energy of the sun, my you reach for the strength of The Son.

"I can do everything through Him who give me strength." -- Philippians 4:13

Trees and Imagination

I've always been intrigued by trees.  It probably is from growing up in an area where the only trees were planted by someone.  When I run across a tree like this ancient Bois d'arc, I understand how they could inspire writers to create characters from them.

Imagine yourself walking through the woods around midnight on one of those nights when the moon is full and bright; the crooked limbs of the tree are shadows across the sky.  An owl hoots nearby and something is skittering around in the dry leaves and grass.  Suddenly, your sleeve is snagged by one of the small branches that overhangs your pathway and you find your clothes hung on the stubby remains of a twig broken from the limb.  In your struggle, you make enough noise to startle some larger creature which goes crashing off through the underbrush.

The next day, when you return to the site of the excitement to retrieve the tattered remains of your clothing, you realize that the tree was completely harmless, although your clothing was ruined.  For the writer, it is fuel for the imagination.  I'm apparently only a so-so writer because, yes, it caught my imagination, but as I read my description, I find it falls far short of what J.R.R. Tolkien or, Washington Irving accomplished.  I need to work on that.

A sense of being watched was overwhelming as Ichabod stumbled along the forest path.  The slightest sound would cause him to start as though a giant beast was about to pounce upon him.  The distant hoot, hoot-hoot of an owl was answered nearby followed by the rush of wings swooping down and talons snatching the cap from his head.  He dove to the damp ground, disturbing the moldering leaves to release their pungent odor of decay.  Fear overcame sense as he sprang to his feet, dashing directly into the drooping moss-covered branches of an ancient tree which enfolded him in springing, clinging, hairy arms.

The stone marker beside the road reads, "Here lies poor Ichabod, dead of fright."

U-turn for a Longhorn

Okay, I admit it; we stopped, turned around and drove back to take a few pictures of the Longhorns.  They were some impressive specimens of the breed and the one above was displaying an almost perfect classic set of horns.  I would bet they end up on someone's wall one of these days.  For now, though, they create a challenge for this old boy to move around among the trees.

This animal is carrying quite a bit of age to have horns of that size.  They also appear to have been trained.  Many raisers of Longhorn cattle will use horn weights to influence the growth pattern over time.  Completely natural growth can be a little more unpredictable with some turning down, or maybe they just aren't symmetrical.  The ones on this old steer are almost perfect.

When I think of Longhorns I see them in my mind on the trail up through the Plains where there isn't much in the way of natural obstacles for them to maneuver around except the occasional muddy river or, creek.  In this part of Texas, and down in the central and southern parts of the state where the trail drives originated, there was lots of brush, cactus, trees, rocks and other natural impediments to their travel.  They had to be constantly aware of the width of those ornaments in order to navigate effectively.  Yeah, it seems like a simple thing, but I hadn't really thought about it.

I find myself struggling through the woods and I'm not nearly as wide as those massive horns although I'm certainly wider than I once was.  I'm surprised he doesn't have a few tree branches hung on them that he likely tore off while passing through the brush.

I suppose this post isn't particularly deep, but sometimes I just need to record my meager thoughts in order to preserve them for the next time I forget.  Who knows, I might decide to plow into creating a novel about a cattle drive some day and need to recall this thought!  Well, maybe a short story is more likely.  Umm, a vignette?  I may have to be satisfied with this blog post that will perhaps aid some other writer who has more ambition.

I am happy we turned around.

Pink Flowering Dogwood

We are finally getting some fall colors around here.  This is a pink flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) that is in our front yard.  It is one of my favorite trees because of the flowers in the spring and the deep red leaves and bright red seed clusters in the fall.

I have often wondered how the dogwood got its name and find it is thought to originate from its use in treating dogs with mange.  The wood is dense and very hard and has been used for making golf clubs among other things.  There aren't many wooden shafted golf clubs around anymore.

Where we live is on the western edge of the range of native dogwood trees.  There are a few scattered throughout the woods in our area.  Most of the wild ones seem to be of the white variety.  Often, there are wild dogwoods alongside wild redbud trees which create nice splashes of color as you travel through in early spring.

Growing up in an area with few trees, I probably have a greater appreciation for them than most people around here.  Trees around here are about like weeds at home (hmmm...I guess I still think of the Texas Panhandle as home); if you give them any space, they will take over.  We constantly must  monitor our flowerbeds for seedling trees growing in them.  If you don't pull them when they are small, they quickly become large problems.  Many people who don't deal with them in a timely manner find cracked foundations and damage to their homes from trees sprouting near them.

I suppose most people take such things for granted, but it is interesting to me because of my early years without many trees.  Maybe in my old age it just doesn't take much to keep me entertained....

A Beautiful Invader

Through numerous Spring hikes in the woods over the last few years I have noticed a handful of beautiful flowering trees.  For some time I have been trying to figure out what they were.  A couple of weeks ago we were walking through an area where we rarely visit due to its inaccessibility and came across the tree in the image above.  Upon doing some research, I found it is a wild pear tree, or Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana) which is native to China and Vietnam.

So, how did a species native to the other side of the world end up in the woods of Northeast Texas?  It is a "cropout" or, native stock from which the Bradford Pear, which is so common as an ornamental, descended.  It is an invasive species that is now becoming established in many parts of the country.

It is likely that birds are the culprit for spreading these trees into the environment of this part of the world.  The fruit provides food for them in the fall and after passing through the alimentary canal, the seeds are left across the countryside in a pile of nitrogen-rich fertilizer where they can germinate and grow.

I enjoy seeing flowering trees in the woods but, would prefer they be native to the landscape.  It may be that this is a case where the invasive species is ultimately beneficial, but it is just one more instance of unintended consequences.

Just a Tree

Sometimes in this part of the world, off in the distance, you hear a crashing sound.  When that happens, you know a tree, or at least a large branch, has fallen.

I didn't attempt to step off the length of this tree, but I would guess it was in the 80 to 100 foot category.  It appears to be a Water Oak (Quercus nigra) that was growing in the flat bottom land near one of the creeks that cross our place.  For perspective, I stuck a shovel in the ground near the roots in order to give some idea of the size (middle image).

There is a lot of good lumber in this fallen giant that will never be harvested simply because of location.  There really isn't a way to get to it without a major road-building project.  I'm sure that is the reason it is there in the first place; it and many others like it are isolated and difficult to reach so they have been undisturbed for many years.

Near this "small" tree are a number of native pecan trees which dwarf this one.  They are massive, with long, straight trunks that reach many feet before branching.  The canopy of the many trees in this area is such that the young trees grow straight up in their quest for light.  That condition is ideal for producing quality lumber.

It's too bad the lumber from this fallen tree will never be harvested for building material.  It would make a large quantity of long, straight boards that could be used for furniture or cabinetry.

Although not recommended as an ornamental, we transplanted a small seedling of Water Oak yesterday in honor of this one.  It came from near where its giant cousin had fallen.

Plant a Tree, Leave a Legacy

Everywhere we have lived -- unless renting -- we have planted trees.  Yes, we have moved quite a bit through the years and it has amounted to a lot of trees.  I suppose our proclivity toward planting them goes back to having grown up on the Texas High Plains where the only trees were those either planted by, or, descended from those planted by the residents.

This small tree (about 4 1/2 feet tall) now stands in our back yard as a replacement for one which we had to take out a couple of years ago.  Its predecessor was a Willow Oak (Quercus phelos) which was over 100 years old and 60 inches in diameter.  It was home to numerous squirrels and literally covered our entire backyard.

The tree in the photo is a transplant from our land out north of town which lies on Horse Pen Creek which is a tributary to White Oak Creek.  You guessed it, this is a White Oak (Quercus alba) which I thought appropriate.  It is a bit more tattered and torn than you would find if you were able to purchase one at a nursery.  The trouble is that White Oaks aren't usually a commonly stocked tree at nurseries because they aren't typically used for landscaping.  They tend to be slow growing and become extremely large over time.  There are documented instances of White Oak trees living up to 450 years; that's a long time to sequester carbon!

The White Oak produces beautiful wood and is commonly used for furniture, cabinetry and barrels.  White Oak has long been used for making wooden barrels.  It is sometimes told that Elijah Craig, a Baptist Minister, was the first to create Bourbon Whiskey in the late 1700's.  He had a small distillery which utilized white oak casks for storing his product.  A fire swept through his cooperage and left a charred ruin.  Being the frugal entrepreneur, he decided to utilize the charred kegs which imparted a reddish color to the stored product and Bourbon Whiskey was born.  There are other stories of the origin of the product, but the Baptist background provides an interesting twist and the legend has remained and is embodied in a product that bears his name.  I'm not advocating, or advertising, merely reporting the connections.

Trees, like history, are viewed in years.  When you plant a tree, you plant for future generations.  Through the years, we have sometimes had occasion to pass by a previous residence where we planted trees simply to see how they have grown.  Some have died, but others tower far above their humble beginnings.  They provide haven for birds and shade for children.  They break the howling winds and in a few locations, catch tumbleweeds.

Planting trees is a way to mark your place in history -- at least temporarily if you view it on a cosmic scale.  I appreciate those who left the trees behind which offer shade today.  Perhaps someone in the future will look at this White Oak and take a moment to reflect on those who planted it.

Trees, Trees, Trees!

We fight a constant battle with trees in our part of the world.  This is a seedling American Elm tree peeking through the grass on our place.  The elm are spread by wind.

Here we see a small pecan tree.  Birds and a few other animals such as squirrels spread pecan trees.  Squirrels will gather the nuts and bury them for later consumption.  Time in the soil softens the hard outer shell and makes it easier for them to get at the meat.

This appears to be another pecan.  These are native varieties and the nuts are small.  There are a number of very large ones on our place.  Water washing across the land can also spread pecans.

This looks to be a Redbud Tree.  The small seeds of the Redbud are spread by birds.  The seeds need the scarification action of the acids in the bird's alimentary tract in order to germinate.  Otherwise, they are just a hard, round bee-bee of a seed that will sit for many years before germination.

We have a constant battle with trees.  Generally, in our part of Northeast Texas, if land is left fallow for a few years it will become overgrown with trees.  One of the most common colonizing trees we have to deal with is the Honey Locust.  I didn't take a photo of any yesterday when I was out scouting the pasture, mainly because this year's seedlings are already from 1 to 3 feet tall.  They are very obvious.

The ideal way to deal with the encroachment of trees is with fire.  It is the way the American Indians dealt with them.  It is the way nature deals with them.  Now, in this modern time it seems we have become "smarter" than either nature or the earliest Americans; we think fire is something to prevent.  Because we no longer use fire as a management tool, our forests are full of dead, fallen limbs and trees and our open grasslands are being invaded by colonizing trees.

We hear a lot about the need to retain our forests as a means of capturing and storing carbon.  They are part of the equation, but only one aspect of it.  Forests, just like any other concentration of vegetation, are constantly dying and renewing.  That process releases carbon through decay which is then re-captured through growth.  The same happens in grasslands.  The same happens in animals.  Read about the Carbon Cycle.

In our part of the world it is difficult to do a controlled burn of pasture due to the bottomland forests which surround us.  The fuel load in some of those forests is so large that the fires would burn for weeks and be extremely hot.  Ideally, fire should occur periodically -- even in those bottomland forests.  It would clear out much of the dead, fallen limbs on a regular basis and allow a natural succession of hardwoods to take place.  Instead, the woods are full of fallen timber which washes into the streams during heavy rains, causing damming to occur which leads to the streams escaping their banks and eroding new channels.  It also cause the water to back up and flood many acres that would otherwise quickly clear of water.

There is much talk of how agriculture has changed land use practices.  That is true, but only part of the story.  One of the greater issues is how man has changed the natural cycle of fire and renewal.  Now, about the only way to effectively control the colonizing trees in areas such as the open meadows of our land which are crucial for wildlife, is through chemical or, mechanical means.  Chemical means risk exposure of animals to substances that may have temporary harmful effects.  Their use can impact the diversity of species on a localized basis -- even if it doesn't directly harm them, their presence seems to discourage some from utilizing the land resources.  Mechanical means are typically only marginally effective and there is often re-growth.

If you read about the Carbon Cycle in the link above, you will find that it points to the burning of fossil fuels as the single biggest cause of excessive carbon in the atmosphere which many claim is the reason for global warming.  It also refers to land use practices -- particularly by agriculture.  Here is where I take some exception; I suspect the "viral" spread of urban and suburban areas with the concomitant use of concrete and asphalt is a bigger issue.  It not only changes reflectivity of the land, it changes water runoff patterns and contributes to flooding issues.  Folks are concerned about burning the rainforests of Brazil, but I'm more concerned about the spread of urban areas.  I hate the loss of biodiversity in those lost forests, but I know they will be replaced by plant life that is part of the natural carbon cycle.  Land taken for houses, highways and parking lots will likely remain in those uses as long as mankind occupies this planet.  We need to seriously re-think our cities and surrounding suburban areas.

Sigh, I suppose I got on my soapbox a bit this morning.  

Treating Symptoms, Finding Cures

One of the things that attracted us to the house in which we currently live was a huge Willow Oak tree that filled the backyard.  I've no idea how tall it was, but its canopy spread over the yard in such a way that there was very little area not shaded.  It made a tremendous difference in the temperatures during the summer and there were few days that were not bearable in the backyard simply because of that tree.

Shortly after moving into the house we began to experience falling tree limbs.  I'm not talking about the small bits and pieces you find on the lawn that simply require picking up and disposal, I'm referring to fairly large limbs that require cutting up with a chain saw before they can be moved.  The photo above is of the first one that did any real damage.  It is difficult to estimate from the photo, but it was about 4 inches in diameter at the base and around 10 to 12 feet in length.  When it fell, we were sitting in the living room and it sounded like someone had lobbed a grenade at us.

There was no apparent reason for the limb to break off and fall.  It appeared to be perfectly healthy.

As time went on, more limbs fell; some larger and some smaller.  The worst was a massive piece, larger than most trees, which fell onto the garage, punching half a dozen holes through the roof.  To give some perspective, at the base of it, my 16" bar chain saw would not reach across it to cut it up.  I measured the longest piece protruding into the work room at the back of the garage and it was over 10 feet long -- that was after the smaller pieces were stripped off as it went through the roof!

Again, there was no apparent reason for the limb to fall.  I decided it was a combination of old age, a few minor spots of disease, but most of all, the tree was so massive that when filled with water, the limbs became too heavy to maintain structural integrity and simply broke from their own weight.  I became tired of patching roofs and decided the tree must come down -- which it did -- several thousand dollars later.

For some reason, I woke up thinking about that tree.  In a way, it symbolizes how we spend lots of time, energy and money addressing symptoms while ignoring the root causes of a problem.  We put bandaids on the cut, but fail to wear protective clothing the next time we are dealing with thorns.  We don't find a cure for the headaches, we just take aspirin to alleviate the immediate pain.  Okay, I've belabored that point a bit, but you get the picture.  We treat the symptom and avoid the cure.

Sometimes the cure is expensive.  It requires taking out the beautiful tree that provides shade and cooler temperatures to the back yard.  The cost is real.  The question I had to face was one of a slow trickle of expense and labor over years with the risk of a catastrophic event such as a limb crashing down and taking out a large portion of the roof, or the sizable, but manageable, expense of removing the tree.

It was a hard choice and I miss that tree.  Did I mention that if I stood and embraced the tree, my arms would not reach half way around it at chest height?  When removed, the stump was over 5 feet in diameter and the rings indicated the tree was about 120 years old.  It was a sad day, but I haven't had to patch the roof a single time since.

This post goes back to some of the time management commentaries I have made previously.  The urgent issue was dealing with a limb when it fell.  The important issue was figuring out why they were falling and addressing that problem.  Once the cause was determined and a cure effected, the urgent issue of falling limbs was no longer adding to my "to do" list.  I suspect we all have similar things in our lives that need a cure.

Ties That Bind

In between the earth and space
There stands an organism
That ties the two together.

With arms that stretch toward the sky
It seeks the sun's vast energy
And scours the air for molecules

While sending deep into the earth
Its toes to drink the moisture there
And mine for needed minerals.

Upon its limbs in summer garb
Are tiny engines made to capture
Light that falls upon them.

That light excites the cells to bind
The carbon waste of others
And free the oxygen of life

To be breathed by those who need
This catalyst for their vital function.
It stores the carbon in itself

In fibrous growth that help it stand
Against the storms and winds
And ravages that assail

To give it strength which makes
It valued by the builder for
Shelter and other usefulness.

It breaks the earth with its strong feet
Allowing microbes to enter there
And further free the needed wealth

Of minerals contained therein
Which enrich the lives of smaller plants
That need such nutrition

To then be used by beings
Higher still to create the cycle
Until decomposed they fill the earth again.

A tree
Is key.

Surviving the Storms

There is an interesting tree growing down in the woods on our place -- well, there are many interesting trees, but this one is uniquely twisted and gnarled.  It isn't a large tree, but it has obviously had a few challenges to overcome during its life.  I would love to know its story.

It is near an old cattle trail that winds through the woods.  I suspect it was stepped on by a cow and broken when it was only a young shoot rising through the leaf litter and other debris on the ground.  

It may even have been broken multiple times by the look of it as it twists and turns on a tortuous path before rising toward the scant sunlight breaking through the larger trees which overhang the trail.

It is a Bois d'Arc tree.  Bois d'Arc, also known as Osage Orange, or Post Trees are fairly common in our area and known for their hardiness.  Early construction laws required that homes be built on a pier and beam foundation which used Bois d'Arc for the piers since they are extremely resistant to insect damage.

I have pulled old Bois d'Arc fence posts from the ground that were likely put in over 50 years previously.  They show surface damage from tunneling beetles and other insects, but if you cut them in cross-section, the inside is still a bright yellow and completely undamaged other than a gray ring around the outside surface that might penetrate 1/8 to 1/4 inch.

The trees themselves, while green and growing, have a strong springy quality that is said to have inspired the name which I understand comes from early French explorers who noted its quality for making hunting bows.  Many of the Plains tribes used the wood for that very purpose.  It is extremely durable.

The Bois d'Arc is a thorny tree.  The short, thin spines seem to reach out and grab you if you are close to the trees.  They also bear large green fruit which fall to the ground and are eaten by a few animals.  I have seen cows chew on them for extended periods and froth at the mouth from the process.  Hogs, squirrels and other small animals will eat them although they don't seem to be a preferred food of any species.

The Bois d'Arc is a survivor.  I have cut them down frequently only to see them grow back quickly.  They are survivors.  They aren't usually aesthetically pleasing, but they endure.

I suppose I see a certain beauty in them though.  I admire their tenacity, if you could ascribe such a trait to a tree.  They are tough, they are prickly and they endure.  I know a few people like that.  Sometimes I think that's the best kind of person to be -- one who endures the pain and troubles and manages to survive.  They carry lots of scars, but oh, the stories they could tell....

Trees, Birds and the Heat

We have a number of different trees on our place -- all planted.  Nothing native.  Oh, there are no trees native to the Texas Panhandle.  It's no wonder in a year like this.  Nothing can survive without supplemental care.

It has been a challenge keeping enough water on my trees this year so, I was out this morning giving them a drink before the heat became unbearable.  I decided to call it good at 11:00 a.m. when the temperature hit 99.3.  I figured that's warm enough.  Besides, they all got a drink that needed the extra.  It's expected to hit as high as 108 today.  Yuck.

A few weeks ago -- back when it wouldn't hit 100 until around 4:00 p.m. -- I built berms around my pine trees so it would be easier to get extra water to them.  Here's a photo:

Notice how dry the pasture is around it and in the distance.  Not much green until you hit town in the distance where there are trees growing.

But, in reality, I guess I do have a few trees on the place that weren't planted by me or the previous owner.  The birds plant them.  Here's a photo:

This is a Russian Olive.  They are considered a nuisance tree by most people.  However, I like the way they look, they are hardy and they help form a good windbreak.  Notice how this one is growing in the fence row.  It's because that's where the bird sat that planted it.  These trees are great for wildlife because of the small, hard olives that they bear.

The birds eat the olives.  The passage of the seed through the acids in their alimentary canal softens the coat so that, given adequate water and soil, it will sprout and grow another generation. 

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" __ Matthew 6:26

Kinda cool huh!

Chris

Football, Travel and Fall Colors

I just watched Texas Tech pull out a win against Texas. It was quite a game. It was exciting to the last second on the clock. It's too bad the Aggies aren't having such a good season but they did beat Colorado today.

Tomorrow I'm headed for the DFW area for the Texas Cattle Feeders Convention. It will be held at the Opryland Hotel on Lake Grapevine. From there I will head home on Tuesday to spend the night in my own bed before heading to Colorado Springs on Wednesday for the Beef Summit. It will be lots of travel from now through mid-December. But, I guess it's been lots of travel for the last few weeks.

The weather here has been nearly perfect for the last few days and is expected to be the same for the next week or so. The high temps have been in the low 80's and the lows have been in 40's and 50's. It has been great for creating good color in the trees. The red oaks below are in our front yard.

Trees and Terrorism

I've been working to completely re-do my lawn this spring. During the tilling process, I came across lots of tree roots. Normally that wouldn't be especially out of the ordinary, except that the trees on our place are all fairly young and some of the roots were at great distances from the trees to which they belonged. The worst culprits were the honey locusts. It got me to thinking about terrorism.



Ok, why terrorism? Because the honey locust tree is the perfect illustration of terrorism. I will attempt to explain.


The part of the tree that is above ground is what we see. It is the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. The trunk is al Qaeda and the branches are the various groups aligned with them. The leaves are the specific terror cells associated with each group. They are all tied together -- part of the same organism.

The part of the tree that is below the ground is the real problem. It continues to feed the tree even if some of the branches are cut off. If we succeed in felling the tree in Afghanistan and Iraq, because of its nature (just like a honey locust), it will spring up elsewhere from the roots, or from the stump. This will continue to happen as long as there is life left in the roots.


The roots draw sustenance from a huge area. They reach into the Islamic countries of the Middle East. They reach into the banking havens of Europe, Latin America, and various islands. They reach into the drug trade (opium, heroin). They tap resources that we don't even know about yet. At any point along the course of the roots, a new tree can spring up. (On a honey locust it is commonly called a "sucker.")


If the tree is allowed to seed, the seeds drift on the wind to points long distances from the original tree. This would be terror cells planted throughout the globe such as the ones recently captured in the U.S. and England.


So, how do we destroy terrorism? We attack it everywhere it raises its head in order to cause it to use up its resources. But at the same time, we must attack it at the roots. For the groups associated with al Qaeda, we must "root out" the Islamofascist brainwashing that is occurring throughout the Muslim world. I personally do not believe this will ever be accomplished as long as Islam exists.


Terrorism in the world is like sin. We see it all around us. We see it in our own lives. We fight it daily. The problem is, that it is deeply rooted in this world and in our human nature. It entered the human race in the very beginning with the first human and has been part of this world ever since. The only way to overcome it is to transcend our humanity -- to overcome the world.

"Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."
__ 1 John 5:5

An Easter Spell

Just when you think
That Spring has arrived
You'd better start thinking again.
'Cause even though trees are blooming
And birds are singing
And wildflowers are raising their heads,
Until after Easter there's always a chance
That winter will make a return.
It's been a few years since we've seen such a spring
But there isn't a doubt that this year
Winter must have left something behind
Because it's returning in full gear.
The temperature is dropping
And the moisture is falling
And the wind's picking up from the north.
The weatherman's saying the chances are high
That a serious storm's drawing nigh.
The flakes should start falling
Sometime after Midnight;
Expect them to cover the ground.
We might get as much as six or eight inches
Of white stuff by the time Easter morn comes around.
I hope it doesn't kill my trees!

Rain

I love to hear the rain.
It is like a thin sheet of tin rattling
As it peppers the windows,
The skylights,
The sidewalk.
The low sound of thunder
(The "potato wagon turning over"
Of my youth) brings a promise
Of violence
Or of renewal
Or both,
As it slowly grows closer.
It is spring.
Officially.
In reality.
As the trees bloom
And the leaves unfold
And I sneeze
From the whiff of pollen on the air.

Signs of Spring

There are definite signs of spring beginning to show. This morning I noticed the buds on my hybrid poplar trees were swollen and ready to open. The temperatures have been starting to reach into the high 70's during the day and some nights are staying above freezing. Some of the late winter weeds are beginning to show themselves. Today, as I drove across the Panhandle, I noticed that most of the geese had already moved north. There were very few left on the playas or in the corn fields.

The farmers are beginning to show signs of wanting to get into the fields and plow. I've seen a couple of tractors working the ground this week. There's always someone who wants to be the first to get the soil ready for planting. I guess it's time. In just a few short weeks they will be running full time to prepare the soil for the seed.

Spring Break from school is only a couple of weeks away. The kids are getting excited about what they will do and where they will go. I find it humorous that some families will use it as a last opportunity to go to the mountains to do some skiing. I'd rather go south where the flowers are starting to bloom, the days are warm, and the fish are ready to be caught.

Winter isn't over. We'll likely have a few more cold spells before spring truly arrives, but it is nice to feel the hint of it in the air. I'm sure the "hollyacademedia" will say that it is too warm, too early and that it is a sign that global warming is upon us. I suspect that it is just the natural rhythm and cycle of the earth.

Someone today told me that one of their greatest fears was global warming. They also thought we needed to get out of Iraq. Isn't that a sign of backward thinking? They are terrified of something that is a slim possibility for the distant future, but oppose proactively preventing terrorism on our soil (by attacking it at the root) which is a much more likely immediate threat if left unchecked. How did the people in this country get so confused? It would take volumes to address that question.

I think for now, I'll think about the coming spring.

Gardening Catalogs

The gardening catalogs are coming fast and thick now. I think they're trying to tell us that spring is just around the corner.

I'm always amazed at myself when they start to come because I dig through them like a prospector looking for gold! I think about all the things that I want to plant this year. Maybe I should expand my garden. I could add a couple of more rows.

I'll have to put up a better fence around it this year. The one last year barely slowed the rabbits down. By the time summer was over, they'd found a half-dozen places to squeeze under it. I started to feel a bit like Mr. McGregor!

Oh, and look at the trees. Wouldn't it be neat to order a couple of more trees. I'm sure I could find a good place to plant them. There's plenty of room in the back. Yes, I know we planted over forty trees last year, but you can never have enough trees.

We could add a couple of grapevines and maybe some berries of some kind. And wouldn't it be nice to have a butterfly garden out by the gate. People driving by could see the flowers and the butterflies and stop to take pictures. Speaking of the gate, I think we need a few bushes out by the gate. Something that would make it more of an "entryway" into our little world.

I sure hope this mood passes quickly. If it doesn't I'm in for a lot of work!