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Heaps Of Black Walnuts And Winter
There are many, many Black Walnuts (Juglans nigra) falling to the ground here in my neighborhood, up and down the mountain. More than I’ve ever seen on the ground at once. Folklore says that when there is a mast year of Black Walnuts we will be having a hard winter. Hmmm. Could that mean lots…
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Maple Leaves In Autumn
From today. Red Maple (Acer rubrum) That common name, Red Maple. It’s one of many common names. So confusing. Why don’t we just learn the scientific name and avoid all the confusion. I wish it would happen, but dream on. But that common name of Red Maple says a lot about the tree. It starts…
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Abloom With Asters
The calendar says it is autumn and that means there are Asters blooming all along the trails up here in the mountains. They are ubiquitous. These, White Wood Asters (Eurybia divaricata). So many. It’s hard to get my head around them all. I’m working on it. Needle-like leaves. Heart shaped leaves. White, like these but…
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Red Berries Red Leaves
Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida). Leaves that, in a subtle way, start to turn from green to red in late June. You have to look and be very aware. It is indeed quite a minuscule change at first. After all it takes months to reach this point of rich red. And those berries. The ultimate scarlet.…
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Jack-O-Lantern Season
Jack-O-Lantern Mushroom (Omphalotus illudens) Maybe not the Jack-O-Lantern that first comes to mind. This one is a fungus. And a mushroom that is toxic to humans whether they are eaten cooked or raw. This one can easily be confused with edible Chanterelles. Don’t eat the Jack-O-Lantern Mushrooms! This mushroom has a faint glow in the dark,…
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American Dagger Moth Caterpillar
American Dagger Moth Caterpillar (Acronicta americana). There is a long list of host plants of the American Dagger Moth, Box Elder, Maple, and Oak are three of many. One of those caterpillars that can cause a skin irritation. No venom involved but it can cause that skin irritation. Unless you like a painful or itchy…
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The Pumpkin Patch
There is a very important tradition in this family. Go to a pumpkin patch before Halloween to pick out a pumpkin. A most difficult decision when there are so many to chose from. But nobody said just ONE! Choosing one would be an impossible task. There are so many colors. And surely color is my…
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Fat Bear Week
Fat Bear Week is celebrated in Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska from October 4 to 10 in 2023. The competition is between the Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) that live in that park. And all Grizzly Bears are Brown Bears. But Grizzly Bears are considered to be a separate subspecies (Ursus arctos horribilis). The…