Tree down!

It’s been busy around here! While sitting at the breakfast table the morning after my last post, I heard a LOUD crash. I knew it was a tree falling, and when I looked out, I saw that a huge red oak had fallen across the little brook, across the road, and halfway across the meadow.

I was worried it had taken down two of my pawpaw trees. I pulled on my boots, grabbed my loppers, and headed into the meadow to inspect the damage. After some lopping, I was delighted to discover that the large pawpaw (the one that has borne fruit for the past two years) was relatively undamaged. However, I couldn’t find the smaller one and decided to wait after I heard some branches groaning. The crown of the tree was enormous, as you can see from this photo taken later in the day.

I worked on getting someone to remove the tree, then headed out for my walk. I was planning to crawl over the tree trunk until I realized that it was covered in poison ivy! I detoured into the woods to get around the tree and saw that it had pulled down a small white pine, a wild cherry, and a box elder when it fell.

Some folks came that afternoon and got the road cleared. One of them helped me look for the other pawpaw, which I finally found—a bit damaged but not broken!

The deer and turkeys didn’t like all the commotion, but they showed up to eat after the workers left. The tom turkeys are still strutting and gobbling, although not nearly as much as earlier. I think the hens are nesting; when I came up the road this week, a hen crossed in front of me, followed by about eight poults. (Maybe I’ll have photos of the turkey families soon.)

And I should have fawn photos before too long, too. It looks as though some of the does are nursing fawns somewhere in the woods, while others are still pregnant.

I’m accustomed to seeing turkeys and other birds in the driveway under the feeder that is strung about 12′ in the air, but I was not ready to see this visitor! I heard the “warning” chimes on the feeder line while I was still in bed one morning and thought it was a squirrel. What a surprise when I saw a bear on standing up, trying to reach the feeder! Somehow he’d already bent a grapevine post and could almost reach the lowered feeder, but I was able to shoo him off (from the safety of the deck) (watch!) before he got any seed. Now I bring that feeder in at night, too, along with the hummingbird feeders and a feeder off the patio.

I continue to see other critters around the house and on my rambles.

Well, this critter is tired now, and cats and chores beckon. Maybe the next post won’t be so exciting; I guess we’ll all have to wait and see!