Goodbye for now

Well,  today I decided to discontinue my blog posts for the foreseeable future.  I would like to express my gratitude to those who read my blog and I hope you enjoyed walking along with my dog and me each day. For the past few months blog writing has provided a needed break from my regular writing.  Now fully rested it is time for me to resume my previous struggles with blank pages and nebulous ideas which may result in a book or two someday.

I also wanted to express my thanks to Google which provided me an opportunity to write for public consumption on a global scale.  

Thank you,

Dog walker Johnny.

P.S. 
If you would like to contact me with questions about one of these blogs you can reach me directly by my email address which is located in my full profile.

The mystery of Pigs

No sign of pig tracks he

Sunday morning the weather was very warm again when the dog and I started down to the Pig Farm.  The temperature was in the low 60's and the humidity was very high due to the south wind.  Our purpose on Sunday was to see if we could find any evidence that the pigs we had noted on Saturday may have walked down the pig farm road.  When we arrived at the end of the road I searched the ground for signs and found nothing but dog tracks.  My thought is that the pigs are avoiding this area due to it's proximity humans who have houses up the road.  The new barbed wire fences the owner of the property has installed may very well have something to do with my not seeing the pig's tracks there.  I don't think the pigs want to go under the wire especially if they have little ones. We walked around in the woods a little and found nothing really out of the ordinary.

Four trees grow too close to walk between.

I did notice a patch of 4 trees growing very close to one another.  The lack of space between these different species of trees is probably due to the way their seeds are dispersed by squirrels and birds in a random manner on the forest floor.  With no human there to cull the trees when they grow in this Robinson Crusoe tree fortress style.

The Red Maple's last hurrah.

 While we ambled back toward home and I thought about a cup of coffee I suddenly noticed some very red Maple tree leaves.  They were so red and so accessible at the roadside that I had to photograph them.   The red maples in the woods of Grand Bay have now gone from green to yellow and now red as the leaves prepare to fall.   The Red Maples around here like to be in the woods with other trees.  I had one in the middle of my front yard that struggled with disease for years until it finally succumbed.   I think they do best as an understory tree out of the blazing summer sun.  I think if I was a tree that is where I would want to be also.  Thanks for reading my blog today.  Bye.  

Two old friends come to visit

No rain yet but it's coming soon. 

Saturday morning it was actually warmer outside my home than inside.  The temperature had increased during the night and was 70 degrees when I stepped outside.  The light south wind blowing warm moist air up from the Gulf of Mexico was creating a very balmy December day.  The dog and I decided to walk across the pecan orchard to an area of bottom land that drains the new pond on the other side of the dirt road.

Wild Onions are very green. 

The Wild Onions are here.

As we went I noticed that the wild Onions are starting to come up under the pecan trees.  These Onions are prolific and self propagating.  By mid winter the areas around the pecan trees will be furry green as a result of their large numbers.  They have a very strong smell and a taste similar to chives.  Don't get their sap on your hands or you will smell like wild Onions all day.

The area where the pigs exit the woods.

 We made it down to the bottom of the drainage and walked around a bit.  I noticed the ground had be disturbed in several areas where it was wet.   A closer examination showed that the Feral Pigs have made their first trip out of the woods to root for tubers in the mud.  I had been wondering when I would see evidence of them this year as there are no pecans for them to root after.

I found one pig foot print in the mud.

My guess is that they passed through the thick woods to the south and came up the drainage following the scent of the tubers in the mud.  I have decided to plan an overnight excursion to the area in hopes of getting a look at the group of pigs in question.  Night time wildlife photography is tricky so I will have to think about it.  Once again I will let you know how it goes.  Thanks for reading my blog today.  Bye.

The last of the firewood dogs

We wave goodbye to our beautiful sunny days for a while. 

Changing would have been the word I would have used to describe the weather on Friday morning.  The temperature was rising from around freezing and was 37 degrees when the dog and I began our walk.  The humidity was in the upper 80 percent range and was rising.  Rainy weather was on it's way to Grand Bay again and would be here soon.  I decided to walk down into the woods behind my neighbor's unoccupied home for a change of pace.  As we crossed the untended pecan orchard behind the home I noticed that all was quiet
there.

The blue sky saves the day.

Now that the grass and trees in the orchard have taken on the colors of fall a small slice of blue sky was all that was able to break the somber monotony of the scene.   The Cogongrass is beginning to lie down in mats across the field after being killed by the recent frosts.  The field rats and mice and other small animals are probably making dry nests under the grass for the winter where they will give birth to their young.  Under the dry grass the animals have built a world of their own, the vastness of which would most likely scare the average person if they knew it was so near their homes.  We continued on into the woods where the dog found a big stick to carry.   Once he finds a stick to take home his attitude about walking changes.  He thinks that as he has found what he came for it is time to go home.  He starts back home but when he finds I am not following he returns and looks at me with an expression that seems to say" Alright I got my stick, come on lets go home!".

As a kid I always imagined a possum was living in
all hollow trees.  

On this day I was not acquiescing to his requests and instead I wanted to look at a living hollow tree that  stands near the end of the trail.   This was a small oak tree that may have suffered from an attack from a fungus or insects and has managed to stay alive though much of the trunk has rotted away.   I am always interested in what is inside these hollow trees so I attempted some photography with the IPhone.  It is hard to get a shot inside the tree because of the widely varying light conditions at the opening.

The scary inside of a hollow tree.

I did manage to get a photo of the inside by leaning against the opening to cover it and then snapping the photo.  I had to lock the focus and exposure on the IPhone to get this photo in case you are wondering.  There are several other hollow trees in the area and I will be trying to perfect my photography skills on them as well.  I headed back out of the woods up to the yard of the unoccupied home and found the dog happily chewing on the big stick he had found.  When he saw me coming he started for home where he would add his new stick to the devastated collection which I burned last weekend while trimming some of the banana trees.  It was a wonderful fire which lasted well into the dark of the evening.

I believe I now know what breed my dog is.  He is a firewood dog.  A product of years of careful breeding.   However since the breed only collects one or two pieces of firewood a day I think I may also see why this branch of the family has nearly died out.  The firewood dog's owners most likely froze to death and their was no one there to feed them and that was the end of the firewood dogs.  Now only one of the mighty firewood dogs remain to roam the earth or at least Grand Bay Alabama.   Thanks for putting up with my blog today.  Bye.

Asking a question can create a hole with no bottom

The bright sunlight brings cheer to even the most mundane scene.

On Thursday morning the temperature was 38 degrees and the humidity was at 68%.   There was very little wind blowing when the dog and I headed out to the west end of the dirt road.  The sun was shining bright in a beautiful blue sky making everything seem very cheerful and pleasant.
We stopped at the area where our neighbor was having a pond cleared over the past weekend to have a look a the final product.  There is a very deep  hole in the middle of the cleared area which will be the main body of the pond when the rain fills it.  It appears to be about 10 or 12 feet deep at that point.

A panorama of the newly dug pond.
Photo quality is poor.
I apologize for that.

 The man who was doing the dirt work told me that this would not be a true pond but instead would simply provide some relief from the water standing farther up the property near the owner's home.   I am interested as to what it will look like after the next big rain event.   Heavy periods of rain can happen in December but it is more likely the pond will have to wait for spring to be filled by rain.

A ferocious game playing dog
hides in the bushes.

We made it to the end of the road and turned to come back when the dog ran into a drainage area on the roadside and wanted to play one of his games with me.   He hid in the bushes and looked very menacingly at me through the leaves.  He was waiting for me to throw something into the bushes that he could go and find.   I used to throw rocks but I have stopped that and I now throw small sticks or limbs broken into pieces.  He loves chasing after anything that makes noise in the bushes.  I think it is the ambush predator instinct coming out in him.

The sun shines through the trees
making patterns on the road.

We continued through the tunnel of trees and the dappled sunlight striking the dirt road was creating the really pretty patterns that occur in this area each sunny morning.

The Japanese Climbing fern.  Invasive?

 As we made our way through I did notice a type of fern that grows here in the winter.
 It is the Japanese Climbing fern.  It is another of the introduced plants that are doing so well in our climate that they are considered invasive.  I identified the fern on the University of Florida's center for aquatic and invasive plants website which gives a good deal of information about how the plant was originally introduced.  I think it is a pretty nice looking plant and once again I never knew it's name or that it was considered invasive until today.

Once I had researched the fern and wrote this information about it being invasive I began to wonder when it is that a plant stops being invasive and starts being a native.  Sounds like a question for a botanist.  I just happen to know one so I will ask him.  I will give you the answer when I find out.  Thanks for reading my blog today. Stay warm.  Bye.

The broken sky repairs my spirit

The dog's body language says " Hurry up"

Wednesday morning the sky looked like a painted ceiling as the dog and I walked to the east on the paved road.  The temperature was 36 and the humidity was holding steady in the 80 percent range.  The dog was really happy about the cool temperature and was ready to run.   While he ran far ahead I walked along taking in the scenery along the roadside.  Most of the trees are now bare and ready for winter and the summer grasses have turned yellow after the freezes of the past few weeks.  Our recent bouts with cold weather are a taste of what is ahead for us at the end of the month of December when it can turn very cold, or at least it seems that way to me.    Usually at the end of December the temperature will begin dropping into the freezing zone each night and will with a few exceptions continue that way until the middle or end of February.  Nothing is certain with the weather here though and we may see record breaking warm temperatures on Christmas day and then have record below freezing temperatures after new years day.    At this time of year you never know what you will need to wear outside  so you need to have your summer and winter apparel always at the ready.

A more beautiful sky in Grand Bay I have not seen in a while.

 The dog and I made it to the east end of the road and stopped to look at the field where Zig-Zag the bull resides.  Zig-Zag now spends his day wandering around sampling the big wheels of hay that are scattered around the field.  I imagine some volunteer winter grasses will be coming up soon but until then he will have to eat the hay bails.  As I said earlier the sky was the main attraction of Wednesday's walk.   The high broken clouds were scattered in a thin layer across the brilliant blue sky in a way that reminded me of broken pottery.   As I write more and more of these daily blogs I am beginning to realize how many beautiful and peaceful mornings glide past and are lost forever with little more than a passing glance from us the occupiers of the planet.   I hope that what I write will give to the readers a sense of the miracle of the dawning day.   Please go out and enjoy it.  Bye.

But few mourners come when old timers fall

The trees on the left grow on a fence line that no longer exists.  

On Tuesday morning the big hand on the weather clock was moving back to cold again.  The dog and I walked south on the dirt road to the Pig Farm with a strong north wind blowing behind us.  The temperature had dropped from 60 degrees at midnight to 45 degrees when we left to go walking.  The humidity was in the 80 percent range.  The torn gray clouds blowing quickly to the south showed all the signs of clearing weather ahead in the day.

The massive tree that stood for 50+
years is now firewood.

As we walked down I stopped with the dog to look at a large Water Oak tree that has been cut to provide clearance for the power pole nearby.   The tree was massive at nearly 3 foot at it's base.

Disease is a problem for Water Oaks in the south. 

 The interior shows the dark areas which are signs of disease which eventually kills most Water Oaks in this area.  The tree grew on a fence line that once existed along this road before the pecan orchard was planted.  Before the orchard was planted the field was probably a pasture for cattle.

The stump measures nearly 3
feet across

 Based on my discussions with the property owner and the man who planted the orchard, I would imagine that the tree was in the neighborhood of 50 to 60 years old.    At one time I grew anxious when I saw trees being cut.  I thought there would soon be none left and we would live in  a desert.  My research into the history of the trees in Grand Bay show that trees here grow so fast that if we did not manage the trees all of our cleared areas would be primordial forests in a little more than 100 years.  You'll notice I wrote "manage the trees" not "cut all the trees down".  We are to be stewards of the earth not consumers of it.

The Pig Farm road in fall.

 We continued on down the road to the Pig Farm where things are looking pretty sad for the Kudzu vines growing there.

The Pig Farm road in Summer. 

 The frost has worked it's magic on the vines and they will decompose over the winter and allow all the understory plants to get fresh start in spring.   It is such a change from summer that I have included a photo of the road in summer to show the difference in the seasons.  The bleak scene is softened somewhat by the wild greens growing along the roadside.  The feral pigs if they are in the area should be showing up soon.  I look for their tracks in the red dirt of the road where they exit the woods.  They may not be coming up out of the woods this year as there are no pecans for them to root for in the pecan orchard.  If I see anything I will be sure to let you know.  Thanks for reading my blog today.  Stay warm.  Bye.

Cloudy days make you live longer

Cloudy days vs. sunny days, which is longer?

Although the weather on Monday morning was cloudy the relatively warm temperature of 57 degrees made the walking easy.  The  humidity was in the high 90s due to a southerly flow of air up from the Gulf of Mexico.   At this time of year the cloudy days can outnumber the sunny days or at least it appears that way.  Sometimes it seems to me that a day which remains overcast will drag on and on whereas a sunny day seems to slip away without notice.  This effect probably has something to do with not being able to see our Sun's position in the sky, or maybe it is just my imagination.

 The dog has been very chipper and healthy lately and has been enjoying his walks a good deal each day.  As I have said before cooler weather agrees with him.

Harvesting of the Turnip Greens
continues at a steady pace. 

We headed out and walked halfway up the paved road and stopped at the Turnip Green field.  The greens there are magnificent this year.  I am a garden oriented person and looking at these beautiful plants doing so well really inspires me to work in my own garden.

In this unharvested corner of the field the plants are
thriving in the cool fall weather. 

The plants are so big now that the dog almost disappears when he walks down the rows.  We turned and headed back toward our home and along the way noticed that the new home in the pecan orchard is close to being dried in.

The basic structure of the new home
is now recognizable.  That was quick.

I stopped and talked to the homeowner who was running some temporary plumbing from the new water well.   He too was struck with how fast the project was moving now that it has begun.   He told me he had a 90 foot water well drilled with a submersible pump installed at the bottom.  He felt that this would be more dependable than the surface installed jet pumps most homes use in this area.  I also received some information from the owner of the pecan orchard that the corner lot which had sold is now for sale again.  I have always like the corner and though I don't know how I could swing it, I would like to purchase it.  Miracles can happen.  I will put it on my pray list.  Thanks for reading my blog today.  Bye.

Sowing in tears

Nice day for a walk, a little cloudy though.

On Sunday morning when we walked through the gate the clouds were a solid gray canvas over our heads.  The dog and I decided to walk down to the east end of the paved road to have a look at how things are progressing into winter there.  The temperature was around 55 degrees and the humidity was very high at around 90 percent.   When the temperature and the humidity are at the noted points the conditions are really ideal for a walk.  A light jacket is all that is needed to keep you warm.

The dog checking soil conditions.

I noticed as we walked that the farmer who had the soybean field has now plowed and tilled the remains of the soybeans under.  He may plant what they call a tillage next to give the soil back some of it's nutrients for the next crop.   Although the field had two crops last year this is the first time since spring the field has been tilled.  I think the farmers in our area are now planting into the place of the previous crop without tilling the field.  It is called no till agriculture.  I imagine it keeps the soil in place and benefits the organisms that live in the soil.

The big thistle is doing well.  

We moved on and passed by the big Thistle plant that is growing in my neighbors front yard.   I am intending to take photos of it as it grows to show it's progress.  I hope he doesn't cut it down with the lawn mower.  Once we arrived at the end of the road we turned and headed home.  Sunday morning walks are leisurely affairs with a good deal of stopping to look at things.

After nearly two years waiting 
it is nearly banana time. 

Once home I took a photo of the bananas from my banana tree.  I have them stored in the garage to ripen.  They are beginning to turn yellow on the tips now.   The conditions in the garage are perfect for slow ripening of these type of bananas which I feel should ripen slowly as they would on the tree.

The dog desires to chase the cats but
he is trapped in a cage of his
own making. 

The dog and I took a ride up to the gas station to get some coffee and while there I parked near where some cats live in the hedges that surround the station.  These cats are semi feral and are fed by a customer who frequents the station.  The dog loves to bark at the cats. For some reason though he will not jump out of the truck , ever.  I have never done anything more than tell him to stay in the truck since I have had him and I guess he has built a mental wall at the truck bed that he cannot cross.  Since he will not jump out of the truck the cats feel free to taunt him.  One of them has even went so far as to walk over and jump up on the bumper while looking up at the dog who was barking furiously looking down at her.   If these cats that the dog hates so much will not make him jump from the truck then there is probably nothing that will.  Thanks for reading the blog today. Bye.

As the past burns brightly the future comes into view

Pine straw and leaves carpet the road side along our way home.

On Saturday morning the weather was overcast and balmy at 72 degrees with very high humidity.  At the present time our weather is stuck in a pattern that could last for a few days.  Cold air from Canada is trying to make it's way south to our area but is being blocked by warm air flowing up from the Gulf of Mexico to the eastern seaboard.  Our weather could remain like this for quite some time until the cold front is able to push on through.  As the dog and I walked on toward the west end of the dirt road we saw that the owner of the now dried up pond has hired some heavy equipment to assist in burning the debris from the clearing of the land.

Can I have on of those for Christmas?
Trackhoe digs a new pond.

 Last night the debris fires were so big that people were driving in from a few miles away to see what was burning.   This morning not much is left of the trees, stumps and brush that has been piled up there since early summer.  This morning the man operating the equipment had begun to dig out a fairly large area that will eventually form a very nice pond.  I am hoping it will attract a lot of wildlife from the surrounding woods.   We continued on our way and eventually reached the end of the road.

Beautiful Resurrection fern.

Here I saw a fern that is very common in this area and although I have seen this fern all my life I have only just learned the name it is called by. The web site Floridata.com indentifies it as Resurrection Fern.  This fern covers the limbs of old Live Oaks so that they appear carpeted in green.   The resurrection fern gets it's name from it's ability to dry up and practically disappear during dry periods then in a matter of hours reappear when a rain shower comes.   The ferns I saw were growing on the side of an oak tree in a hollowed out spot near the ground.  This location is not common for these ferns as they prefer to be up high where their seed like spores can be blown by the wind to other trees.  They apparently are not parasitic but are instead air plants that take their nutrients from the air and water vapor passing by the trees.   As a result of our stagnated weather pattern, it appears they will be able to get plenty of water vapor and mist over the next few days.  Well that's the way it goes here on the Gulf Coast.  Thanks for reading my blog and have a great day today.  Bye.

Closing in on the shortest day

The leafless pecan stands ready for it's winter rest.

Friday morning when the dog and I walked down to the east end of the paved road the weather was very warm for December.  The temperature was around 70 degrees and the humidity was high at 90 percent.  The weather was very unsettled.  The gray clouds were still moving quickly to the north but there was no surface wind to speak of.  The sun made an occasional appearance as a big silver disk hiding behind a thick layer of clouds.

Look closely to see the bashful sun.

 It is funny to me how flat the sun appears when most of it's brilliance is shielded by the clouds.  As we reached the end of the paved road the dog became anxious about heading home.  He has been fearful of this end of the road ever since "the electric fence incident".

Very colorful stinkbug larvae await
their further transformation.

I stopped only for a moment to take a look at the small orange stink bugs hanging out on the young Golden Rods growing at the road side. These seemingly innocent little bugs will eventually metamorphosis into the large leaf footed stink bugs that are the scourge of the spring and summer garden.   With the dog running ahead we started back toward our home.

The sand pear tree says
"hey wait for me"

I saw that a sand pear has made a nice showing of orange leaves this year.  The hard freeze we had a few days ago is bringing out fall leaf colors we are not treated to on a regular basis here in Grand Bay.  This tree makes a very large number of almost inedible pears that nearly pull the tree down in the spring.  The pears laying on the ground attract many different types of animals who mostly come at night to eat them.

Another lucky turtle escapes the
jaws of my dog.

As we continued in the direction of home the dog began to run around on the side of the road indicating he had caught the scent of something.  I looked in his direction and saw a turtle hiding in it's shell which the dog had not yet seen.   I pretended to take a photo of something ,which causes the dog to completely ignore me because he sees me doing it everyday, and walked to where the turtle was.  I while bending and pretending to take a photo of the ground I scooped up the turtle and whisked it to the other side of the road.  The dog never figured out what happened.  He followed the scent trail to the spot where the turtle was sitting and just looked totally confused as though he was thinking to himself " Ok it should be right here so where is it?"   While he went round and round on the other side of the road I snapped a photo of the turtle and tossed it into the bushes.

  Slowly but surely I am learning how the dog reacts to things I do and I am able to manipulate him without his knowledge.   I am almost sure the dog has his own list of manipulations he can impose upon me as well.  Which one of us will win this battle of wits? Only time will tell.  It may make for some interesting future reading.    Thanks for reading my blog today.   I hope you have a good day.  Bye.

Watching for winter's shifting front lines.

Angry clouds rush north to take part in a winter storm. 

On Thursday morning the dog and I took a short walk over into the yard of the unoccupied home down the road.  The dog love to run around in the yard looking for the squirrels and rabbits that play there when no one is looking. The weather on Thursday was very warm and humid with temperatures in the low 70's.  There were clouds rushing north out of the Gulf of Mexico and occasional patches of blue could be seen between them.  When we arrived in the neighbors yard we walked around to check all of the buildings and found everything secure.

"A rose by any other name would
smell as sweet"

I noticed that the rose I wrote about during the summer is still blooming and has two blooms showing now.  They are not the most beautiful blooms but they are very fragrant.

The Blueberries have very red leaves.

Nearby the summer's blueberry bushes are now putting on a show of color.  The leaves are bright red and orange.  The brightness of the color may be due to the recent below freezing weather.

Oxeye Daisy?  I can't be sure. 

As we left the yard and headed home I saw a small wild daisy that shows up at this time of the year. It has very fine petals and to me it resembles a fried egg.  I believe it is a version of the Oxeye daisy family but I have not been able to positively identify it as of yet.  This tiny little daisy puts up with a lot to grow on the bleak roadside in the winter time.  I have seen on the internet that some states consider it a noxious weed due to the fact that is will cause grazing milk cows to give bad tasting milk.  Well I don't feel there is any reason here to eradicate it so I will let it be.

A dozen Grand Bay oranges.

When we arrived home I walked around back and picked a dozen oranges for my coworkers.  The oranges don't look like much off the tree but after they are washed and dried they become the classic "Orange".  They are really tasting good this year and are very juicy as well.  The dog likes them too.  I hope the weather where you are is warm enough that you can get outside for a walk.  The official start of winter is still a couple of weeks away but I have heard on the news that a good deal of the U.S. is experiencing very cold and snowy weather.   If that is your part of the country, throw another log on the fire, get a good book and enjoy.  Thanks for reading my blog today.  Bye.

Finding sunshine on a cloudy day

The Live Oaks appear to be a frozen wave crashing down. 

On Wednesday morning when the dog and I walked out of the yard we were surrounded by mist and fog.  The temperature was a balmy 70 degrees and the humidity was 100 percent.   It may not have been raining but it was just as wet.  We walked toward the west end of the dirt road stopping on the way to look at the interesting way that the trees have grown over the road.  The growth of the trees there curls toward the ground and  made it look  as though a frozen green wave was crashing down onto the road.  Sometimes I have seen the full moon coming up and passing through the round opening created by the trees.  The illusion of the huge moon at the horizon created a startling bullseye effect that made the hair stand up on my neck the first night I saw it.

The new home is progressing
very quickly. 

 As we walked on I saw that the new home being constructed in the pecan orchard has progressed dramatically since Tuesday.  The walls are now up and the rafters are on the ground waiting to be lifted into place.  At this rate the house should be dried in by weeks end. The dog led the way and meandered along the road until we reached the west end where he found a rotten tree limb.  He decided to sit and chew on it for a while so I decided to take a break as well.

Yellow maple leaves stand out
even on a cloudy day. 

While he chewed on his tree limb I took a look at the southern maple trees in the woods whose leaves were turning bright yellow.  They really stand out in the woods at this time of the year and especially on a cloudy day.  I might not have seen them if the sun had been shining as their bright colors would most likely have been lost in the dappled sun coming through the tree tops.

The two trunks and green moss create a strange but
beautiful Live Oak tree. 

Nearby I stumbled up against a massive Live Oak tree that had an unusual trunk.   The trunk was single up to about 10 feet above the ground then it split into two separate trees.  The trunk was also covered with a green moss consisting of shiny hairs that hang down.  I have noticed that this moss is on a lot of the trees in the area.  It most likely prefers these shady tree covered areas to grow.  As the dog and I headed home I thought it was nice to have the opportunity to walk in almost shirt sleeve weather in December.  The cold weather will eventually return as it always does but on this Wednesday morning the dog and I enjoyed another interesting walk in this strange and wonderful place known as Grand Bay Alabama.  Thanks for reading my blog today.  Bye