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

Calm weather and wild greens

A few small clouds in the distance are all that the sky had to offer. 

Tuesday morning the dog and I walked in very  quiet and comfortable weather down to the Pig Farm.  The temperature was 64 degrees and the humidity was 90 percent.  The weather is warming quickly in anticipation of the passing of our weekly front which will probably lower temperatures into the 40's or 50's during the day again in a day or two.   The sky was blue though and things looked good for the morning walk, so on we went.

Camphor berries are falling in large
amounts onto the dirt road. A small
Camphor bush is in the background.

On our trip down I saw that the Camphor trees are making some shiny black berries which are falling onto the road in great numbers.  The Camphor tree is an introduced species, I believe from asia ,which is spreading through the forest in Grand Bay and the south much like the Popcorn tree or Chinese Tallow.

We also saw that construction of the new home in the pecan orchard has begun in earnest now.  The foundation crew completed the pouring of concrete on monday and the carpenters are now working on putting up the walls.  The speed at which the construction is moving now is breathtaking.

The wild greens may be attractive
to the wildlife in the area.

When we arrived at the end of the road we stopped to look at the wild greens that are growing there.  They appear to be some kind of wild mustard which reseeds itself each year.   These plants can grow pretty big by spring time.  They also produce a strong smell when bruised which is what attracted me to them.  It appears the animals coming out of the woods are either walking on them or eating them as they come onto the road.   I am watching closely for tracks on the dirt road so I can identify what is passing by this spot.

Natures Christmas trees.

As we left the farm to head back home I saw our summer friend the golden rod looking very nice in it's fall apparel.  The fluffy seed pods on the tops of the plant make them look like several small white Christmas trees clumped together.

I hope everyone is getting to enjoy the slow but sure transition of the seasons the way we here in Grand Bay have been.   It has taken me a lot of years to learn what is important.  Living life is not the house you live in or the car you drive or what you do for your living.  Living life is walking through this world and enjoy God's creation the way he meant for us to enjoy it.  We need to see, hear, touch, taste and smell the real world  then and only then will we be able to find our place in it.  Thanks for reading my blog today.  Bye.

No rolling stones here

The road has that misty watercolor look again. 

Monday morning the temperatures had begun to moderate significantly.  When the dog and I left to go to the west end of the dirt road we found that the temperature was in the mid 60's and the humidity though high was still very comfortable.   As we walked along I noticed that many of the plants I have been watching at the roadside have been killed by the freeze we had a few days ago.  The Oaks, Pines and other evergreens along the road seem to be thriving after the cold weather.  Something interesting turned up on the road as it usually does in the form of a fallen branch.   The branch itself was not all  that unusual but what was on it was.  On the exterior bark there was a strange looking moss growing.  I have researched this moss before at eattheweeds.com.

Usnea Ramalina moss is 
pretty and useful. 

It is Usnea  Ramalina moss which grows on trees all over the world.  It is used in many cultures as food, medicine and as an absorption medium.  Green Dean at eattheweeds.com says you are very fortunate if you have this moss growing in your area because of it's many uses.  All of the older pecan trees have it on them and it grows on many of the water oaks that are in this area. I think the plant like structure is very nice looking.   We walked on to the end of the road where the dog did his part to help clean up the trash someone has thrown out there.   He found a long plastic tube which he quickly spirited back down the road where he ran into the bushes to await me.  I think the tube is some kind of stacking toy for kids.  My dog just thought is was fun to play with.  I have corrected my original post to show the correct identification of the moss I saw.  It should have been Ramalina instead of Usnea. Sorry about that. 

The dog waits for the "thrower of things" to arrive.

 When I arrived at the spot where he was sitting in the bushes I found him staring at me in his almost scary way.  Sometimes he hides in the bushes and watches me go by like he is some kind of predator.   I think it is just an instinctive thing with him and he doesn't mean any harm.  He really wanted me to throw what ever he had brought with him out in the grass so he could retrieve it.  So that is what I did.  He  picked it up and headed back toward the house only pausing to wait for me at the end of the road. There is no accounting for why the dog picks certain things to take home with him and I guess I will never understand it. Anyway now I have a blue plastic tube in my front yard or what I like to call "my dog's toy box".  The whole affair just baffles me but, it is fun to watch and see what he picks up next.  Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.  Bye.  

Letting my sleeping dog lie

Those clouds can tell the future. Rain.

Sunday morning was very warm compared to the two previous days.  The temperature was in the high 50's and the humidity was very low.  The dog and I tripped up to the Turnip Green field to take a look at things there.  We found the greens bigger than ever.  I would guess most of the plants are approaching 18 inches with some probably 2 feet high.  They are really looking good.  The weather is in a transitional state now.  The clouds are beginning to move in and it appears we will be having some much warmer and wetter weather in the next few days.

The sudden change a few days ago to cold weather has brought with it the colds and sinus problems that always seem to appear at this time of the year. My co-workers and family are experiencing the seasonal illnesses as well.   I will inevitably succumb to the dreaded cold at some point in the future.   I had a cold on Christmas day last year and I hope that doesn't happen again this year.  Once we were home the dog and I rode up to the gas station for coffee.

Come on, just 5 more minutes.

When we arrived back home the dog ate his breakfast, got himself a drink of water and went right to his house where he climbed back into bed.  When the temperatures are cool he will spend a lot of his time in his house sleeping.  I have placed some soft carpet, bedding and a big pillow in there for him to sleep on and I think he likes it.  Who wouldn't?  Thanks for reading my blog today.  Bye.

How time beats swords into plowshares

Wait long enough and even your enemies will be your friends. 

Saturday morning the dog and I walked to the east end of the paved road.  As we walked along we met a trio of small dogs.  These dogs have a strange story that goes back a few years.  Before these dogs were born their owner had one dog, a gray wire haired Terrier.  I never knew the Terrier's name but I knew it did not like me or my dog.  It would bark at us incessantly as we walked by it's house.  My dog came to dislike the dog because it growled at him when he approached it.  Finally a truce was reached and we were allowed to walk by the house.  The Terrier would sit on the porch and watch us in disgust as we passed by.  This truce held for a year or so until the Terrier's owner decided to get a female Beagle as a mate for him.  Instantly the Beagle picked up on the hate the Terrier had for my dog and started a new war with us as we walked by.  Their ferocious attacks on my dog occurred so often that I considered dropping that part of the road from my walks.  Eventually the Beagle became pregnant and had 5 puppies which made her even more territorial.   The puppies grew bigger and soon were out barking at us as we passed.    The gaggle of dogs and puppies near the road was of course a recipe for disaster and eventually the Terrier, the Beagle and two of the puppies were hit by cars.  The three puppies that remained are now the adults shown near my dog in the photograph.  They really like my dog and me, and will walk along with us for a while when we pass by. The difference between these dogs and their parents is truly striking.   They are three very mixed breeds of dog, all male, one curly haired, one wire haired and one straight haired.   I guess their mother must have wandered far and wide to have the fathers of her puppies be so radically different.  Although the now grown puppies appear so very different from one another that you would not guess they were from the same litter, they are an unshakable family.   I often see them running through the fields chasing rabbits together and seemingly having a great time.  They are truly living a dog's life. Thanks for reading my blog today. Bye.

Cold storage for our Summer memories

The frost at the roadside would hold on a few more minutes.

Friday morning the temperature was once again 27 degrees at sunrise.   I waited a little while after the sun came up so the dog and I would not have to walk in the really cold part of the morning.  When we started our walk the frost was beginning to melt from the sides of the road where the sun was shining but in the shadows everything was still frosty. 

Golden Rods covered with frost.

We passed by the once beautiful Golden Rods now turned gray and brown and covered with big frost crystals. Everything is beginning to take on the dull beige and gray color scheme of winter.   Fortunately we have a great deal of evergreens here which give us some relief from the complete winter package where all the trees are bare.  

We walked through the yard of the unoccupied home and headed into the woods. 

The aspect of winter is beginning to
lay heavy on the trail.

The trail into the woods was covered with frost in shadowy parts and the ice crystal stuck to my shoes as I walked.  As I ambled along the dog sprang through the grass beside me looking for the ever present field mouse or rat that may or may not be imaginary.  He has found several small shrew like animals hiding in nests under the grass in the abandoned fields which were likely hibernating.  Not much sport in that.   There may also be thousands of rabbit down here but I know of no one who actively hunts them each year.   I have seen them on the side of the road in the evening and they are pretty small and don't provide much of a meal.  

No frost here but still very cold.

We walked into the woods and found that all of the Golden Orb spiders have now disappeared.   They have most likely expired due to the cold.  A close examination of the shrubs near an old web will eventually turn up a small string of pea sized eggs looking like so much trash hanging in the bush.   The very small spiders will hatch out in late spring and begin building small webs close to the ground at first then moving higher as they grow in size. At the trails end we stopped and listened and found the woods very quiet.  The birds and squirrels were hiding somewhere warm till later in the day. 

Long shadows hide the ice as long
as possible. 

As we started out of the woods we walked over to the fence to have a look out across the Soybean field.  The long shadows created by the low sun angle at this time of year provides a hiding place for frost on the ground until well up into the day as long as the air temperature stays low.  On this morning though the air was warming quickly and the frost that had been on the grass when we passed a few minutes earlier was now melted and running away.  I enjoy looking at the land around me when it is covered in frost.   Although I take photos of it I know that many things which I see may only be seen by me and my dog when he chooses to look.  Thanks for reading my blog today.  Bye. 

Grand Bay Alabama frozen in 27 degrees of frost

It is unusual for the frost to cross the road in this way.  I have not seen it before.

Oh boy it was cold on Thursday morning when the dog and I walked out.   The temperature was 27 degrees and the humidity was in the 80 percent range.  There had been a fairly heavy frost during the night which left everything white.  As we walked to the west end of the dirt road I saw many things that caught my attention.

Frost crystals are pretty up close.

 The frost crystals were standing tall on many things on the side of the road.  One of them was a log lying in the open which had crystals that stood out like spikes.  We made it to the end of the road and headed back to the house.

Dog of the north, I think. 

We crossed the pecan orchard where the dog decided to lay down on the frost covered grass and chew on a pine cone.  People think I am mistreating my dog by somehow forcing him to live in the cold but the truth is he desires it.  Many nights during the winter he will sleep out in the yard instead of in his dog house and in the morning I will find him curled up asleep with frost all around him.  When I wake him he will get up and stretch like he has slept on a feather bed.  It seems strange but my dog is acclimatized to the outdoors.  I have tried to get him to come in out of the cold but he wants out as soon as he comes in.  It is too hot for him inside.

The sky bends under the force of the panorama. 

 I walked on past my house to the field down the street to get a panorama photo of the blue sky, sun and frost covered field.  The sky was just so big that this was the only way to portray what I was seeing.  How could we not be thankful on such a day as this.

Even the hardy Zinnias will succumb
to the frost eventually.

When we were back in our yard I took some photos of the zinnias covered with frost.   Zinnias are very hardy and will continue to come up as volunteers until they all get killed by the cold.  The bird bath froze solid so I will have to start bringing hot water out to melt it as it won't thaw till afternoon.  

The birds will have to wait a few
minutes for the water to thaw.

This was the last straw for the banana trees.  They will need their Thanksgiving trim this weekend or next.

The roof across the street is supposed
to be brown.

 My car and the house across the street are my indicators of how cold it is outside.  When I see the dark brown shingle roof across the street turned solid white and my dark blue car turned light blue I know how to dress for my morning walk.

Thanksgiving day is today and my family will gather at my sister's home to have our celebration.  I don't eat poultry, pork or beef all throughout the rest of the year for health reasons but on Thanksgiving day and at Christmas day I do partake of a little.  I have provided a turkey this year and I am hoping it will be good.  I am very Thankful for all of the blessings The Lord has bestowed upon me this year.  Thank you Lord for your Mercy and Grace.  You gave them to me even though I was not worthy of them.  Thank you.

A walk through the in between

The remnant of the cold front are blowing quickly to the south.

On Wednesday morning the dog and I walked to the west end of the dirt road to see what was going on.  The wind wind was blowing hard from the north after the passage of a cold front the night before.  The temperature in the mid 40's felt quite cool but the humidity was falling fast which helped dramatically.  I felt uncomfortably cold in the icy wind but as usual the dog loved the nippy weather.  Once we arrived in the cover of the trees , toward the end of the road, the wind was less brisk and the walking was a lot more comfortable.  As we walked along I was able to hear the wind blowing noisily through the treetops making them wave and causing leaves to fall all around us.   Winter in Grand Bay is coming on strong this year and making a fairly strong and early showing.   I don't know if this early cold indicates colder weather in our future or not because some years when it was cold early it became very hot in late December.  It is difficult to judge the weather here based on short term trends.  Grand Bay weather is fickle.

The Bracken fern like to grow 
in pinestraw.

Once we arrived at the end of the road I found some very green ferns growing in the pine straw.  This is the Bracken fern.  It grows all over the world and the young fiddleheads are eaten by many cultures as we would asparagus. I have looked into preparation and found a site called Honestfood.net which tells how to safely eat a bracken fern.  There is some care and caution needed as these ferns can contain high amounts of a carcinogen or cancer causing agent.  These ferns will probably be killed when the temperatures go below freezing on a regular basis and return again in the spring.

The Sweet Gum leaves go out 
in a flash of glory.

As we headed home  I found that some of the red leaves had collected in the grass along the road and created a snapshot of where we are now in the season.  Neither here nor there.  Not fall and not yet winter.

The clouds were overcome by the
deep blue sky.

When I arrived home I lay on the grass and looked up at the clouds whisking past and it was a very soothing scene.   The blue sky and white fluffy clouds moving swiftly to the south signal good weather ahead for the next few days.  We will celebrate Thanksgiving day tomorrow and we have much to be thankful for.  Thanks for stopping by to read my blog today.  Bye.

Too wet to plow

Cold north wind at our backs we walked on down to the Pig Farm.

On Tuesday the dog and I walked down to the Pig Farm.  Earlier in morning around 5 am the temperature had dropped from 65 degrees to 45 degrees in one hour as a cold front made it's way through our area.  The gray clouds were sweeping to the south now and the wind was blowing hard from the north making it feel very chilly.  1.5 inches of rain fell in the early hours causing a deluge in the local drainage ditches and woods.

I feel sorry for the guys
Working here. 

I was pretty sure the rain made a mess of the plumbing construction going on in the foundation of the new house being constructed in the pecan orchard.   The red clay that the contractors use to make up the foundations of  new houses can turn to a sticky goo that stains everything red when it is wet. Makes me glad I am not a plumber or foundation man.

Oh well, another year, another road washes away.

We continued down the road toward the farm and I noticed the work done on the road earlier this year by the county is slowly but surely being washed down the hill to the little creek  that runs under the road near the farm. Why should this road repair be any different from all the others before it?
.

What is the difference between a
Creek and a stream?

Upon arriving at the end of the road I entered the woods and walked up the stream a little way to have a look at how high the water had risen.   There was  a gentle flow of about 2 inches flowing steadily by not really in any kind of hurry.  All the leaves that had fallen here before have now washed farther on down stream to places where they pile up and wait for an even bigger deluge to occur.

The rain was dripping loudly onto
the magnolia leaves.

 The woods were soaking wet but no water was standing except in the big magnolia leaves that cover the ground.  These woods are perfect sponges for all but the heaviest of downpours and any runoff not absorbed will run down hill into the stream.  While I was looking around in the woods and along the stream the dog found himself a telephone pole sized rotten log that he chewed a big dent into.

My dog's name should be termite.

 I left the woods and headed for the house and found that the dog had not followed.  I walked back down to the woods and found him still chewing on his log.  He barked pitifully when I called to him that he needed to come with me.  He did not want to leave such a great prize there for some other animal to steal.  After realizing that it was just to big to carry he reluctantly gave up and came out of the woods and started back to the house with me.   Most of the time he is a good sport about leaving sticks behind and immediately finds something more portable to have me throw along the way and then carry on home to his collection.  I haven't told him yet but, we are going to burn his stick collection during the Thanksgiving holiday when it is supposed to be fairly cool.  He likes to chase the sparks that jump up from the fire at night so maybe that will make him feel a little better.  Thanks for reading my blog today.  Stay warm.  Bye.

Can't we all just get along?

Heading to the west end of the dirt road.

On Monday morning the dog and I walked to the west end of the dirt road.  The temperature was comfortable at 50 degrees and the humidity was OK at 86 percent.  The clouds were hanging low and dark to the southwest over the Gulf perhaps indicating bad weather later in the day.  Our Thanksgiving day is approaching on this Thursday and the weather bureau is predicting sub freezing temperatures to start the day.

What was in there? 

As we walked along toward the west end I saw the dog showing some interest in a trio of holes in an embankment there. He has rarely wanted to look in these holes before so I assume there has been some small animal activity in them.   The holes were likely made by field rats as they are too small and too inaccessible for most other animals.  They probably don't make good burrows because they pour water during heavy rain storms.

 We continued to amble along to the end of the road and turned to head home.  On the way back a neighbor's pit bull that usually is in a fence came out and gave me and his owner quite a start.   My dog is amenable to most dogs and will not fight unless provoked.  The pit bull chased after my dog who only wanted to go home.  The pit bull was escorting my dog out of his territory and his owner and I had a tough time getting the pit and my dog to return.  When they returned and were near us it looked like the pit was going to attack my dog but his owner pulled his belt off to use as a leash and the pit ran back inside the fence.

I walked past a thousand times without
noticing this was even here.

The offending limb is dead now but the damage is done.

Disaster averted we walked on back to the house and noticed one other item.  It seems two trees have grown together in a strange way near my house and I have never noticed them.  A limb from one tree rubbed against the trunk of another until it caused it's bark to grow over the limb.  The limb has now died but the damage is done and will remain as long as the tree is alive.  Very strange.   Thanks for reading my blog today.  Bye.

Warming up to winter

The sun is so far south now that the road is in the shadow of 
the trees till nearly 900 am.

On Sunday morning the dog and had a very cold start to our walk.  The wind was blowing hard from the northeast and the sky was a clear blue with a few fast moving cirrus clouds floating by.  The temperature was cold for me at 40 degrees with humidity in the 50 or 60 percent range.  When the wind blows from the north east after a front moves through we pretty much know it will not be long before the weather begins to warm up and become cloudy again.   We walked through the yard of the unoccupied home and saw a very pink Camellia growing there.

Alabama's state flower, the Camellia. 

 The Camellia is very popular here on the gulf coast because it blooms in cold weather when just about everything else is dead.  It is an evergreen so it's leaves stay on all through the year.

The trail to the woods is no longer in 
green grass since the frost.

We walked on down the trail through the grass to the opening that leads to the trail in the woods. I stopped to look at the beautiful view of the big blue sky spreading out over what was once the Soybean field. 

Such a beautiful morning should not be wasted inside.

The crisp clear air and bright sunshine make the available colors extremely bright and give the scene a life of it's own. 

We continued into the woods and saw that one Golden Orb spider is still hanging high above the trail even after several cold snaps.

The woods are quiet,
except for the wind.

These spiders may very well make it through the winter down there in the woods but as of yet I have not seen evidence that they do.  I have often wondered about whether or not there is any great difference in the air temperature in the deep woods as compared with the open areas where we humans live.  In my mind I it seems it would be warmer in the woods with all of the decomposing material on the forest floor.   Sounds like a job for the scientific method.  I will let you know how it goes.  Thanks for reading my blog today.  I hope it is as pretty where you are as it is here. If not, just wait, it soon will be.  Bye.