“By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil. When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”
Proverbs 16:6-7 ESV
As spring progresses, we continue to work on our little spot on the river, trimming and clean up in order to maintain a good view. The picnic table is in place and it’s about time to drape it with a red and white checked tablecloth and have a country picnic. I’m willing to furnish such a tablecloth if I can find those who are willing to provide a basket filled with goodies suitable for a picnic lunch. Searching for takers before the weather gets very hot. It was around 90 on Friday, but tonight is predicted at 38 so there’s still plenty of time!
I’ve trimmed the lower limbs on the tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera ( tulip magnolia, not the Japanese magnolia). Not many large trees bloom in this manner and I think these neat blooms are easily overlooked by a lot of folks. I used my zoom lens to get a better look because they were all fairly high. Sometimes called a tulip poplar, this tree is one of the fastest growing, and tallest native trees in the Eastern US.
Our tree is tall with this bloom being about 20 feet above ground, but there is a report of one tulip tree that is 192 feet tall! 160 feet is not uncommon in places in the older Appalachian forests!
Last week I settled in on much that was wild and yellow, yeller as we say here…but this week I took note of a number of things along the path that were adorned with white. This Poet’s narcissus is a late bloomer compared to the daffodils, and year after year comes to life across the pasture above the creek.
The majority have two blooms per stem, with one here showing three. I saw one with four, and thought I had a photo, but couldn’t locate it when I looked a couple of days later!
Blackberry vines are extremely plentiful around these parts, and their white shows off up and down the trails, roadsides, and other edges where there is plenty of sunshine. Not easy to pick, but sweeter and better (in our opinion) than the large “farm raised berries” that we have purchased in the past. Blueberries are kinder to the picker, so I am sticking with them this summer.
Daisy fleabane is everywhere now, and usually, to some extent, hangs around all spring and summer. It grows tall and is very easy to recognize and spot, having an abundance of white daisy blooms.
The fringe tree is a white beauty and a standout right now. There are a couple of trees along my hiking path. They don’t get very large and blend into the landscape in an unassuming manner all year except when April arrives. A native tree; I don’t know why we haven’t planted one somewhere closer to the house.
I always heard older folks (before I became one) call the tree a Grancey Graybeard, and a few other “grandfather” related names. For a few weeks, this little tree makes a big statement!
White clover is a bee favorite. There are places along roadsides and in pastures right now where this clover makes the landscape look like it is covered with white carpet, especially viewed from a distance. I have probably mentioned this before, but as a barefooted kid running through my grandparents clover filled back yard, I remember stepping on bumblebees several times…and they would immediately let you know about it. Here I am lost in the fifties and sixties again!
Moving along to a new set of colors, the Japanese Maple by the sidewalk leafs out like it is on fire and ready for autumn. The air has been so dry and the mornings cool which has helped provide a lot of days where the sky is so blue and without haze. With the new green of a Sugar Maple and a Red Maple in the background, PJ captured some eye catching color one morning last week!
I left this stray buttercup which came up in the middle of the cottage garden area where we plant zinnias (I planted them Thursday). I’ve not seen one spread out quite so, about 5 feet across, bloom to bloom. I guess it wasn’t crowded or competing with other plants or a lawnmower so it took off. It is no longer with us. But not to fear, we have a boocoo of hairy buttercups in the yard and pasture! A beaucoup of buttercups if you prefer instead of the English slang.
If you saw the turtle tracks last week then you will be able to make sense of this. Even with no rain, the utility company decided to regulate the dams and give us a little more water which brought the shallows by the wildlife park back to normal. One of the turtle “trackers” took a quick look at me as I passed on the boardwalk…
…but when I paused for a photo, the turtle suddenly decided it was time to make tracks!
Hickory trees are common in our woods. One thing a lot of people aren’t extremely familiar with is a very interesting aspect of hickories when leafing. This Pignut Hickory begins with buds on the ends of limbs that burst open with new stems and leaves. Other hickories do this too, producing a scale-like bud with overlapping petals that look like a flower bud. You have to catch the growth at just the right time to get an idea of how this happens. This particular tree is directly behind the fringe tree seen earlier. Hickories seem to leaf a little later than some of the neighboring deciduous trees.
I drove the Ranger down to an area along the creek where we have cleaned up some of the underbrush. I wanted to take Pam down to this spot to show her how many, many years of water had cut grooves in rock along the bank. She wouldn’t have enjoyed it before we made it a lot more accessible. It has been so dry that a normal branch of this size would probably have been dry, but this is fed by springs that are a couple of miles to the north. Beavers have recently built a dam just above this spot. Pam was glad not to be walking very far since poison ivy is also thriving along the creek bank!
We made this discovery near the creek. As you can see, this stood out around the other vegetation. I believe it is a Spring Spiderlily. If so, it will have a bloom that is white and spider-like in the near future. I will return each week to check. The species is native to a few southern states from Texas to Alabama and is found in this kind of habitat. We shall see! I told Pam to remind me! I’ve not seen one of these blooming in our woods. This would be a first if indeed that’s what this is!
Sunsets are usually viewed by facing west and quite often simply stunning, with no two alike. But sometimes a lot of clouds in the west serve to basically blot out the view. But maybe the captivating view is very much there, and I’m just looking in the wrong direction. I know I sometimes miss what is right before me because I assume too much and fail to look around. Perspective…this is just after sunset, looking east!
Have a very pleasant week!
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8 ESV
Linking with:
Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Life and Linda
You need a fringe tree
Thank you Gail. A fringe tree might be a good choice. They don’t seem to get very big. Have a wonderful week!
Butch and Pam
I have never seen a tulip poplar in our area. The blooms are beautiful. My mother had a grancey greybeard aka fringe tree in her yard for many years. I love their blooms in spring and are easy to spot in the woods. We cannoT grow them in our black gumbo soil or I would plant one. The purple and fushia sky is gorgeous!
Thank you Rachel. Maybe the tulip tree is more common in the eastern US and Canada. The fringe trees around here blend in unnoticed most of the time but they make their presence known in April, easily spotted as you say. Have a great week!
Butch and Pam
Love that ending sky shot! The Japanese maple is magnificent! I love the tulip poplar trees. They are beautiful when they are blooming. We had that temperature swing yesterday! It’s feeling like spring this morning. We got a small amount of rain and need more because of the drought situation. Your picnic area looks delightful! I’m dealing with poison ivy on my feet and around my ankles so I can sympathize with Pam. Poison ivy is everywhere in our yard this year. The birds have done a great job of spreading it. My husband has been cleaning it up as well. Have a great week. Clara❤️
Thank you Clara. Our woods are covered in poison ivy and it tries to creep into the garden. Not fun. We only had 1/8 of an inch of rain last night. Places only a few miles away received a lot more. A brief cooling off but we sure need rain here. Have a wonderful week!
Butch and Pam
Good morning Richardson’s. There are quite a few plants this morning that I’ve never seen before. The first picture of the chaste tree was a puzzle to me until you told me what that mass was. Now I have a question, just how far is the river from your house and are you bringing a picnic table to the river? Do you go swimming in the river? The clover picture also reminded me of bee stings I got from running through the clover too. The maple tree is gorgeous. Didn’t know it showed off twice a year. Glad you’ve had enough moisture be it from God or the power company releasing water and the turtles seem happy. Friday morning we had snow and it was a wet heavy snow. Praise God🙏🏻 not enough to get us out of this drought but a blessing to every living thing. I’m mostly over the viral bronchitis , praise God again. Only a little cough now and then . And praise God I’m going to church to worship Him this morning. 🙏🏻 Blessing to you today and always.
Thank you Alice. Glad you got snow, even in the spring, we know it’s been a critically dry winter for you. We have a picnic table on the river. We travel about a half mile on our woods road to picnic but the river itself is only about 300 yards from the house. Had a swing at a swimming hole down river about 5 miles as a teenager but we don’t swim in this area. Not really safe to do so and my mother would’ve been very upset about our swimming hole those many years ago. Have a blessed week!
Butch and Pam
Your Alabama is beautiful! It is especially nice seeing your spot by the river with such a view…perfect for picnics, just as you say.
Loved every photo and the information accompanying, the sunset to the East is stunning! Have another wonderful week, happy you will continue visiting the Spider Lily plant…love a good mystery. 😀
Thank you Sue. I plan to drop by that plant over the next day or two to see if there are any changes. I’m certainly not sure what it is but it looks nothing like any of the other vines and things coming up in that area. We hope you have a good Sunday and a great week!
Butch and Pam
Always love seeing what God has blessed you to see each day. thank you for sharing with all of us. Have a great new week. Hugs. Kris
Thank you Kris. I’m glad to have the opportunity to get out and about more with nice days, and I’m able to venture a little further now on this new knee. Hope you have a great week as well!
Butch and Pam
You have created the perfect spring picnic area and view – enjoy!
Thank you Mary. I have an interested party who is ready for a picnic so it’s time for me to do my part. Have a pleasant week!
Butch and Pam
Beautiful picnic spot and I know PJ would love to make a picnic lunch for your red & white tablecloth laden picnic table by the river. I love all the white flowers…we have white evening jasmine draping our pergola in the Secret Garden and it is intoxicating. Your last photo is so beautiful. Thanks for sharing God’s beauty.
Thank you Kari. We are thinking that evening jasmine has a wonderful fragrance? I know you enjoy your Secret Garden. And that’s a reminder, I need to read that book again. Have a blessed week!
Butch and Pam
As always, sure enjoyed this walk with nature with you! Thank you and have a blessed week!!
Thank you Michele. It is such a blessing to be able to get out and roam the outdoors. Glad I can do it. We hope you have a wonderful week!
Butch and Pam
That photo of Dusk is breathtaking Butch! Such interesting walks you’ve had lately, the flora is definitely coming into magnificent Springtime beauty.
Some varieties I’ve not seen here in Australia, even in show gardens. I always think the Japanese Maple is a beauty in any setting. I hope you & Pam have a lovely picnic beside the river.
Blessings to you both, Jennifer
Thank you Jennifer. The flora is definitely changing quickly now as Spring is moving along (although it’s unseasonably cold tonight). We would think perhaps you are seeing a lot of autumn changes around you. The Japanese Maple doesn’t have a long life span here and ours is showing some signs of decline with dead limbs, but still looking pretty good. We hope you have a blessed week!
Butch and Pam
Not experiencing as much flora Autumn change here as normal Butch, plants are flowering out of season & others not in season. Which has been rather intriguing.
It’s very dry at the moment, we could do with some refreshing rain for a deep watering of the Bush Reserves & domestic gardens.
We’ve had tastes of spring up here in the northeast so where you find yourself as April wends its way toward the end is very encouraging!
And I’m with you, Pam. I supply the table and the pretty cloth if everyone else brings a basket of goodies! Sounds like a win-win.
Happy Monday to you, friend.
xo
Thank you, Linda. I can’t wait to picnic by the river with our grands!
I love Tulip Trees! Their blooms are a delight to see.
Your picnic area is going to be quite fun. Are you able to swim or fish at the water’s edge? Was that turtle a snapper? Maybe no swimming then. 😊
Loved all the white especially the Fringe tree. I have never seen one.
Your sunset was breathtaking!
P.S. How is your knee coming along? 🙏
Thank you Nancy. We can fish along the river here but it’s not a good place for swimming. The turtle looked like he may be a snapper. I’m thinking a picnic is the way to go. Have a wonderful week!
Butch and Pam
PS – I’m impatient but I think the knee is progressing as it should. My follow up visit with Dr is a couple weeks away so I’ll see what he has to say.
Good to hear. 🙏🙏🙏
Beautiful sights of spring in your neck of the woods! We’re in a severe drought here in NC and watching the lake level recede daily. We’ve never seen it this low in the spring before…*sniff* Glorious sunset, wishing you both a wonderful week ahead! Look forward to seeing you tomorrow Pam. ☕❤️
Thank you Mary. We certainly understand about your lake level. We are watering daily which is never the case in April. A front passed Saturday night but our rain gauge didn’t even show 1/8 inch. Some spots received a little more. Have a wonderful week!
Butch and Pam
There’s so much to love in your articles, always! Your photos and vivid descriptions, memories, and words accompany them perfectly, Butch!
I wanted to say that I’ll bring the goodies for the picnic~ I might be late~ like Fall! Oh how I love your homestead and the nature that surrounds it!
From the tracks of the turtle to the clover and age stripes on the rocks~ you always find the beautiful things others may miss!
The verses were beautifully selected too!
Pam~ I’ll begin my treatments on Thursday. Palliative care nurse will visit me tomorrow and I’ll take my parents to an appt Wednesday. I’m resting In Him as I prepare, spiritually and physically. I have hope! Sending love and prayers always! ♥️🙏❤️
Thank you Karla. Praying for you as always. Fall would be a great time for a picnic. Anyone who is bringing goodies can be excused for running a little late. We came here thinking this would be a starter house but we never left, so 47 years later it is a homestead. Have a blessed week!
Butch and Pam
You’re welcome! Yes, Goodies can make up for lost time. That’s so wonderful–47 years! You all have a blessed week too!
Oh, those tulip trees are just so cool – what marvelous blooms. The picnic spot by the river is surely ready to host a picnic complete with red and white picnic tablecloth. The maple is such a gorgeous color. Clover is wonderful – except when it gets into the grass where it’s really difficult to get rid of lol. The sunset is so pretty and I hope you two have a wonderful week ahead!
Thank you Kim. That clover stays tight to the ground and looks like a white carpet even after mowing but if I get rid of it in some spots we would have bare ground. It really does crowd out other things in the cooler weather but our heat will get it eventually. I must order that tablecloth today. Have a pleasant week!
Butch and Pam
Pam and Butch, walking along with you on your property is so entertaining with you pointing out the different plants and flowers. Some I remember from my childhood and visiting grandparents. Most are lost to me these days. The fringe tree is a new one to me, Butch you should plant one closer in to enjoy. The view by the river makes a great location for a picnic. I’m sure Pam will enjoy packing up goodies to enjoy there with you. The Japanese Maple is breathtaking, perfect timing too capturing the light. Have a wonderful week……..
Thank you Emily. The fringe trees nearby are too big to dig and transfer so I would need to locate one in a nursery. It would probably be a good choice for a small tree especially since it does grow in the wild here. I completely get it when you say “lost to me these days “. I find myself having to research and look up things that I’ve known about and seen for years. Have a great week!
Butch and Pam
Absolutely wonderful photos!!! Have a blessed week!
Wishing you a wonderful week and thank you Maristella!
Butch & Pam
Good morning Butch, apologies for joining in so late! We have a new addition to the family!! Somebody dumped a dog on our road and she was saved by a neighbor from getting hit. For nearly a month we all tried to find a home or owner. And of course, we fell in love with this sweet girl…just could not let her go to the pound to be euthanized. We named her ZuZu after the little girl in “It’s a Wonderful Life”…”every time you hear a bell ring, an angel got his wings”. Trust me, we were not looking for a dog in this stage of our lives!
Your clearing by the river is absolutely spectacular! Maybe Appalachian Digital Media needs a few goats to help clear! We are more than bone dry here, but I am growing a spectacular amount of poison ivy!! That lavender sky is incredible. Hope you are having a wonderful week full of adventures!
Thank you Roxanne. Sounds like if one is unfortunate enough to be dumped, your road is at least the best place for that to happen. I looked out late yesterday to see 9 cows at the back of our garden, some eyeing the blueberry bushes. Needless to say a cattle drive ensued. We didn’t take them in but aided the owner in getting them back home and hopefully they are doing some major fence repairs. They did tromp down a few sunflowers that had just sprouted but it could’ve been much worse! We hope you get rain soon and have a great weekend!
Butch and Pam
Such a beautiful sunset! God’s handiwork at its finest!
Thank you Cheryl. God has given us such magnificent handiwork to enjoy, even in a fallen world. Have a great week!
Butch and Pam