The weather was cool but warm enough with a light windbreaker, and I biked a couple of miles today. The first ride of the season is always tough, with sore calves and bike butt the following day. With a little practice, I'll make the 8-mile round trip trek to the farmers' market on Saturdays this summer; and with a little more practice, I hope to ride some country roads and outrun the barnyard dogs.O has little patience for late winter and started some trees indoors a few weeks ago. We'll plant them after the last frost and they'll do fine. The green almost seems unnatural this time of year!
American Mountain-ash
American Chestnut
White PineWindows are also filled with willow, dogwood, and hawthorn.
We transplanted 15 Prickly Ashes from the woods to the riverbank (just twigs in this photo).We sat bankside Saturday evening and saw a creature stick his/her head out of the water for a split-nanosecond. Not scaly, too large for a muskrat, not quite beaverish, I wonder if it could have been a River Otter. Not as far fetched as I would have thought, reintroduction began in the mid-80's and they're now present in 67 of Ohio's 88 counties.
Last year was our first real garden, so this spring, we see what comes back for the first time. Our friend, Tina, gave us some delicious chives and they're doing fine.
6 comments:
I would give anything for bike butt right now! When I was living in Washington I could bike year round and I miss it so much. There is a whole crazy group of people in Fairbanks that ride their bikes year round. I am not that tough. It will be May before my bike sees the road.
Ha! And I would give anything to be on skis right now! The grass/snow is always greener/whiter on the other side of the continent!
Hey, I'd be interested in how you go about starting those trees in doors. Sound like a great project as I'm always in need or more desirable trees here, and chronically short of funds to spend on them at nurseries.
You'll have trumped my river animals with an otter sighting—though I'm not sure (hate to admit this) whether my county is among the 67 or not. So maybe I can hope, too.
Really like the new blog look.
Hi JMS-
Thanks for the link to my blog, I really appreciate it. I've enjoyed my stay here, you have a great eye for nature.
Tom
Thanks, Griz.
We order the trees, bare-root or potted, from nurseries, Musser Forests or Woodlanders of late. For less than $100, we can get a nice selection for the year. Just order to arrive late winter and throw 'em in pots with good soil till threat of frost has passed. We've spent untold hours reading field guides about what's native and their habitat preferences. Big fun!
Cheaper options we've also used:
* transplant from friends' woodlots
* buy from discount stores at the end of the season when they're on sale
* start a landscaping business, don't have any customers, get a vendor's license, and buy trees wholesale
* um... and we've poached a few.
I didn't dig too deeply on the counties where otters are present. Odds are good that they're in our counties and I'd like to cling to the possibility that they could be here!
Hi Tom,
I enjoy your blogs immensely and I'm honored you spent some time here! Thank you!
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