On the Path -- In the Woods March 22nd, 2014

On my walk I often slip into the woods at the top of the path. It's not a large area but it's always a welcome diversion. It's typical of woods in our area... a mix of maple, beech, hemlock, oak and birch trees, with a small creek at the bottom of the sloping hillside.

Only the hemlock are showing green this time of year.

Today I saw some interesting fungi. This tree was obviously cut down. The way the fungus has spread on the cut end seems odd. The outer layers are greener so it looks like the cream colored fungus favoured them. Is the black on the deadwood another type of fungus... or a mold?

 

Birch trees have very obvious lenticles--the horizontal black dashes in this case--that trees breathe through.

Beech are easily identified by their smooth bark. It's known that initials carved in beech can last for decades. It looks like someone carved something in this beech in 1966. If so, that was 48 years ago. Have they been back since to check their work?

On the other hand, these are natural markings. I see a two-faced tribesman with feathered headgear, brandishing a spear. And not doing so well, what with arrows or short spears through various parts of his body.

Fungus on a fallen birch. Some fungi are more resistant to the cold than others--I'm guessing. Some turn black, some don't.

Though these are last year's leaves, they're still a welcome sight now that the snow is finally melting away and revealing more of them.

What's left of a stump. Decay has almost claimed it all. Even at this stage though, you can see some of the annual rings and the rays that radiate from the center of a tree.

I know that we can't rush spring but it sure will be welcome this year. The winter weather just drags on and on. Spring and winter are like two sumo wrestlers this year, pushing and shoving each other. We know spring will win in the end, but the bout is dragging on far too long.

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