tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83268661993423698562024-03-13T03:32:56.638-04:00Timberturner + Bowlwood WoodturningRay Asselin's woodturning shop in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. See Ray's work at these websites:Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-4210699795753750832015-12-29T13:26:00.001-05:002015-12-29T13:26:20.044-05:00Weathered Chestnut Vases <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggF7jdTrtZn1fDWo8_wVc6DhTp_k-jorTiBRILPAf-hvF01qRfCKoH4WfUq2-8FnkJfRz9k165NK-GCdSLeLlB4Dy2RCRB0FiUQOMxgZYnhxrD7FK69yWLlxXEeeYNZ6tVLmLqQZ_U3ZE/s1600/CH21-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggF7jdTrtZn1fDWo8_wVc6DhTp_k-jorTiBRILPAf-hvF01qRfCKoH4WfUq2-8FnkJfRz9k165NK-GCdSLeLlB4Dy2RCRB0FiUQOMxgZYnhxrD7FK69yWLlxXEeeYNZ6tVLmLqQZ_U3ZE/s400/CH21-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Chestnut Vase</td></tr>
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The American chestnut tree, once a major component species of the eastern forest, was tragically wiped out by an accidental introduction of a fungal blight in the first years of the 1900's. Our chestnut had not evolved with this fungus, and had no resistance to it; thus, it succumbed quickly to the blight, which raced through the eastern U.S. forests. By about the 1950's, the American chestnut tree was virtually gone. Its root system is not killed by the blight, so the chestnut is still sprouting new above-ground growth in the forests, but despite that, the new saplings are quickly infected by the blig<br />
ht, and die off. Repeated sproutings sap the energy of the roots, and eventually they peter out too.<br />
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Chestnut wood is highly rot resistant, so the remains of long-dead trees are still occasionally found on the forest floor, though they're usually pretty far gone now. Here in central New England, I still find small bits of the once great trees in the woods. Most people would never give these weathered remnants a second look, not realizing they're all that's left in the forest of a cherished, historic American species. Those who are aware of the significant part that chestnut played in the building of America are delighted to see and handle a piece of its weathered remains when I show it to them; their eyes brighten and a look of wonder and awe washes across their face.<br />
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When I find such pieces of chestnut in the woods, they're often too far gone to make much of anything from them, so I leave them there in their surface graves. But once in a while, thanks to the chestnut's impressive decay resistance, a piece is sound enough to make into a rustic vase. Pieces like that go home with me to become a treasure for someone who will appreciate it for what it is, and was-- truly a part of early American history.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0oPbS9Xn4ebWyOUX4d3w3-KRZlCOfxhU3_TzjTHmX-3Ox3l3ksFZwb_4K40vAA0JOXvo909zDC_XVQd_JEO3n5UfIidZgpRRzfoLwY8dJK3mt9EXRNbQbB0gmvYBVyIbxA6GGWpL2tM/s1600/CH21-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0oPbS9Xn4ebWyOUX4d3w3-KRZlCOfxhU3_TzjTHmX-3Ox3l3ksFZwb_4K40vAA0JOXvo909zDC_XVQd_JEO3n5UfIidZgpRRzfoLwY8dJK3mt9EXRNbQbB0gmvYBVyIbxA6GGWpL2tM/s320/CH21-4.jpg" width="320" /></a>I just recently found a remnant branch of chestnut that was thankfully suspended above the forest floor, so it hadn't totally rotted away yet; as resistant as the wood is, it doesn't last forever out there in the elements.<br />
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The characteristic appearance of weathered chestnut is unique, and instantly recognizable to me. Beneath the grizzled surface is the highly prized, warm glow of American chestnut wood, as sound as ever in some cases.<br />
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The few "fencepost" vases that I can glean from this most recent find will be available on the <a href="http://www.timberturner.com/" target="_blank">Timberturner</a> website. <br />
<br />Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-44892172735336084282015-07-25T12:58:00.000-04:002015-07-25T12:58:30.415-04:00New Nature/Wildlife BlogThough this blog began as a place where I could elaborate on projects related to my woodturning activities, it eventually also became a convenient journal for topics that are somewhat related to woodworking and turning (as far as I'm concerned), but not strictly so.<br />
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Since I spend a lot of time in the woods exploring and photographing New England forests (especially old growth) and their inhabitants, I like to share information about those subjects and experiences. Realizing that "woods and wildlife" isn't particularly relevant to woodturning, I've decided to start a new, separate blog devoted to that other passion. The new blog is entitled "<a href="http://www.neforests.com/" target="_blank">New England Forests</a>", and can be accessed by clicking that link, or via <a href="http://www.neforests.com/">www.neforests.com</a>.<br />
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There is also a companion Youtube channel with the same name (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE15hq-9baz75bXh_-oTuKQ" target="_blank">New England Forests</a>), where I'll be posting videos of wildlife and forests of New England.<br />
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I do hope, if interested, you'll take a peek at these two new sites, enjoy them, bookmark them, and leave your comments.<br />
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<br />Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-23352287204889627002015-03-26T16:27:00.000-04:002015-03-26T16:27:31.010-04:00Ornaments of Sea and Forest Do you get a kick out of seeing a look of wonder and enchantment wash across the face of a visitor to your home? That wide-eyed child who's asking, "what is <i>that</i>?!" If you do, here's something for you: delicate hanging ornaments, handmade of sea urchin shells and turned wooden "icicles", or
finials.<br />
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These charming decorations will evoke that kind of reaction from youngster and oldster alike. Adults unfamiliar with sea urchin shells will be delighted to find that these oddities were living creatures from the sea. I know I was, when I first saw them.<br />
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The shells are hollow,
some being very lightweight and fairly fragile. Probably the most
intriguing species of urchin shell is the more robust <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIE0p45TxPxLXSXREuklvaWeDdrOI54X8ITLSCkB6dULypPpbbx6tjvDBO3gqubIQU1A0cIUrcKUds-hLuERaEzNF1rZ8JnwhLo9DMbHBbwSfKyN1CjxCNp5SFeTe5WprTpHnmyDJW1xk/s1600/OR73-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIE0p45TxPxLXSXREuklvaWeDdrOI54X8ITLSCkB6dULypPpbbx6tjvDBO3gqubIQU1A0cIUrcKUds-hLuERaEzNF1rZ8JnwhLo9DMbHBbwSfKyN1CjxCNp5SFeTe5WprTpHnmyDJW1xk/s1600/OR73-1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sputnik Sea Urchin Ornament</td></tr>
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"Sputnik", shown in this
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This species has reddish or violet coloring in the vertical stripes between the "spikes",
which are nodes where there were spines attached to
the live animal. The icicle and cap in this example are made of maple that has
been dyed deep purple to complement the shell's natural color. This shell is 1<span style="font-size: xx-small;">3/4</span> inches in diameter; the total
length of the ornament is 4<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span> inches. Many shells are larger, some are smaller.</div>
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These ornaments are
very light, weighing less than one ounce; so, they would be ideal for
use as Christmas tree decorations, but of course they can be appreciated in a non-holiday setting
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdR4tj2TnGMUHUEGso6gnCKDwIjJHGxIj7bi61WQZqOxdwKPnJwZzEaXGmoYOB9jUPPSXssa6lgjIEOVp5bH7eL2-rP074oHfhFN57F1zvFMN-Dklkn_NBlOmvFADcUpXQRkiz7c6x1yo/s1600/OR70-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdR4tj2TnGMUHUEGso6gnCKDwIjJHGxIj7bi61WQZqOxdwKPnJwZzEaXGmoYOB9jUPPSXssa6lgjIEOVp5bH7eL2-rP074oHfhFN57F1zvFMN-Dklkn_NBlOmvFADcUpXQRkiz7c6x1yo/s1600/OR70-1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another Sputnik</td></tr>
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Here's another Sputnik ornament, with reddish stripes; the wooden parts are of dyed Black Locust.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeli5qQb3R_4COUzTQJNQG-xvxx-YoCdV7PrlGclWJG_uUq9rb8Re0SeLmUbuODd2zcJtI1TlRZh7jSCberuuXPQuTuOKNORShvMqNTpRfI1xzvnIe8oO9HyW1E63I_ROQlVOwgPxyrsk/s1600/OR55-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeli5qQb3R_4COUzTQJNQG-xvxx-YoCdV7PrlGclWJG_uUq9rb8Re0SeLmUbuODd2zcJtI1TlRZh7jSCberuuXPQuTuOKNORShvMqNTpRfI1xzvnIe8oO9HyW1E63I_ROQlVOwgPxyrsk/s1600/OR55-1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Sea Urchin Ornament</td></tr>
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This piece (left) is a Green Sea Urchin, a really attractive shell,
mated to a Cottonwood cap and icicle. This species has hundreds of tiny
bumps on the surface of the shell, giving it an interesting texture. The
color is a fresh forest green.</div>
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Another green shell example is this Tiny Green Sputnik, with a hand-turned ebony icicle. The body is 1 inch in diameter; overall length is 3<span style="font-size: xx-small;">3/4</span> inches.<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Dzb5c9GwbzyQ5UJVvwKGGxwtbHKIwdedb6fzz6lB8P_dmQhqwAbhyphenhyphenS2leKk9EKIrhi1IiKSy3ftp7-qNamN_GflcSVEmxXRw4ztz_BOPj-LTWXoU7kh4POBto0Kn1-GnhGKTDWStxvI/s1600/OR74-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Dzb5c9GwbzyQ5UJVvwKGGxwtbHKIwdedb6fzz6lB8P_dmQhqwAbhyphenhyphenS2leKk9EKIrhi1IiKSy3ftp7-qNamN_GflcSVEmxXRw4ztz_BOPj-LTWXoU7kh4POBto0Kn1-GnhGKTDWStxvI/s1600/OR74-1.jpg" height="320" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiny Green Sputnik</td></tr>
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And finally, while not a
hanging ornament, this 3<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span> inch Alphonso Sea Urchin shell mushroom is, well,
ornamental. This is one of several "mantle mushrooms" I've "grown". Its turned wood stalk emerges
from a gnarly hunk of elm burl.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qmvyJLMypMjJamkalBbFKirrKCdf6eJptgecSAdsZA6gfkHxwHAW6FBNdHoqmVcMiNdRlhbep4iYm7QMac_7t1tiZzcMRc4HyMrSKf3xtqtdy3I4KBmRq09T4C67zIJRWlzfzRONYPk/s1600/OR59-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qmvyJLMypMjJamkalBbFKirrKCdf6eJptgecSAdsZA6gfkHxwHAW6FBNdHoqmVcMiNdRlhbep4iYm7QMac_7t1tiZzcMRc4HyMrSKf3xtqtdy3I4KBmRq09T4C67zIJRWlzfzRONYPk/s1600/OR59-1.jpg" height="400" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alphonso Sea Urchin Shell Toadstool</td></tr>
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These ornaments are available for purchase at <a href="http://www.timberturner.com/">Timberturner.com</a>.</div>
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Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-57753533168212807762015-03-01T12:53:00.001-05:002015-03-01T13:24:06.507-05:00What's That in the Wood Chips?It's been a memorable winter in Massachusetts, as in most of the other 47 lower states. Record cold. Record snow depths in some places. Reports of many birds, deprived of adequate foodstuffs, dying in the merciless below-zero conditions.<br />
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A potbelly woodstove is one of the most comforting possessions you could own when the thermometer's unable to muster more than a couple degrees above zero. Did you ever wonder how there could be temperatures <i>below</i> zero? Doesn't "zero" suggest there's just no heat left? What could be colder than that? Well, we've been supplied with the answer to that many times lately: <i>15 below zero</i> is colder than that, a lot colder! Yikes. Let's not even mention wind chill.<br />
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The thought of going out to the woodturning shack when the needle on the thermometer can't get out of its bed is, well, of the negative variety. That potbelly stove out there may be a godsend when it's aglow, but when its belly starts out at 20 below frostbite, eh, not so much. It's a lot easier to catch up on chores in the house then, where coincidentally it's dozens of degrees <i>above</i> frostbite.<br />
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So this morning, I was pondering the universally important things... why do I have two identical pairs of socks that don't match?; what's for breakfast besides oatmeal?; if snow is water, why isn't it clear?; how are the woodchips I dumped on the compost pile yesterday faring?<br />
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That last question seemed to be the most pressing, so I peered out the back window toward the aforementioned pile (trying not to focus on the outside thermometer, which peripheral vision determined was shivering around 10° F.). This is what I saw:<br />
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Somehow it's nice to know someone is guarding the woodchips.</div>
<br />Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-64368221400903970282015-02-23T18:09:00.000-05:002015-02-24T07:52:41.923-05:00Growing Salad BowlsBeing a wood turner and bowl maker means, among other things, that people will contact you with questions like "I have a tree that came down, and was wondering- can you make something for me from the wood?"<br />
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Such was the case last December when Greta called. "We have a large Norway maple that's been growing for many years at the corner of the house. It's going to be taken down in a few days; it's too close to the house and we're taking it down before it falls on the house. I was hoping to have some bowls made from it... can you do that?"<br />
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Greta said she'd be away for several days, but the tree crew would be dropping the trunk in the morning, so I told her to ask them to leave me a few lengths of the trunk. The following day, I took the 40-minute ride to her home to cut up and retrieve the log sections to make her bowls. <br />
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When I arrived at her home (it was several days before Christmas), it was raining (of course... it's always raining when I do this), it was cold (of course... it's always cold, or sweltering, when I do this). There was the Norway maple as described; there was the tree crew; there were the trunk sections. Just one complication- the trunk sections were still connected to each other and vertically stacked, forming a formidable tree-like structure. Dangling at the end of a rope from an upper limb, high above the roof,<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Norway maple, Patrice dangling from above</td></tr>
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was Patrice, the arborist, who was still removing limbs one at a time with his chainsaw. The trunk was still standing, rather stark looking with its leaves and many of its limbs gone.<br />
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Deciduous trees, unless graceful of form, don't look their Sunday best at this time of year; something reminiscent of a plucked bird. This one appeared to have been an attractive shade tree that framed one end of the large home. But here it stood, at least for a few more hours, in the gloomy gray of an early winter day, a jumble of its branches littering the ground at its feet, fresh wounds showing as bright spots along its trunk.<br />
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I find it disappointing to see large trees like this come down, especially in places where the impact of their disappearance so changes the ambience. I don't like that kind of change. It takes a lifetime to grow a reasonably large tree, and its demise can be all too quick. Big trees give a sense of permanence to a setting, often dominating the scene. They belong there. Everything else can be transient without dramatically altering the feeling of the place. But when the tree suddenly becomes empty space, the effect is negative. Maybe you never really noticed that huge, living structure, but now that it's gone ...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWk4A8Wobax_ucVn6cxixqcxcy_JljVU2-ihzOk9RWItfo4cL1oY6GcfypHgsM4g4oZN1PWbVMJOMdLkc2JELf9lF9pwNbTlhrXDSVKsATIE2W3UzXOgAGuCqXJow4TiBv4D74A6pfOL8/s1600/IMG_1512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWk4A8Wobax_ucVn6cxixqcxcy_JljVU2-ihzOk9RWItfo4cL1oY6GcfypHgsM4g4oZN1PWbVMJOMdLkc2JELf9lF9pwNbTlhrXDSVKsATIE2W3UzXOgAGuCqXJow4TiBv4D74A6pfOL8/s1600/IMG_1512.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's not a small tree</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I watched Patrice and his crew work for a little while, then, like a spider on a silk thread, he descended to earth. The trunk wasn't going to come down that day, just the crown, so we discussed what I needed from the tree, and he graciously agreed to cut suitable lengths for me to pick up on another day.<br />
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This was a substantial tree. And it's uncanny how it got bigger and bigger as I got closer and closer to it. Nevertheless, when I returned, the tree was down, and Patrice had kept his word. There were many hefty log sections on the lawn, among a logjam of limbs. Patrice was there, and wheeled his fork-fronted tractor over and deftly plucked several chunks out of the pile. He gently placed them down in a clear spot alongside the driveway, where I could work on them at my leisure. (Did I say <i>leisure</i>?)<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfdwv55SqpGXCpqLp_WCwBYk-KqvbPu04xRmyL79lKjcOfPvFm2kwaZcJAGMIoDMd7NqOqqEKpMspBON0BXWONmSQsJmn1Sm_1zEHSdn6GjT7fEE9GR7Q3pMV4YXQ0egNsCf2rfyYmTg/s1600/image(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfdwv55SqpGXCpqLp_WCwBYk-KqvbPu04xRmyL79lKjcOfPvFm2kwaZcJAGMIoDMd7NqOqqEKpMspBON0BXWONmSQsJmn1Sm_1zEHSdn6GjT7fEE9GR7Q3pMV4YXQ0egNsCf2rfyYmTg/s1600/image(3).jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A portion of the trunk and limbs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I went to work on them as Patrice and his crew were leaving. The logs were much too large in diameter to split them down the middle with sledge and wedge. Oh, I tried. If you've ever split wood, you're likely familiar with those green, fat bolts that spit a steel wedge right out at you upon the first whack from the sledge hammer. They're not going to make the job easy for you. It's like trying to split an inflated rubber truck tire. Not going to happen.<br />
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No, this was chainsaw work. I could barely move these things, let alone lift them into an suv. So they'd have to be sliced and diced into large bowl blanks then and there, just to make them small enough to get into the truck by myself.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iDvbagop4qNNFVfzG78YNDrxp1y_vcLGTxElX4VRfvH7jMhuhnlsAjAoaITOt6Vg-vmew6kH_g38XfypoHvMRzOl4yGVVtTVwyw6GezqRkGYNKEG9KhxsMyx9Ulxyi_kUIyM32itmYk/s1600/Greta+Wilcox-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iDvbagop4qNNFVfzG78YNDrxp1y_vcLGTxElX4VRfvH7jMhuhnlsAjAoaITOt6Vg-vmew6kH_g38XfypoHvMRzOl4yGVVtTVwyw6GezqRkGYNKEG9KhxsMyx9Ulxyi_kUIyM32itmYk/s1600/Greta+Wilcox-1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chunks to be worked on</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This being Norway maple, its wood was a pretty consistent white color, virtually no usable dark heartwood; what little there was had cracks already started.
The tree had a bit of rot visible in the trunk when it was still
standing, and I had hoped to find spalted wood in it, but found none.
That would have added interest to the plain wood.<br />
<br />
I spent several minutes contemplating the best orientation of the blanks I'd extract from these logs. I decided that natural-edged salad bowls were called for; the contour of the outer surface of the log would yield wavy-edged bowls which I reasoned would be more interesting than flat-rimmed bowls of this plain wood. A couple hours later, after careful cutting, I had a few hefty bowl blanks ready to go home with me. The wood still had plenty of sap in it, so the blanks were quite heavy. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzqwCR0K3U_snidA5MdJ1RwgmMvzFbdXYxfV5Bp-bQrUaxa0bjKh4UWTm00F2k5OvWm9CvCQkM-yMYBKXiMx9CgR1zy_KAUZCimce1oeu9yecPOyDvT2XZGub0Zi7QgXdVO4aotT_nlA/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzqwCR0K3U_snidA5MdJ1RwgmMvzFbdXYxfV5Bp-bQrUaxa0bjKh4UWTm00F2k5OvWm9CvCQkM-yMYBKXiMx9CgR1zy_KAUZCimce1oeu9yecPOyDvT2XZGub0Zi7QgXdVO4aotT_nlA/s1600/image.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reducing them to blanks (one is at right)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_-u4VMyGRVdCv3MHUBoJsgzy7KrHYGcmC5ceCQRX6EjWi24u4KNmBndFTqbFQL-aLVWHoMFW2T67P4exsADeSTybVoyE5Aq5nR_Rn06ETtq6deNXHAZDnk380z8YHj6i_afmW_ttNc_A/s1600/image(6).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_-u4VMyGRVdCv3MHUBoJsgzy7KrHYGcmC5ceCQRX6EjWi24u4KNmBndFTqbFQL-aLVWHoMFW2T67P4exsADeSTybVoyE5Aq5nR_Rn06ETtq6deNXHAZDnk380z8YHj6i_afmW_ttNc_A/s1600/image(6).jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top (bark) side of first bowl blank</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vFqqCXLvP5S9rHIV8Wx5LNywdx91KQJk8tMqptgBV4DlyK79pp7zNtGO-Z3f9adLPtTFUQowkZbOqR6YmizNY-aq5GTe1iF0C-x5c5O9kFpaBurnqMDPOdzvn5sHo_-KaA1RS96L_mo/s1600/image(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vFqqCXLvP5S9rHIV8Wx5LNywdx91KQJk8tMqptgBV4DlyK79pp7zNtGO-Z3f9adLPtTFUQowkZbOqR6YmizNY-aq5GTe1iF0C-x5c5O9kFpaBurnqMDPOdzvn5sHo_-KaA1RS96L_mo/s1600/image(4).jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One blank roughed to round</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Back at my shop, I quickly roughed out a set of salad bowls from the wet wood. I<i> </i>needed to get these big chunks of wet wood reduced in volume before they began to crack from the stresses that occur as the wood dries and shrinks.<br />
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Wood this wet literally sprays you with a shower of water as it spins on the lathe, due to the centrifugal force which ejects sap, like when a soggy dog shakes the water out of its coat.<br />
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The bowl walls were left thick at this stage because as the wood dries it will shrink and distort to an out-of round shape; hopefully, the bowls won't crack, but that's entirely possible. With thick enough walls, the dried bowls can later be put back on the lathe and re-turned to a round shape, and to final thickness.<br />
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Two months of drying, more turning, and <i>voila</i> ... salad bowls!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHUv3XCJZXDIwgO5seJyYmrfca9oNE1BSPTLLHl_qQ2N8bzi0R88MIIXGGPG0YjAEbbIYobTcaCmz7aER0j99ldREfBCKhMua6z-DFuMLQq95zqHoaXUtPsLEdXQUkamNoZijuvNWjEU/s1600/IMG_1671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHUv3XCJZXDIwgO5seJyYmrfca9oNE1BSPTLLHl_qQ2N8bzi0R88MIIXGGPG0YjAEbbIYobTcaCmz7aER0j99ldREfBCKhMua6z-DFuMLQq95zqHoaXUtPsLEdXQUkamNoZijuvNWjEU/s1600/IMG_1671.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPzGRxhl8Y8ezKhU9Na7WAjwNnydjTHsvZD2JGnVZmJEkhtz7NzgPQ2ZKjmaFwIqY1L4pOn4tK8rjDTEX86Y1sILQY8atS8LOH83l7ZjCrs7-SFDE8Smkj872_rUyrJOA_232Bc8G-OQ/s1600/IMG_1670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPzGRxhl8Y8ezKhU9Na7WAjwNnydjTHsvZD2JGnVZmJEkhtz7NzgPQ2ZKjmaFwIqY1L4pOn4tK8rjDTEX86Y1sILQY8atS8LOH83l7ZjCrs7-SFDE8Smkj872_rUyrJOA_232Bc8G-OQ/s1600/IMG_1670.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 17-inch salad bowl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXFLaxUi198z5k8-4KEIgV-TESA4gPwEr-mNE9-CZ_kPasThwjSfIomhhph_VushElvUxAJDwCzbMmpLxtwS-wbcyqzg6j2RUhdimSdO5XthLZV77bmxkLdRvCQIhrK9ZdAZHdboysmg/s1600/IMG_1672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXFLaxUi198z5k8-4KEIgV-TESA4gPwEr-mNE9-CZ_kPasThwjSfIomhhph_VushElvUxAJDwCzbMmpLxtwS-wbcyqzg6j2RUhdimSdO5XthLZV77bmxkLdRvCQIhrK9ZdAZHdboysmg/s1600/IMG_1672.JPG" height="271" width="320" /></a></div>
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With a renewable finish of beeswax and mineral oil, they're now ready to go.<br />
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And that's how you grow salad bowls.Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-35505378922074821732014-12-02T14:21:00.001-05:002015-01-12T11:12:05.797-05:00The Woodworking Show, New England - Jan 9-11, 2015<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
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Come see us at the New England <a href="http://www.thewoodworkingshows.com/webapp-shows/new-england" target="_blank">Woodworking Show</a>,
to be held at the "Big E" fairgrounds, West Springfield, MA. The annual
event draws woodworkers of all kinds from around New England and
elsewhere.<br />
<br />
I'll be joining other members of the <a href="http://wmasswoodturners.weebly.com/" target="_blank"><i>Western Mass</i> <i>Woodturners</i></a>
club in our booth there. We'll be promoting woodturning, and doing some
turning for you to see. If you're new to turning, or are curious about
it, this is a good opportunity to ask all those questions you've thought
about. And you're more than welcome to join the club, no matter what
your turning skill level may be. We help each other learn more about the
craft, and are happy to help newcomers get started. The club holds
monthly meetings, which include a live turning demo to learn from.<br />
<br />
This national show is a great chance to see woodworking equipment
vendors and demonstrators up close and personal, and to go home with
some good buys too. There's plenty to see (and buy!).<br />
<br />
The show runs Friday 12-6, Saturday 10-6, and Sunday 10-3. I'll be there
Friday and Saturday, but the club booth will be manned all three days.<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="color: #262626; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold;"></span> <br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="color: #262626; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold;"></span> <br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="color: #262626; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold;"></span> Hope to see you there.<br />
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<h3>
Update, Jan 12, 2015 </h3>
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The show was a success, and we kept three lathes busy for three days. Here are a few photos taken of our booth and members.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiulfviSWt1VkYZRcYWC-Qe8CAE0bDvJJLIVOwYxSTHcCvbL4OOGOXzp483oEwu_xst6v1_tRHOK2C85vo7OjB6FLicWZ1Pq0tA8IqbIojY81XbHC-FNEf913RS50Rslvd8kqFS4V6GCj0/s1600/IMG_1599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiulfviSWt1VkYZRcYWC-Qe8CAE0bDvJJLIVOwYxSTHcCvbL4OOGOXzp483oEwu_xst6v1_tRHOK2C85vo7OjB6FLicWZ1Pq0tA8IqbIojY81XbHC-FNEf913RS50Rslvd8kqFS4V6GCj0/s1600/IMG_1599.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark Lisowski turns for onlookers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXMiAlrtrMe16Da8QYQCDFMnLdSa_QCG14g5sSOLgdrBzDigWrFViYCj3KMMOiV44odGcZLGC19bkqRTmLLY-uoRiz_3qMiEUTIHD0YycGamv_7G-cAyb90Wrc4YsLR3isglr4kM5ZKg/s1600/IMG_1593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXMiAlrtrMe16Da8QYQCDFMnLdSa_QCG14g5sSOLgdrBzDigWrFViYCj3KMMOiV44odGcZLGC19bkqRTmLLY-uoRiz_3qMiEUTIHD0YycGamv_7G-cAyb90Wrc4YsLR3isglr4kM5ZKg/s1600/IMG_1593.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul Lajoie at work on a beech bowl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsk5nRENshQCNQ_amYmJu03ymgUDxDsRTErwKvBjL5mutxFnZLIZ133r_v9w6GA4eMKM7TuTA77oVimiqwynTL0aYugSRuoY0b1lLs01fQCCTLTR5nj5bIrCO2mg8ut0VWzbBTCfv-Eg/s1600/IMG_1608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsk5nRENshQCNQ_amYmJu03ymgUDxDsRTErwKvBjL5mutxFnZLIZ133r_v9w6GA4eMKM7TuTA77oVimiqwynTL0aYugSRuoY0b1lLs01fQCCTLTR5nj5bIrCO2mg8ut0VWzbBTCfv-Eg/s1600/IMG_1608.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very determined Dawn Kessel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXpeoh-bHSFclBrKd41V9DxZC6Y6nVyTnzB6TI90aSQdhxZRd_t8j0JvBCroD8FPsb1qw7wF7g0qHllVMGwsPFL41LTZm3HhtLIYiR3ZiEOSFNakh03GzVewQsokSRbmeDHDaRQ0QDqyo/s1600/IMG_1584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXpeoh-bHSFclBrKd41V9DxZC6Y6nVyTnzB6TI90aSQdhxZRd_t8j0JvBCroD8FPsb1qw7wF7g0qHllVMGwsPFL41LTZm3HhtLIYiR3ZiEOSFNakh03GzVewQsokSRbmeDHDaRQ0QDqyo/s1600/IMG_1584.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob Beauchesne makes a bowl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikPCLg5KVu1p_K-MoG5uQ77JobP4ZyY_Hv6q_QCZVU8vjyqFOrg6ytqPyk4BoPWOwoIE3RyHVoWoh-52sL50w39BbgkJrWl4Rx0M_31lfI4zxgQ8Wyw2HKWEoRPSaZG0kcGXpxg5PezxU/s1600/IMG_1602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikPCLg5KVu1p_K-MoG5uQ77JobP4ZyY_Hv6q_QCZVU8vjyqFOrg6ytqPyk4BoPWOwoIE3RyHVoWoh-52sL50w39BbgkJrWl4Rx0M_31lfI4zxgQ8Wyw2HKWEoRPSaZG0kcGXpxg5PezxU/s1600/IMG_1602.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Al Czellecz spinning a bud vase</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vP7QwAnPNXr8AUCAt7dQ8oDA0_ZEuhQ7wHUbZIF5z5FIS3VIT9ATYI-iwy4HPq7Q-2yfNq0rPx1cUbOJn8i9JHBlGoRf4X1dVD81OO3W7ObGcdWav5kqKQk_2-8Iw-4e3btCAXGGFtg/s1600/IMG_1583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vP7QwAnPNXr8AUCAt7dQ8oDA0_ZEuhQ7wHUbZIF5z5FIS3VIT9ATYI-iwy4HPq7Q-2yfNq0rPx1cUbOJn8i9JHBlGoRf4X1dVD81OO3W7ObGcdWav5kqKQk_2-8Iw-4e3btCAXGGFtg/s1600/IMG_1583.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scott Duncan and onlookers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6fHc5A8x3E1E_xc2U_BAnLnVETEjQdC63GPDpjBm9ftIZ8-nF74veNsn_P7EMRxrEAiebt1qlMdg6YlTFdTs4tvZQkMs1cHA6QCgzT42MgaEzt1bVRxI5UnHwO-FG3BnMhyPHgWFF598/s1600/IMG_1590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6fHc5A8x3E1E_xc2U_BAnLnVETEjQdC63GPDpjBm9ftIZ8-nF74veNsn_P7EMRxrEAiebt1qlMdg6YlTFdTs4tvZQkMs1cHA6QCgzT42MgaEzt1bVRxI5UnHwO-FG3BnMhyPHgWFF598/s1600/IMG_1590.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob Labrecque and a blurred bowl</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqyqu2gns1ASSNDGug1HjUChqkjRExu1AQZ4JXIMd_XLpVCyW3QTy4Ea4PBjNW32TQ28wm0OtLYt8JbNoKpo3larZI74IwTl137ZRDr_GFRCRgzs7OTv2dnC6beAwOv6QLiW84rhgvKII/s1600/IMG_1572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqyqu2gns1ASSNDGug1HjUChqkjRExu1AQZ4JXIMd_XLpVCyW3QTy4Ea4PBjNW32TQ28wm0OtLYt8JbNoKpo3larZI74IwTl137ZRDr_GFRCRgzs7OTv2dnC6beAwOv6QLiW84rhgvKII/s1600/IMG_1572.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Wellman at work</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3Lm2EcmT402kbQ7Ab5lC6sowjDVGsuZ3koC_8gSZozDUfmiDaYhPPRh14nH8UDZZYXD-Nc0sb7rf8ERb1eoz1OxKV4FS9zpz6MeLkimiCa6aHtBCz427lpV2h-5hyv-woAl1YMHo8Fc/s1600/IMG_1571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3Lm2EcmT402kbQ7Ab5lC6sowjDVGsuZ3koC_8gSZozDUfmiDaYhPPRh14nH8UDZZYXD-Nc0sb7rf8ERb1eoz1OxKV4FS9zpz6MeLkimiCa6aHtBCz427lpV2h-5hyv-woAl1YMHo8Fc/s1600/IMG_1571.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pen being turned by John Spinks</td></tr>
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<br />Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-55921184894538710282014-10-29T17:38:00.000-04:002014-11-01T15:31:30.762-04:00The Big Search for Big Birch <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We've all heard the old idiom, "You can't see the forest for the trees." But sometimes, we can't see the trees for the forest. </span>Have you been for walks in the woods when you're too busy yacking, or so deep in thought about life's pesky burdens, that you take no notice of the individual trees standing sentry along your path?<br />
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That's understandable. Even those of us whose purpose in a sylvan safari is to seek out the finest, largest, and oldest stationary dwellers of the forest can sometimes be guilty of same. We might overlook a tree, rather than look it over.<br />
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Some twenty-five to thirty years ago, on one of my first jaunts with Bob Leverett and his son Rob (both zealots on the quest to find and document the biggest and best of each tree species east of the Rockies), I recall us descending a forested ridge in the Connecticut River valley and coming upon a fat, handsome tree I didn't immediately recognize. Actually, it might be that I didn't recognize it at all; that, I can't recall for sure. But the image of that tree stamped an impression in my memory that has lasted to this day. What was that tree? It was a black birch, <i>Betula</i> lenta, also commonly known as "sweet birch".<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIkEQbHOW8HKRfOw2UzLSpgrT9ol7umsr_G-OtowbN2CqY-fQgiqbGCK80pSbvID6oU71ma7f2yRPWny44sGun10jsElTeWeC3F_K1iKgmixfDZiYNLwvvhqSSHEyoy1F2HWjuQHLUX0/s1600/IMG_1323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIkEQbHOW8HKRfOw2UzLSpgrT9ol7umsr_G-OtowbN2CqY-fQgiqbGCK80pSbvID6oU71ma7f2yRPWny44sGun10jsElTeWeC3F_K1iKgmixfDZiYNLwvvhqSSHEyoy1F2HWjuQHLUX0/s1600/IMG_1323.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The young and familiar black birch</td></tr>
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I, like most others in the northeast, was accustomed to black birch being a bean pole of a thing, tall perhaps, but typically no more than 6 or 7 inches in diameter, occasionally maybe 10 inches. And instantly recognizable with its smooth, dark bark (any doubt could be removed by scratching the bark off a twig and sampling that wonderful wintergreen aroma).<br />
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Bob has spent every available moment of the last thirty-something years, and more, exploring older forests all over eastern North America, painstakingly measuring the tallest and biggest trees he can find. He was never much impressed with the spindly black birches so typically encountered here in New England. But, being especially tuned in to tree heights, he did take note that there are at least two places in Western Mass where they have attained much greater heights than most sources would have us believe. And the fact that the generally reported height statistics quoted for a tree species are inaccurate and understated finally weighed upon his conscience, I guess, and he has set out to correct the birch's record.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob, measuring Black Birch</td></tr>
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If you consult field guides or internet sources, you'll likely find a range of maximum height specs for black birch of 40 to 80 feet or so. Well, 40 feet is ludicrous for a black birch max height; 80 is much more reasonable, given the current state of our typical second growth forests. But Bob and cohorts have already located many black birches that easily surpass 80 feet, and soar to well over 100 feet. <br />
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So this year, we've begun searching out the biggest and best of the Bay state's black birches. Bob is assembling a growth profile on the species. Other tree enthusiasts in the Native Tree Society are on a similar mission in other states. As a result of this hunt, several of us have come to appreciate the beauty of older specimens of this attractive tree. And that's what prompted me to write this.<br />
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<h4>
The Past</h4>
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Historically, black birch was valued for an extract of its wood known as oil of wintergreen, which was used as a flavoring agent. Enter modern chemistry: we don't need a forest anymore, just a well equipped food additive lab.<br />
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Its aromatic sap was fermented into birch beer. Not at the top of the beverage list these days.<br />
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Today, there's a bit of a resurgence of interest in tapping these trees to boil sap down to birch syrup, but it takes over 100 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. Economics declares that a folly.<br />
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Black birch lumber was harvested heavily in days gone by, and many an Appalachian sawmill prospered from it. The wood, when aged or stained, was considered a substitute for mahogany by furniture makers, and led to a couple of the tree's common names, "mountain mahogany," and "mahogany birch". In those now-nostalgic days, Appalachian cove forests were home ground to gorgeous virgin birches, which were quickly exploited. The big ones are gone.<br />
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<h4>
The Second Growth</h4>
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Black birch has a habit of rocketing upwards into whatever openings in the canopy there may be above it. Accumulating girth seems to be a secondary goal.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6NjNDx1DVtga3YpysVeQ5LrX4XPCxNEnZ0mzKNzQueEAc6tfKdpRaJgIA45nQjmOxiX8k78nAV0Qs9T8NraJ1G4GCaI5DXWp_TbDhopQAdcjVO5d-V053XlsilQEQG6z_8cH2eTVv4M/s1600/P1110821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6NjNDx1DVtga3YpysVeQ5LrX4XPCxNEnZ0mzKNzQueEAc6tfKdpRaJgIA45nQjmOxiX8k78nAV0Qs9T8NraJ1G4GCaI5DXWp_TbDhopQAdcjVO5d-V053XlsilQEQG6z_8cH2eTVv4M/s1600/P1110821.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A left turn puts it in the sun up there</td></tr>
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It will bend and zig-zag its way up to flutter its foliage in sunlight, and it apparently can do that very quickly. When it has gained its place in the sun at canopy-top level, it slowly begins to put on girth, but it can be in the neighborhood of 150 years old or more before its diameter will impress anyone, particularly the lumber trade. That fact explains the relative lack of interest there is today in harvesting black birch for lumber... there aren't any left of large enough diameter to bother with! And it explains why, when we encounter black birches in the forest today, they usually don't command our attention. But time will change that, if we can refrain from culling them from our forests. Economically, it's difficult to justify granting trees a 150 or 200 year lifespan. But aesthetically, and ecologically, it's more than worth the wait.<br />
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Now that our virgin forests have been cut, the black birch we have today is mostly of small diameter, up to maybe 10 or 12 inches, occasionally a bit more. They may be rather tall however, due to their habit of soaring up to the canopy; that makes them appear spindly, for the most part. On these thinner trunks, the bark will still be youthfully smooth, or in the initial stages of breaking up into plates. This is the image most people today have of black birch.<br />
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There are, though, some places where they've had enough time to fatten up a bit, and acquire a more fitting stature. Those are the kinds of places we're searching. The older, larger trees sometimes tend to be in the kind of place that most people won't go: steep slopes and boulder fields, or at least off-trail in the less traveled woods. Black birches appear to be on the increase too, taking the place of some of the American chestnuts that have been wiped out by the blight. And with the loss of many hemlock stands to the woolly adelgid, the birches are gaining more territory there.<br />
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The birches have very tiny seeds, which require contact with mineral soil to successfully put down roots. They don't have the stored energy to sink roots down through the forest floor duff to reach soil. They therefore sprout on exposed soil, such as the "pillow" mound created when another tree is wind thrown and uprooted; or on the thin layer of "soil" that may have accumulated on a rock ledge or boulder. Sometimes on a stump.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrICXwgN8VBKzzOBqPWXuKsIvRxW202wXKJDdqeZBbWA_lgGrAuITWYLW-K7-wpGCYGo9Emuat6Sei1wyHPjREi_la-AbTv4dXOz0hjOeeoj8W1h7WRdsSWmLF_hJIhDjyvb57M10WHw0/s1600/IMG_1317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrICXwgN8VBKzzOBqPWXuKsIvRxW202wXKJDdqeZBbWA_lgGrAuITWYLW-K7-wpGCYGo9Emuat6Sei1wyHPjREi_la-AbTv4dXOz0hjOeeoj8W1h7WRdsSWmLF_hJIhDjyvb57M10WHw0/s1600/IMG_1317.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A birch perch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-aBQ8TlwXlx_C6_4scQytwBYVWtF3O_TT6cyqr5wh1vbyVlyoi-swtG93amlDubVsVP4BZWT-zP2mQYt-3_-VPUd9J8bO1yphEV_N_Frfjn5mXpMreHqB_qwYZGCm68mVNTVqCZ3vBCQ/s1600/IMG_1354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-aBQ8TlwXlx_C6_4scQytwBYVWtF3O_TT6cyqr5wh1vbyVlyoi-swtG93amlDubVsVP4BZWT-zP2mQYt-3_-VPUd9J8bO1yphEV_N_Frfjn5mXpMreHqB_qwYZGCm68mVNTVqCZ3vBCQ/s1600/IMG_1354.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where'd the stump go?</td></tr>
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When they've put their roots down on a pillow mound, it often happens that the exposed soil mound gets washed away from under the tree with a little time, leaving the growing tree "on tiptoes". Or, if on a stump, the stump rots away. <br />
Yellow birches are famous for this, but it's not unusual to find black birches in the same comical predicament. More commonly, black birches seem to be drawn to boulders (at least in western Mass), often wrapping roots on and around them, seemingly <br />
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clutching the rocks tightly in their talons. We've seen so much of that, that I've taken to declaring "every black birch has its rock." If it isn't wrapping around the rock, it's at least standing right next to it. They can often be found growing out of the crevices of boulders.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKQbDlTsD_NpRXjVEpanBoPyY35aXHxyjW7fhrEUVXjg6EixiedNSc1wXTt3JSw23I-uQxwnpYVuyolNUmEsHBqi4HfYogNFhuGL8FlnA0prKqoyHk0eOqPP8-ym3Z2tqSA1yk0dPkQ4/s1600/P1120170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKQbDlTsD_NpRXjVEpanBoPyY35aXHxyjW7fhrEUVXjg6EixiedNSc1wXTt3JSw23I-uQxwnpYVuyolNUmEsHBqi4HfYogNFhuGL8FlnA0prKqoyHk0eOqPP8-ym3Z2tqSA1yk0dPkQ4/s1600/P1120170.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Birch "on the rocks"</td></tr>
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<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
Reading the Bark</h4>
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A close look reveals that young black birch bark has a pattern of horizontal bumpy ridges, called "lenticels". These are pores that allow the tree to exchange gases with the atmosphere. The inner bark can carry on some photosynthesis, as the leaves do, and takes in carbon dioxide through the lenticels in the process, and gives off oxygen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAP1N3RDRLy8qb7vCo0bBv1sYAEz9zvMm2pDh03PFk5gLFscqr1JMWpBMIWw9e1DQtwibYP3R2EtzCfjf-WmvDQhDdi1xVpa0_OqJouyXHez7aKbk1dJWBc-bKZJmnvKT2v42TM7dZuI/s1600/IMG_1294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAP1N3RDRLy8qb7vCo0bBv1sYAEz9zvMm2pDh03PFk5gLFscqr1JMWpBMIWw9e1DQtwibYP3R2EtzCfjf-WmvDQhDdi1xVpa0_OqJouyXHez7aKbk1dJWBc-bKZJmnvKT2v42TM7dZuI/s1600/IMG_1294.JPG" height="320" width="190" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lenticels on young tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9xman2YkrZQBydE-oHxkvGDuJOg71-_e6rk3AUcEpAjFcVj22FQybD5BVPm1ePaf4eRvbk15GWIZDgoHcHZ14nOFueu0mqQfhZOagYM3NkxRZLI0ofdkCyuQMbDnAKGFmN0pv1UwlE4/s1600/IMG_1296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9xman2YkrZQBydE-oHxkvGDuJOg71-_e6rk3AUcEpAjFcVj22FQybD5BVPm1ePaf4eRvbk15GWIZDgoHcHZ14nOFueu0mqQfhZOagYM3NkxRZLI0ofdkCyuQMbDnAKGFmN0pv1UwlE4/s1600/IMG_1296.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bark beginning to split</td></tr>
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As the young tree grows and adds to its circumference, its smooth bark is stretched and begins to split. The cracks expand with time and growth, breaking the bark into plates that tend to curl away from the tree at their edges. Lenticels can still be seen on the plates at this stage. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKj_yWUm1s4cGA9HEcs2Ee3kIUtN4ns4a3s49Y9za9tfCvGWdf_v0SXh3wDIXDm5gwKM3cl37cl3NicKytrRPTYmt9wYu7lzSymaJt-LOaKciXhFrUr-Z9ucpC6my6mKxqj-l2NupGNk4/s1600/IMG_1298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKj_yWUm1s4cGA9HEcs2Ee3kIUtN4ns4a3s49Y9za9tfCvGWdf_v0SXh3wDIXDm5gwKM3cl37cl3NicKytrRPTYmt9wYu7lzSymaJt-LOaKciXhFrUr-Z9ucpC6my6mKxqj-l2NupGNk4/s1600/IMG_1298.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lenticels still visible on curling plates</td></tr>
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New bark is being grown under this initial layer, and can be seen between the plates. Many trees have a shaggy look as the plates slowly curl and slough off. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwpKMLWGwkomua0E50ylyWmuaIHka4Sh1Z8mUstgBPhLjVQa0Qm2PEllCPt4otxnORIbUBc55VwXD0og8s_nf_thj0Hoe5XDRC7UPPSkgm-GqDPxSu0xB2qmaHQKtQXeiD7Mv5vPGUas/s1600/IMG_1313-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwpKMLWGwkomua0E50ylyWmuaIHka4Sh1Z8mUstgBPhLjVQa0Qm2PEllCPt4otxnORIbUBc55VwXD0og8s_nf_thj0Hoe5XDRC7UPPSkgm-GqDPxSu0xB2qmaHQKtQXeiD7Mv5vPGUas/s1600/IMG_1313-001.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shaggy look</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Eventually, the curled, loose portion of the original plates are shed or eroded away. I suspect that the area of the plate that isn't curled away remains in place for a long time, resulting in a look of smaller, scaly strips. Each year, new bark tissue is added by the cambium layer under the existing bark (as in all trees), thickening the bark, and lenticels are no longer so apparent. With time, the bark takes on the look of the tree shown below ("A <i>very</i> old black birch").<br />
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<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzGfB9jI8rESXc6StEQiMH-5NyMCiKJPKGP34ubxR_MOS5BPPP7NwvAnq8CxDUSbzPHpFbkUF8FEeK4PTGgbGV1GQ_8V3_X511_ajzTrX33ISB1bDi7KSIZQIIbi9uQaEw2ttYWocIMZ8/s1600/IMG_1219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzGfB9jI8rESXc6StEQiMH-5NyMCiKJPKGP34ubxR_MOS5BPPP7NwvAnq8CxDUSbzPHpFbkUF8FEeK4PTGgbGV1GQ_8V3_X511_ajzTrX33ISB1bDi7KSIZQIIbi9uQaEw2ttYWocIMZ8/s1600/IMG_1219.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An older black birch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BdcE88kiCYbRPAwd81pi3Ymy18E2cydNDRdd2KBVCA1qbyqBurf7ppYWAG2XuxonmU2KSHYv8-rO29XfvBYbNpPZ0b7xNvD5c2Qq9poI4GR716b9PXUuIRkfjFzwKZbOx6vlOqb2guM/s1600/IMG_1329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BdcE88kiCYbRPAwd81pi3Ymy18E2cydNDRdd2KBVCA1qbyqBurf7ppYWAG2XuxonmU2KSHYv8-rO29XfvBYbNpPZ0b7xNvD5c2Qq9poI4GR716b9PXUuIRkfjFzwKZbOx6vlOqb2guM/s1600/IMG_1329.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A <i>very</i> old black birch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</h4>
On many older black birches, a wonderful greenish-blue color of algae and/or lichen appears on
the bark, particularly close to ground level. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDa3BONJMSqUt109f_-c6rhrhTEnL3T6me1OGf5oruJsyNroTf-iATt77HUKI7OYOb9e9wiWELM-KeFXtRRRnpfUAE-20E7Zx3C9POiLdzsyu7gx5CKYAguUqQ1GFfcZP0MAuxgXJARvU/s1600/IMG_1216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDa3BONJMSqUt109f_-c6rhrhTEnL3T6me1OGf5oruJsyNroTf-iATt77HUKI7OYOb9e9wiWELM-KeFXtRRRnpfUAE-20E7Zx3C9POiLdzsyu7gx5CKYAguUqQ1GFfcZP0MAuxgXJARvU/s1600/IMG_1216.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The greenish-blue look, and moss</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4>
Here and Now</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
Luckily, we in western Massachusetts have a small treasury of really handsome black birches, in at least several locations. There are plenty of sites with the typical young trees, those dusky black poles we're accustomed to. But then there's the exceptional trees that many probably wouldn't recognize as black birch. Their bark has been stretched by expanding girth to the point where the once-smooth skin is now cracked and broken into strips and plates. A very few old trees we've found so far have aged beyond that stage, and the bark is more rugged looking, and tighter to the tree once again.<br />
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Black birch favors rich, moist soil, and so is generally found in cool Appalachian mountain coves and hills. The older, larger trees we've found in western Massachusetts often have symptoms of those cold, wet conditions, in the form of moss moccasins on their feet, and algae aprons on their hides. Set against the dark bark, the colors are stunning.<br />
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These trees, these special ones, are so much more pleasing in appearance than the youngsters. They've acquired that certain, yet uncertain, look. You can't quite describe it adequately, but these old-timers have seen some years, and they speak of that. They've survived the elements, having been shaped and colored by them. They lean, they recurve. They glow with cool hues. They spread their toes in moist leafy earth. They clutch the rocks in a tight grip on their precarious perches.<br />
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If you know where older black birches can be found in New England, we'd like to hear about them. Enjoy now some of the best we've been lucky enough to come to know ....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzoZPJyEVjEZ1Q4Nf4P46s9Rz61tTrxIajmg2wTUONLK6avkX50b3LEkuPV4AetxY_-fsEpMnloXr57SBYWfzFcNcuhrXR1ldk2dpWb84SvMaCBMVLxNbDUF0d__ZLKvJk43r-qp4X6s/s1600/P1120380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzoZPJyEVjEZ1Q4Nf4P46s9Rz61tTrxIajmg2wTUONLK6avkX50b3LEkuPV4AetxY_-fsEpMnloXr57SBYWfzFcNcuhrXR1ldk2dpWb84SvMaCBMVLxNbDUF0d__ZLKvJk43r-qp4X6s/s1600/P1120380.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiecaKQt98qm8uVv1Dxp2pRccCEmS39F1gpyzkCcRKyBzrLFERMBjmTgH7gZeBvMdqRYtzlAPi4aOUnE0UDmpVcWSXyA-0AeYhz7P4bpjY4tbwrA6FXxAuSZizayH3q3Tvxc75cSf6NM/s1600/IMG_1205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiecaKQt98qm8uVv1Dxp2pRccCEmS39F1gpyzkCcRKyBzrLFERMBjmTgH7gZeBvMdqRYtzlAPi4aOUnE0UDmpVcWSXyA-0AeYhz7P4bpjY4tbwrA6FXxAuSZizayH3q3Tvxc75cSf6NM/s1600/IMG_1205.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Green Giant</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOeCAaKPDCjKD60kNuImOCIuYxqTAXxZCfCJD__2flEosSCXN5nr-YQ_kkm_21nfqlkBykGazwClI2suNZ9Zr4D-dsnr-L0ulhLqqp9OPLlh6i2Fko9p2ezdKIZPS6v8JEglS6Kf9B_eQ/s1600/IMG_1212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOeCAaKPDCjKD60kNuImOCIuYxqTAXxZCfCJD__2flEosSCXN5nr-YQ_kkm_21nfqlkBykGazwClI2suNZ9Zr4D-dsnr-L0ulhLqqp9OPLlh6i2Fko9p2ezdKIZPS6v8JEglS6Kf9B_eQ/s1600/IMG_1212.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arnie Paye, Frank White measure a beauty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrdSb9ZLypeiP9vt6Tpp0IdZLFhCRWTFgEyJbvIpCnyJJjAeb4WE8Nc5_5raOHOqVGUgkrnvoFQSPuovIX5vfzJuy0aWvTfPIXk8Vd_QVhYNd9JSdsft_lfEnXplg5vzhyphenhyphentzAvBsUlpc/s1600/P1120366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrdSb9ZLypeiP9vt6Tpp0IdZLFhCRWTFgEyJbvIpCnyJJjAeb4WE8Nc5_5raOHOqVGUgkrnvoFQSPuovIX5vfzJuy0aWvTfPIXk8Vd_QVhYNd9JSdsft_lfEnXplg5vzhyphenhyphentzAvBsUlpc/s1600/P1120366.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barbara Bosworth, Bill Finn at 9.2 ft circumference birch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBpJxlpx1s-u4vNc8HDY4m-rYSglDTB_yZkjycSdDbl5IwEAasYawQBg8GVtBy5iX3osBMpP3o5_eJtGodcPr8IEWsx3tGGb8Toqjh_3Pzu-FkHBz4HTtQ2r6fvYorF6EFv9WHXC9N50/s1600/P1110813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBpJxlpx1s-u4vNc8HDY4m-rYSglDTB_yZkjycSdDbl5IwEAasYawQBg8GVtBy5iX3osBMpP3o5_eJtGodcPr8IEWsx3tGGb8Toqjh_3Pzu-FkHBz4HTtQ2r6fvYorF6EFv9WHXC9N50/s1600/P1110813.JPG" height="640" width="388" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In an old growth Berkshires forest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0Vt-92fUcNhDSWXknn7zTx7hSsZf0DXr0jipQRKvwkMXfiID_YXoP-n57x9tsOqGOcGIdthiOfWrYAsx0wD2fcEbcCJX26l8p_nsKRebNaxDT9uRCpergUQEDS8JI_BMIMgJpLzRO9s/s1600/P1110865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0Vt-92fUcNhDSWXknn7zTx7hSsZf0DXr0jipQRKvwkMXfiID_YXoP-n57x9tsOqGOcGIdthiOfWrYAsx0wD2fcEbcCJX26l8p_nsKRebNaxDT9uRCpergUQEDS8JI_BMIMgJpLzRO9s/s1600/P1110865.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another old growth forest birch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill Finn admiring an old forest denizen on a talus slope</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwabciCu2IrclQRlNwPP6HkY_bCUNMLmKuxoqlSG3vjCVM4G45pbOJQPgQQyzUKt1wMxWX7hAoNBlYMnjdRTGVAcw1qa1w1ENZTtot5uGrAadMd6OERAOjhg8OvHdQ2HjMu19fHnQh9E/s1600/P1120083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwabciCu2IrclQRlNwPP6HkY_bCUNMLmKuxoqlSG3vjCVM4G45pbOJQPgQQyzUKt1wMxWX7hAoNBlYMnjdRTGVAcw1qa1w1ENZTtot5uGrAadMd6OERAOjhg8OvHdQ2HjMu19fHnQh9E/s1600/P1120083.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tall black birch beauty in a cove</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A black birch and its rock</td></tr>
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Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-73340161595107309932014-09-11T16:05:00.000-04:002014-12-06T16:05:42.764-05:00Global Worming Well friends, here we go again. There's a long list of threats to our forests that have come about as a result of our human activities. Now there's another serious invasive pest, one that we have welcomed, and thought was completely beneficial; one that has insidious behavior, yet seems so benign and desirable to have around. It's advancing into our northeastern forests, altering their composition, even destroying them. And there's <i>nothing</i> we can do to stop it. <br />
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What hideous critter is this?<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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Scientists call it "Lumbricus terrestris". Most of us know it better as ........... the <b><i>nightcrawler</i></b> ! Actually, it's not just the nightcrawler that's a problem, but a number of earthworm species, none of which belong here.<br />
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<h3>
What It Was, What It Should Be</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhNQHtEq3rNvVpxdc_pl1drPFjVF2e93Q-wH1YC3g_cbTvNnKjbdBbMm0NAwtjtxBXeIjfNiMPi2W_JfkSSIp9jt-DtL1FeKbJ88cOC__65_GiapkjicfFRI84ployhNUDnjaTzhOxyY/s1600/P1090921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhNQHtEq3rNvVpxdc_pl1drPFjVF2e93Q-wH1YC3g_cbTvNnKjbdBbMm0NAwtjtxBXeIjfNiMPi2W_JfkSSIp9jt-DtL1FeKbJ88cOC__65_GiapkjicfFRI84ployhNUDnjaTzhOxyY/s1600/P1090921.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old growth forest floor </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Ten thousand and more years ago, huge glaciers covered the northern portion of our continent, as far south as New Jersey in the east, west through the Great Lakes region to the west coast. No native earthworm species, if they were here prior to the glaciers, survived under the ice sheets, which were thousands of feet thick. In the post-glacial period, our forests grew back, following the melting glaciers northward. But earthworms only advance a couple dozen feet or so a year, so they didn't move northward as fast as the glaciers retreated; thus, our northern forests have existed for millennia without them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVreD8oER6JRpZ27I9FCDFGmQEr0NZIl020sr2iAfzUuwpYawpaqJWsblvHsAp-aJjOwJr89a2Bxa45zANJ2wg3rbcCcu3M9k0j-sTkIdcouPvBnFZNPbswJzJsymE9tCzbX7kI3HdMc/s1600/P1110680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVreD8oER6JRpZ27I9FCDFGmQEr0NZIl020sr2iAfzUuwpYawpaqJWsblvHsAp-aJjOwJr89a2Bxa45zANJ2wg3rbcCcu3M9k0j-sTkIdcouPvBnFZNPbswJzJsymE9tCzbX7kI3HdMc/s1600/P1110680.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old growth hardwood forest-- no worm damage</td></tr>
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Each autumn, as leaves fell, they accumulated on the forest floor; they were slowly decomposed by fungi and other organisms. But the breakdown was slow, and the organic duff layer was thick on the forest floor; in fact, that's what the duff layer is known as: "the forest floor". <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_x4TuK2ZtExvgx9ipNiuEZxc9AArxw9RIxC75Yw00f9Bpm3MFKFeXZH1M1ZY_etqOCI6Djbbt-8Ma5OeHu1K62kPy7UiF4R3OG3hdTr6d7xjXSuX-ATuG1LyuspzGpp1dZUFjFUjzW90/s1600/P1090132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_x4TuK2ZtExvgx9ipNiuEZxc9AArxw9RIxC75Yw00f9Bpm3MFKFeXZH1M1ZY_etqOCI6Djbbt-8Ma5OeHu1K62kPy7UiF4R3OG3hdTr6d7xjXSuX-ATuG1LyuspzGpp1dZUFjFUjzW90/s1600/P1090132.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good duff layer, with green growth</td></tr>
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Understory plants, including wildflowers, shrubs, and tree seedlings, take root in that layer, which lies above the mineral soil. They depend upon that carpet of duff for nutrients, and as a rooting medium. In a good site, without worms, that layer can be 4 or 5 inches deep. It is an insulating blanket, helping to protect from freezing temperatures in winter, and hot, drying conditions in summer. It's the zone where most rooting takes place, because the duff is well aerated and spongy (you can feel that as you walk on it), holds moisture, and contains the most organic nutrients. Roots that penetrate below the floor layer into the soil act as anchoring roots, but most nutrient uptake is done in the compost-like duff.<br />
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In an undisturbed forest, that floor layer becomes a giant web of mycorrhizae, which are root cells modified by the presence of certain fungi. Fungi can't photosynthesize like green plants do, so they can't manufacture their own food. Instead, they either obtain it by decomposing organic matter (in the case of one class of fungi), or through a complex partnership with plant roots (mycorrhizal fungi). In the latter case, the fungi help to make nutrients and water available to the plants, which in turn surrender food to the fungus. It's a symbiotic relationship, each partner benefiting from the other. (As an interesting side note, it's been reported that the largest organism on Earth is a fungus in Oregon that is thousands of years old, and occupies nearly 2400 acres!).<br />
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The largest percentage of plant and tree species (80% or more) have mycorrhizal relationships, which are highly important to plants, particularly in poor soils. Mycorrhizae excel at gathering phosphorous from the soil, and trees in nutrient-poor soil do far better when they can form mycorrhizae. That's how a proper forest should be working.<br />
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<h3>
But Here's the Problem</h3>
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Where the non-native earthworms have invaded the hardwood forests, they rapidly eat newly fallen leaves and twigs, consuming the duff layer, and mixing it into the lower soil layers via their movements into the ground. The duff layer is not replenished as quickly as it is eaten, and disappears. Earthworm activity dramatically decreases the mycorrhizal relationships, and thereby harms the plants that rely on them and the duff layer. The makeup of the soil layers is changed, to the detriment of the forest community that has occupied the land for millennia. Worms break up the organic layer to the point where important elements such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and carbon are leached deeper into the soil, where young plant roots simply can't reach them. Herbaceous plants can virtually disappear, leaving the ground barren and brown. Compare this photo of stark, worm-damaged woods to those of the undamaged old growth forests above:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nJLVJ-8tNQY12a4YBlTLoUCBRi4GhqApG44ld2uZS4hrqY9a4no9H-bhTwB_Y7FwHBZRHVv3VLfhrdnn_P-sLtBOUkHUoPPEdhf82d0zGiF7rH-JDUyx06em12YtkBOlDW7PjQbVZ7s/s1600/P1110881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nJLVJ-8tNQY12a4YBlTLoUCBRi4GhqApG44ld2uZS4hrqY9a4no9H-bhTwB_Y7FwHBZRHVv3VLfhrdnn_P-sLtBOUkHUoPPEdhf82d0zGiF7rH-JDUyx06em12YtkBOlDW7PjQbVZ7s/s1600/P1110881.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Worm damaged forest</td></tr>
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Pretty unattractive, isn't it? Notice how there's no duff under the thin layer of leaves (not to mention the obvious lack of green plant life on the ground). The photo was taken in early September, 2014, at the height of the growing season, in a suburban forest.<br />
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There are some plant species that don't participate in mycorrhizal relationships, and may survive the onslaught. So you may see a diminished complex of plants, with a sparse variety of species, with things still looking green. For example, Pennsylvania sedge may take over the area. You may find Jack-in-the-pulpit, or False Solomon's Seal. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMyHrdjTePvMKjwVN6700lEOx2U_UK-kPIrw7cHZTHUldjORsl7VLCnJ8Is5YM3dCQDEo4eIBc0I-AoD9kS-P5IbNdS8N2wFlVdVTvWvss7PhPlbuftEyau-kaNrNUkanDJNoBy08jQI/s1600/P1110899.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMyHrdjTePvMKjwVN6700lEOx2U_UK-kPIrw7cHZTHUldjORsl7VLCnJ8Is5YM3dCQDEo4eIBc0I-AoD9kS-P5IbNdS8N2wFlVdVTvWvss7PhPlbuftEyau-kaNrNUkanDJNoBy08jQI/s1600/P1110899.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oak leaves are last to go</td></tr>
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Some of the trees that appear to be particularly sensitive to the disappearance of the forest floor layer are Sugar Maple, Red Maple, Red Oak, Basswood, Serviceberry (Shadbush), and Hophornbeam. Their seedlings don't do well without the duff's benefits. Ash seedlings, however, can do well (but they're under severe attack now by the Emerald Ash Borer). Nightcrawlers prefer to eat the most nutritious leaves, so the fallen basswood and maple leaves tend to go first; when they're gone, oak leaves will be eaten. The population of worms will be greater in the forests with the greatest quantities of the leaves they prefer, so basswood/maple forests tend to be affected more than oak/beech woods.<br />
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The forest is a complex ecosystem, so animal species are also affected. With the presence of earthworms and resultant loss of the floor layer, tiny invertebrates and microscopic organisms decline, which can affect the entire food web, from amphibians and reptiles to birds, small mammals, and large mammals. Salamanders, for instance, go into decline because their young can't find enough of the duff layer-resident food they depend on. And with the drying of the uppermost ground layer, their habitat is degraded.<br />
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<h3>
Where do these earthworms come from?</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
In the northern reaches of the U.S., where glaciers occurred, there are <i>no</i> native earthworms. It's believed that the non-native ones that are found here were first brought in ships from Europe. Soil was used as ballast in the holds of those ships, and it no doubt contained earthworms. Potted plants were also brought here over time. So that's what started it all. Now, we also have some from Asia. The movement of the invasion front radiates outward from wherever the worms are introduced; it happens much more quickly as a result of human activities than from the natural advancement of the worms.<br />
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Now that the worms have become established, we spread them by various means. We move topsoil from one location to another; fishermen may discard unused bait worms; gardeners encourage them in compost piles; well-intended community composting sites provide soil containing worms to anyone who wants it; landscaping practices move plants with soil and worms long distances. But eggs can also be transported in soil caught in the tread of tires.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASmuzzOcMHQ7NCURE23TuDV9lCbDI3rvgf-MKsmRiIccJH84sDDQLKGZKeardUt3rDwYKTNy32TYDy61gGr8UYdHFOMhITm6ZrZVSQkVxiqOKkKA8qhg2UFaQf9fGgQzpZcMZ-If8YRY/s1600/P1110884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASmuzzOcMHQ7NCURE23TuDV9lCbDI3rvgf-MKsmRiIccJH84sDDQLKGZKeardUt3rDwYKTNy32TYDy61gGr8UYdHFOMhITm6ZrZVSQkVxiqOKkKA8qhg2UFaQf9fGgQzpZcMZ-If8YRY/s1600/P1110884.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Line of demarcation (damaged to the right)</td></tr>
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<h3>
See it for yourself</h3>
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You can see the loss of the forest floor layer for yourself, where these non-native earthworms have become established in the north. On their own, they advance slowly (thank goodness), and so there is often a fairly stark line of demarcation between the area where the worms are and where their presence ends. Look in hardwood forests (coniferous forests are less impacted) where you suspect these worms might be. During the growing season, there should normally be an obvious herbaceous plant community on the forest floor in most hardwood forests. That will probably be the case in more remote forests, where there has been little or no human development.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIZilQJjrDuF7SCJfyIsNbdJgqrg-i9-QmuRfBOG4OavHwu4XPm21VH-ZT4nVLpomeLvssWaUANlBruqG_4nusjPMF_RYE3uXCD3REtwfiriGlkx4P77PS742fdULr5sSR6W2iuCdym4/s1600/P1110886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIZilQJjrDuF7SCJfyIsNbdJgqrg-i9-QmuRfBOG4OavHwu4XPm21VH-ZT4nVLpomeLvssWaUANlBruqG_4nusjPMF_RYE3uXCD3REtwfiriGlkx4P77PS742fdULr5sSR6W2iuCdym4/s1600/P1110886.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No duff layer under newest leaves</td></tr>
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But in many areas with more recent human activity, you may find areas where there is little green growth on the forest floor. If so, you'll see last autumn's readily recognizable fallen leaves on the ground; brush the leaves away with your hands. If earthworms are established there, the leaf layer will be very thin, <br />
maybe an inch or less. Immediately below them you'll likely find soil (as opposed to a thick layer of brown, compost-like material composed of less recognizable, partially decomposed leaves and twigs). If you have a compost pile, you may be accustomed to seeing lots of worm droppings that look like <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXANlmZ6-K8CSqEdTcYYF8HsVovwO04-aa4PuI_GS0A7WVqDFtYHtPXLnqrN1-73FgxZB7nJN_x87clXttt-w4OoR-QHnn8DUeeEiH0WbU1ciqWt_MzxNFBPte5dbEVFcDxMSEOyjFLk/s1600/P1110904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXANlmZ6-K8CSqEdTcYYF8HsVovwO04-aa4PuI_GS0A7WVqDFtYHtPXLnqrN1-73FgxZB7nJN_x87clXttt-w4OoR-QHnn8DUeeEiH0WbU1ciqWt_MzxNFBPte5dbEVFcDxMSEOyjFLk/s1600/P1110904.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Earthworm at entrance/exit hole</td></tr>
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roundish, crumbly bits of dirt... that's what you'll also find under the thin leaf layer in the woods. You may also see the telltale entrance/exit holes the crawlers make in the soil. If there happens to be a low, wet area adjacent to the barren area (perhaps the margins of a stream
or swampy spot), you might see green growth there, because it's too wet
for the worms. <br />
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Now look around for the meandering boundary line where there is more herbaceous, green growth. It may be yards or more away. That's where the worms haven't gone yet. <br />
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On a recent spring forest walk along a stream with Bob Leverett (the old-growth forest expert) and Tim Whitfeld (the new Herbarium manager at Brown University), I got my first lesson in this invasion. There was an obvious lack of green plants on the lower hillsides
there,<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYuI7NazEgqHmjyAcVxDtMCSLQ7K7uinciuouplUd-wJ5WZf5_HatYghlWzCkggjarCU3gbdmnLr-bAUi6xA9HckDmJKXLHm-lXswhXzC3sMQw5nW-YCoKmGuyT2nbQoBd0ZxQWbOBuc/s1600/P1110892.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYuI7NazEgqHmjyAcVxDtMCSLQ7K7uinciuouplUd-wJ5WZf5_HatYghlWzCkggjarCU3gbdmnLr-bAUi6xA9HckDmJKXLHm-lXswhXzC3sMQw5nW-YCoKmGuyT2nbQoBd0ZxQWbOBuc/s1600/P1110892.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some greenery along stream; very little on higher ground</td></tr>
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only brown leaves on brown mineral soil (see the "Worm Damaged Forest" photo above). Tim brushed the leaves away in several spots, revealing the complete lack of any duff; he pointed out the copious earthworm "castings" (excrement) under the leaves. There was a zone of green plants in the lowest, wettest areas along the stream, but just yards away, where the land began to rise and was drier, the greenery largely stopped. Until that day, I wouldn't
have even questioned the brown landscape under some forest canopies; I
always assumed it was just too dry an area, or "that's just how it is here". Now I find it quite noticeable.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGrzgZcs-ya8_cg2B7wb8E8pkH7hdhptkKVnq7X0D6jKjwWtBotDUIa5gXGaRteNJaUtJ3J7Re34Lj2AX3LehAveH3ixjjYIoA86Ypb6MuydyMZRO5TfEqx5CEC_4vk5mh-2qm5VTaKI/s1600/P1110902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGrzgZcs-ya8_cg2B7wb8E8pkH7hdhptkKVnq7X0D6jKjwWtBotDUIa5gXGaRteNJaUtJ3J7Re34Lj2AX3LehAveH3ixjjYIoA86Ypb6MuydyMZRO5TfEqx5CEC_4vk5mh-2qm5VTaKI/s1600/P1110902.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Earthworm, surrounded by castings</td></tr>
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If you're in a hardwood forest in the northern states, and you're enjoying the showy wildflowers, then you're likely not in earthworm country. Those familiar flowers will mostly be gone once the worms find them. Wild Oats, Starflower, Wild Sarsaparilla, Solomon’s Seal, Twisted Stalk, and others, will fall prey. And the trees will find regeneration difficult as well. <br />
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The Mustard Test </h3>
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If there's an area you suspect may be negatively affected by non-native worms, there are a couple tests you can perform to verify their presence. Brush away any leaf litter there may be, to expose the soil. If you find the worms' entrance/exit holes, and/or their castings, you know they're present. But you can also apply another, more sinister method: buy some dry yellow mustard powder, and mix it with water (about 1/3 cup powder to 1 gallon water), then pour some of the mix on one square foot of soil. If worms are there, the mustard will irritate their skin and they'll come out of the ground in a hurry. You may have to repeat the application if none come up after a minute or two. Bob Leverett and I tried this, and amazingly, several worms squirmed out of the ground almost as soon as the mustard solution hit it. It was actually quite fascinating to see.<br />
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Once you've determined worms are present, you can monitor the area to assess their spread. Unfortunately though, no one has a "cure" for the problem. At this point, the best we can do is to avoid, as best as possible, practices that spread the worms faster than their natural pace; that's easier preached than accomplished. But at least be aware that moving worm-containing soil from one place to another, or carelessly dumping out unused bait worms, will not be a good thing for our forests. Those who manage our forests will be acting responsibly if they take steps to avoid transporting worms into those forests on/in vehicles, or otherwise.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIn23R2BVzndRK5iMUysrJwEQf1_EAgY57z5Khrg_IOvAH6k6mKKXnaFidb3RSFcHqpPhS7CDRGi9u1Nt31xFXOC7Lfm31S0tbQp6r_PHmw0623_GVRjvYSX03k_XporNM8kc9YIzIOnI/s1600/IMG_0694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIn23R2BVzndRK5iMUysrJwEQf1_EAgY57z5Khrg_IOvAH6k6mKKXnaFidb3RSFcHqpPhS7CDRGi9u1Nt31xFXOC7Lfm31S0tbQp6r_PHmw0623_GVRjvYSX03k_XporNM8kc9YIzIOnI/s1600/IMG_0694.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keep it pristine</td></tr>
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<br />Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-72969041331597070532014-08-13T13:18:00.000-04:002014-11-14T08:34:07.601-05:00A Second Chance for the Glorious American ChestnutSnuggled into the woods in the western Massachusetts hilltown of Granville is an 18th-century homestead that I wish was waiting for <i>me</i> as I trudge out of the forest, weary and hungry at day's end. Hand-hewn timbers of a post-and-beam frame, wide chestnut floor boards, a fireplace with built-in bread oven; these are just a few of the heart-warming features of this fine old home. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtD5nfNCpKcFmNDz0USQBUBDDpBifjGbHa67z7MY-8bJRYukFM6ADLqvYbpPzRi9-YIc-Byr7gEDUO50qKNtpHtMt26OQW6_V9zgz8L2tyjn9JvOuFa7aRChPjG9X62SPkdgy5LfCLoTc/s1600/P1110575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtD5nfNCpKcFmNDz0USQBUBDDpBifjGbHa67z7MY-8bJRYukFM6ADLqvYbpPzRi9-YIc-Byr7gEDUO50qKNtpHtMt26OQW6_V9zgz8L2tyjn9JvOuFa7aRChPjG9X62SPkdgy5LfCLoTc/s1600/P1110575.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Meiklejohn amidst his chestnuts</td></tr>
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But most inviting of all are the easy personalities of its lucky owners, John and Sarah Meiklejohn. And "Bodhi", the happy golden retriever, whose name derives from "bodhisattva", or "one who is on the path to enlightenment" (my first thought was, "why isn't its name 'Chestnut' ??"). They graciously welcomed three of us to their chestnut farm to see first-hand what restoring the American chestnut tree is all about.<br />
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On a typically hot and humid August morning, Bill Finn, Arnie Paye, and I visited John and Sarah, and John took us for a more than enjoyable walk through wood and field.<br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;">The Might of the Blight</span></h3>
As you may know, the chestnut was a major, towering component of the eastern American hardwood forest until an introduced fungus brought it to the ground. The disease was first discovered around 1900 in New York City; in less than 50 years, the blight had spread like western wildfire throughout the entire eastern forest system, and killed off virtually all of our billions of chestnut trees (a very few are hanging on). Or nearly killed them. Oddly, the fungus kills the above-ground portion of the tree, but leaves the root system unaffected. So today, you can wander the forests and commonly find chestnuts sprouting from dead stumps. Unfortunately, however, those sprouts will grow only perhaps a decade or two before they too are destroyed by the blight. That cycle repeats as long as the root system has the energy to send up more sprouts. (To read more about this, see <a href="http://timberturner.blogspot.com/2012/08/americas-long-lost-trees.html" target="_blank">this blog article</a>.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzW-fYkQ0DfcGWr5bbH3SWcQ5u2-Sjo2joPt2ICKalFTusuf7ZlQx093DqAtpndA-JsRlgsaBUZchhD6FiPxDAq6lKIRZxRQcxGGl9EBvRr3k9AqCzUU70PpyDy0F2y4HXwYQILB47IE/s1600/P1110543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzW-fYkQ0DfcGWr5bbH3SWcQ5u2-Sjo2joPt2ICKalFTusuf7ZlQx093DqAtpndA-JsRlgsaBUZchhD6FiPxDAq6lKIRZxRQcxGGl9EBvRr3k9AqCzUU70PpyDy0F2y4HXwYQILB47IE/s1600/P1110543.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John, Bill Finn, Arnie Paye in John's seed orchard</td></tr>
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TACF</h3>
On the happy side of all this is The American Chestnut Foundation (<a href="http://www.acf.org/" target="_blank">TACF</a>), whose member volunteers (including the Meiklejohns) and scientists are working in lab and field to give our beloved chestnut a chance to rise again. Make no mistake, these people are <i>dedicated</i>. This restoration project has been and will be many decades in length. While the effort to save the chestnut began in the early twentieth century by others, it eventually was abandoned mid-century, as there was no success in sight. But in 1989, the effort was revived with the formation of TACF.<br />
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About six years ago, John was pondering what to plant on his land, thinking ahead to his retirement years. Maybe blueberries? He came upon an article about the efforts to restore the American chestnut to its former predominance, and as with a blacksmith's hammer blow, the idea was forged... it would be chestnuts. A patch of forest had to be cleared to expand a small field, and he was on his way.<br />
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Dot Your I's and Cross Your Trees</h3>
The strategy used by TACF is essentially "one step forward and three steps backward". Step one is to cross a blight resistant Chinese chestnut with an American chestnut; this is a "forward cross", yielding a half Chinese, half American hybrid. The idea is to get the genes that confer blight resistance on the Chinese trees into the American tree.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja07uUJs7a5r3oToUJghOnTK58dC9Sa0NF1_k0Gl7_PNarvBtt0Qk40-2qPvHtJZKaFlwHPTjEu0D2Mk8WUVRnQ-orC5Soxvum9h6GOqkssJcSpdqLMELLmtruZHlWoLuTnVCubCol9ZE/s1600/P1110568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja07uUJs7a5r3oToUJghOnTK58dC9Sa0NF1_k0Gl7_PNarvBtt0Qk40-2qPvHtJZKaFlwHPTjEu0D2Mk8WUVRnQ-orC5Soxvum9h6GOqkssJcSpdqLMELLmtruZHlWoLuTnVCubCol9ZE/s1600/P1110568.JPG" height="320" width="311" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male catkins on a BC3 chestnut tree</td></tr>
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But the Chinese trees have other traits (such as a shorter, open-grown kind of stature, and lesser wood quality) that are not desirable in our American trees, which grew tall and straight in the forest. So the 50-50 hybrid trees are exposed to the blight; those few (likely fewer than one out of a hundred) that show the most promise of being resistant are then back-crossed with American trees. <br />
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That first back-cross ("BC1") generation removes some of the unwanted Chinese genes (but hopefully not the resistance genes). Those BC1 trees are exposed to the blight, and again, the few that look promising are selected to be back-crossed again with American trees (yielding "BC2"). The process is repeated at least one more time to produce "BC3", the third back-cross, which will be about 15/16ths American chestnut, and 1/16th Chinese.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQjsv46sMK4R7tfFfNPfFjrloesQgWdgTkAJdMBswl0dlspSrhL9WvxNn-3GHvqoa6p2hIk4_uw9udy3vE0xxctSEov82cAaPAtLR3gRO3qCI9Q0PzHGqQxiwOgf0pLwk5XG09BK_YvM/s1600/P1110562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQjsv46sMK4R7tfFfNPfFjrloesQgWdgTkAJdMBswl0dlspSrhL9WvxNn-3GHvqoa6p2hIk4_uw9udy3vE0xxctSEov82cAaPAtLR3gRO3qCI9Q0PzHGqQxiwOgf0pLwk5XG09BK_YvM/s1600/P1110562.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burrs (nuts) on BC3 tree</td></tr>
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Some small number of the many hundreds of trees so produced will hopefully retain the resistance genes, while also having almost entirely American chestnut genes. By far, though, most of the hybrids produced during this back-cross process fall prey to the blight after some number of years (which the growers are trained to expect, but I would find disheartening). <br />
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During this long process, each new generation must be allowed perhaps six or so years to grow to reproductive maturity so it can produce seeds (ie, chestnuts), which are planted to produce the next generation. In order to guarantee that the selected nuts actually are the offspring of the desired parent trees, the female flowers of the "mother" tree must be hand pollinated with pollen from the intended "father" tree, and physically covered with bags to prevent unwanted pollination from any other nearby tree. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb4sWJPpvujvaovVnASKzWmhM2gx0Cpo5dOSZ7eq4CEk3D08a7i9zVczsyoFrImhgrZDxYiWtP_h0wH80Ytn4kIPyaffVE2mo5urMsoMExs6jlUu3aDEdukjlMWTqovzybBbTZhZUYp2U/s1600/P1110557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb4sWJPpvujvaovVnASKzWmhM2gx0Cpo5dOSZ7eq4CEk3D08a7i9zVczsyoFrImhgrZDxYiWtP_h0wH80Ytn4kIPyaffVE2mo5urMsoMExs6jlUu3aDEdukjlMWTqovzybBbTZhZUYp2U/s1600/P1110557.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John explains blight to Arnie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw5oQtjwCEdn7voV4tI0drJ-u4vPA1TorfB7Z1rX1IS4DLMLbI1B6n6VFSiy2O_jQfnodnScCA3hM0n7s59ZiqczoVtNr9L8MqM34YLyt0WkF2BojKNQCydRe1g5MXKbBxHzclL1GrWGE/s1600/P1110558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw5oQtjwCEdn7voV4tI0drJ-u4vPA1TorfB7Z1rX1IS4DLMLbI1B6n6VFSiy2O_jQfnodnScCA3hM0n7s59ZiqczoVtNr9L8MqM34YLyt0WkF2BojKNQCydRe1g5MXKbBxHzclL1GrWGE/s1600/P1110558.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blight canker on BC3 tree</td></tr>
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John explained to us that further steps are then taken: to ensure the trees have a diversity of American genes (as is found from region to region across the native range), the seeds of the BC3 generation are planted in "seed orchards".<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Pgdy2t7UBYyWWz1l86rfMpsheSk4Z3DicqTTKtMO4i3JPVw83PWMucZQbX_GZ-auW7kJH4XO_KPStGwU5j_gKi0YYnLz1q-yGHsPNJarjvgkAZ2g6X76vLdm3wK34IrE_H8KQcWgvwk/s1600/P1110545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Pgdy2t7UBYyWWz1l86rfMpsheSk4Z3DicqTTKtMO4i3JPVw83PWMucZQbX_GZ-auW7kJH4XO_KPStGwU5j_gKi0YYnLz1q-yGHsPNJarjvgkAZ2g6X76vLdm3wK34IrE_H8KQcWgvwk/s1600/P1110545.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John's seed orchard</td></tr>
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In another six or so years, when these trees flower, they're allowed to be freely and openly pollinated by any nearby American chestnuts, to increase genetic diversity. No nearby Chinese chestnuts must be allowed to produce pollen at this point, since if they do, they will reintroduce the undesired Chinese genes (any such trees used for hybridization in the orchard are cut back or removed). Eventually, with enough seed orchards producing nuts, thousands of seeds will be available to restock the forests with American chestnuts.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjht6yJbZZd1vpNvH41Phv43lRzZfYtuYhyphenhyphenltKakWvW8cGEDLGkspYk4SYUAdRWq1JLflI2PQrYMl1QRHQgUdajYHz2RVe0S13eTtVQPtb1jrSVxN1SlES9NHv7AQx8CIDjlR90QNfKT4A/s1600/P1110573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjht6yJbZZd1vpNvH41Phv43lRzZfYtuYhyphenhyphenltKakWvW8cGEDLGkspYk4SYUAdRWq1JLflI2PQrYMl1QRHQgUdajYHz2RVe0S13eTtVQPtb1jrSVxN1SlES9NHv7AQx8CIDjlR90QNfKT4A/s1600/P1110573.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blighted chestnut hybrid</td></tr>
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To promote the genetic diversity of the future chestnut population one would typically find in nature, growers in different areas of the country use various mother and father trees from diverse regions to create the next new generations. This will help the future trees cope with whatever stresses await them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiebfxmF5FjJHeAhrYUXO8ZKZZJWCaQS6CJDqGym9PTdHaXKnbnzw1eBYpOQTLdkuocB8WGnDMt6tN5Nrl8ys9qhj4OzSUaQXhz3XZ1Yp0nKI-57GgxWYCluPu1RoU8QVk88wHI9RXVf4/s1600/P1110544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiebfxmF5FjJHeAhrYUXO8ZKZZJWCaQS6CJDqGym9PTdHaXKnbnzw1eBYpOQTLdkuocB8WGnDMt6tN5Nrl8ys9qhj4OzSUaQXhz3XZ1Yp0nKI-57GgxWYCluPu1RoU8QVk88wHI9RXVf4/s1600/P1110544.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2-year-old seedlings from BC3 trees</td></tr>
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Rich Hoffman's Project</h3>
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In Wilbraham, Mass, there's another chestnut restoration afficionado, and TACF member, Rich Hoffman. Rich planted his trees in the spring of 2008 (so they are in their seventh growing season). They're in a lengthy row on the edge of a cornfield owned by a local long-time farmer who was gracious enough to let Rich use the strip of land. When I first visited him several years ago, his trees were about 5 feet tall. Most of the trees are first generation Chinese-American 50-50 hybrids ("F1" trees). Some are now up to about sixteen feet in height. Because of the Chinese genes, their growth habit tends to be multi-trunked and bushy, "like an apple tree", as Rich says. A forest-grown American chestnut tends to be a straight, tall, single trunk tree.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7V89xjxgHlAYGkj4ekAx8YU-4WY-tnD55dY-BOe2-8be7x_gU22IEYudbyAABZx_GB3usGbjIIwmegSV9wZ_J2QizoMQZ0-HYQveULd4QtS5revN1dkho_Z0aP-r3Dy4cC7yFrJndOqE/s1600/P1110589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7V89xjxgHlAYGkj4ekAx8YU-4WY-tnD55dY-BOe2-8be7x_gU22IEYudbyAABZx_GB3usGbjIIwmegSV9wZ_J2QizoMQZ0-HYQveULd4QtS5revN1dkho_Z0aP-r3Dy4cC7yFrJndOqE/s1600/P1110589.JPG" height="308" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich Hoffman's row of chestnuts</td></tr>
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One of Rich's goals is to develop blight resistant American trees that are derived from
chestnuts (American and Chinese) located in western Massachusetts. He has learned a lot about growing chestnuts, and has had some of the same problems John has, such as meadow voles chewing the bark off trunks, and the need for weeding around the trees. And if you use pollen from a Chinese chestnut on an American (as Rich did), your hybrids will be male-sterile, ie, the male catkins grow, but don't form the little pollen-producing structures.This keeps the "F1" trees from inter-pollenating.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-INSwcSJtFFTSObLpl2KmrNBCGz_XDI1Gtj0IKo_NsxGEMPAlHHVVE90-HieLDiUyuN9OloKKzZw6sGbE5nuMeMs5YLZX5trtQbjtuavaqKIE2CA5DncSrWdVle1_wJzwNEJU9UlxjY/s1600/P1110599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-INSwcSJtFFTSObLpl2KmrNBCGz_XDI1Gtj0IKo_NsxGEMPAlHHVVE90-HieLDiUyuN9OloKKzZw6sGbE5nuMeMs5YLZX5trtQbjtuavaqKIE2CA5DncSrWdVle1_wJzwNEJU9UlxjY/s1600/P1110599.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sterile male catkin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
His trees were also in the path of the nasty 2011 tornado that ripped a 39-mile swath across western Mass; some were lost, but thankfully not all.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmaLZb1eyazsX481yRTV34BtQXq8SXWwfIcC9sxE03Ng53PssFEfmkQieVGmYRTliP7njCx5E16Dgpe_ZlXsw7jqtSb_IE9JV5fnCCLbhSn9XMgTMKnLFwE_QNHSNnYqYyOL-W_iirGAs/s1600/P1110600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmaLZb1eyazsX481yRTV34BtQXq8SXWwfIcC9sxE03Ng53PssFEfmkQieVGmYRTliP7njCx5E16Dgpe_ZlXsw7jqtSb_IE9JV5fnCCLbhSn9XMgTMKnLFwE_QNHSNnYqYyOL-W_iirGAs/s1600/P1110600.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich, with one of his all-American trees</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgjRMHn6smQlJYMq7nQwyXGiCe4EKWNqTtPayPq6lvqWOBQaL2qHlUdGshx1XbB2XVD3X41XhljU5gm_ATk48gcwqzx4T7aLDtGzbaPV1XP_lRr9X-9i1zOrDFYqOnCwbxy7Ove-UFTg/s1600/P1110594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgjRMHn6smQlJYMq7nQwyXGiCe4EKWNqTtPayPq6lvqWOBQaL2qHlUdGshx1XbB2XVD3X41XhljU5gm_ATk48gcwqzx4T7aLDtGzbaPV1XP_lRr9X-9i1zOrDFYqOnCwbxy7Ove-UFTg/s1600/P1110594.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An encouraging sight!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNans4qzAVI3Nw0-QZKGkM8RVrWZUS5d4tu0iKXNxPte10zdjowBI1CcnJ2QxsZ3lqx-YkeVmHbXbpMAYbzFxDhpWCSM6N-zx98J7852vW3VSVXkX9qvEx87aEOUsf8u-_wXwRLMaQaI/s1600/P1110598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNans4qzAVI3Nw0-QZKGkM8RVrWZUS5d4tu0iKXNxPte10zdjowBI1CcnJ2QxsZ3lqx-YkeVmHbXbpMAYbzFxDhpWCSM6N-zx98J7852vW3VSVXkX9qvEx87aEOUsf8u-_wXwRLMaQaI/s1600/P1110598.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bags protect burrs from unwanted pollen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the spring of 2012, Rich planted eight pure American trees sourced from three American chestnut trees growing close enough together to inter-pollenate naturally. Those small fully-American trees will be old enough to provide him a ready source of pollen in a few more years, provided the blight does not cause them all to die back before male catkins appear.<br />
<br />
While he hasn't purposely inoculated his hybrid trees with blight to test their resistance, all have been infected; no great surprise, since the blight is everywhere around us. But the amount of damage to the trees varies widely, thereby giving a measure of the blight resistance inherited by each tree.<br />
<br />
Like many of his colleagues, Rich now faces the problem of finding more available and appropriate land to plant on. He told me there <i>is</i> a faster way to accomplish this restoration mission though: science provides a way to directly insert resistance genes into chestnut embryos. What takes him years to do using the hybridization technique could be done much quicker. But it's done in a laboratory instead of an orchard. Rich says that many people distrust genetic engineering and might not support widespread restoration if it was done that way. I suppose, somehow, inserting genes by hand-pollinating trees for years is ok though. So that's probably how it will be done. Slowly, but "naturally". <br />
<br />
<h3>
Blighting the blight</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
Viruses have been discovered
occurring naturally in the forest which act upon and have a weakening
effect on the chestnut blight fungus. European chestnuts apparently have
been spared the fate of the American chestnuts by the action of these
viruses on the blight there. Research in America has revealed that these
viruses don't spread as quickly here as they do in Europe, for unknown
reasons, so they're not helping much. But if that can be figured out,
it's possible the blight will have a blight of its own, reducing its
destructive power.<br />
<br />
Also underway is a project to map
the chestnut's gene sequence. When that's completed, scientists will
hopefully be able to produce a tree that's entirely American, except for
the addition of the few Chinese genes that give it resistance.<br />
<br />
After
all these efforts, it's entirely possible that the blight fungus itself
may evolve to overcome the Chinese tree's resistance, which would be a
very unhappy development. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnV-EIfwvfcQrPXETsS0zw0Uj2y68NyhivarwVXvkMkNgipePK0_Ne-4pRD2h_CBZQS88Q36cIJsNr0ejlPidRhMZ2oFVpmWMt0Be8VDHYIlvMTrXYz_OoPBbvWMEUEkoBo1cEil1KA0/s1600/P1110619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnV-EIfwvfcQrPXETsS0zw0Uj2y68NyhivarwVXvkMkNgipePK0_Ne-4pRD2h_CBZQS88Q36cIJsNr0ejlPidRhMZ2oFVpmWMt0Be8VDHYIlvMTrXYz_OoPBbvWMEUEkoBo1cEil1KA0/s1600/P1110619.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vase turned from BC3 chestnut</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td><b>--------------------------- *** ---------------------------</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
You can see why I say these orchardists are <i>dedicated</i> folks. Considerable labor is required to produce and maintain the orchards throughout the growing season. Pollination must be carefully done, and meticulous records kept. Fields must be weeded. Deer, voles, and other critters must be kept away from the young trees. Nuts, once produced, must be planted and harvested each year. Young trees must be inoculated with blight fungus, and the grower must be willing to accept the fact that probably 99 percent or more of what he grows will succumb to the blight and die, despite years of care. After decades of work, and perhaps thousands of small trees grown, he may end up with a couple dozen resistant plants. Maybe. And even those that appear to be resistant may not prove out long-term. Even the Chinese chestnuts, which evolved with the blight fungus, are not totally unaffected by it; they suffer some effects, but do not die from it.<br />
<br />
But once a seed orchard is in production, the supply of viable nuts will grow exponentially, for each planted seed can grow a tree that will produce many more seeds. So, if and when a truly resistant offspring is produced, it can be propagated rapidly.<br />
<br />
In Massachusetts, and other states, the next looming problems are to recruit enough volunteers to manage the increasing workload as more seed orchards are planted, and to secure the required plots of land for more orchards. It's not a minor stumbling block.<br />
<br />
Newcomers to this effort need not start at the forward-cross step as John did. They can obtain resistant seed from other growers to plant a seed orchard, and within a half-dozen or so years can be producing a seed crop of their own, hopefully for eventual widespread distribution. An acre of land is probably more than enough to get started.<br />
<br />
If you should feel a nagging, irrational need to be a part of this motivated group of folks, a good place to start would be the <a href="http://www.acf.org/" target="_blank">TACF</a> website. My hat's off to you.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGkQ_L5uSjsHsPYxJegjefZnP6Kk2aM2sseX1te2IBinKw8Aqe7BH4ykr-_hcYvZKTsNzpfrKgiMcAOpqNCLmZIaok9SulyM5mMc0F5OYLjNuN_4Fn_kaBJFok5LEtUePyk2aLwhC4aQk/s1600/P1110574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGkQ_L5uSjsHsPYxJegjefZnP6Kk2aM2sseX1te2IBinKw8Aqe7BH4ykr-_hcYvZKTsNzpfrKgiMcAOpqNCLmZIaok9SulyM5mMc0F5OYLjNuN_4Fn_kaBJFok5LEtUePyk2aLwhC4aQk/s1600/P1110574.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bodhi, on the path to enlightenment</td></tr>
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<br />Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-91724304393139939942014-05-26T08:52:00.000-04:002014-11-14T08:35:27.751-05:00How Sweet It Is!<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It's doubtful that Jackie Gleason had sugar maple in mind when he </span>used to make that proclamation; nevertheless, the classic New England tree certainly deserves that praise, in more ways than one.<br />
<br />
Who isn't familiar with (real) maple syrup, maple cream, or maple sugar candy (if you fall into that group, I do feel sorry for you) ?<br />
<br />
But this is about <i>figured</i> sugar maple wood, and it sure is pretty stuff. Think birdseye, tiger stripe, quilted, fiddleback, and curly maple (not to mention burl). Tiger, fiddleback, and curly all refer to essentially the same kind of parallel stripe-like figure; some would say fiddleback stripes are closer together (more stripes per inch) than curly. I don't know of any scientific explanation of what causes a tree to
create figure in its wood; different theories have been voiced (insect
damage, physical stress, growing conditions, etc, etc), but are
unproven.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
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All types of figured maple (and other species) are valued by those who put sharp tools to wood. Musical instrument makers, furniture builders, and woodturners, among others, cherish these special woods. Most any type of tree can produce figured wood, but it happens in relatively few individual trees. Some experienced observers can look at a standing tree and predict whether it contains figured wood or not; most have no idea until they hold lumber in hand. <br />
The typical wood hound just stumbles upon figure in a log every now and then, and wears a big toothy grin when he does.<br />
<br />
Which brings us to Bob Labrecque, a not-unusual wood hoarder/turner with whom I've enjoyed a number of "road trips" in a quest to procure large quantities of irresistible wood for turning projects. He recently issued the customary announcement to several of us that he'd located another treasure trove for the taking; it's usually burls, but this time it was curly maple. Two of us (Terry Murphy and I) answered the call to cut.<br />
<br />
We met on a sunny morning for breakfast, to fuel up for the day's work. With bellies full, we quietly took a circuitous route to the clandestine location, so as not to give away the secret. Ok, so it was the town log dump.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9-1h0XoJbPTMQdRfbTzfjFJEzy__uzFbI3Lk6Lrvip8OK1paggKk8HXFnI-5gzOXcojuzskahQ3fdV9aK60hWxLM8kEvB7ObFQ8LsVHwyA3um9gqKRjOT62pTjazzZ0pS4eY-Tjb4ds/s1600/IMG_0651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9-1h0XoJbPTMQdRfbTzfjFJEzy__uzFbI3Lk6Lrvip8OK1paggKk8HXFnI-5gzOXcojuzskahQ3fdV9aK60hWxLM8kEvB7ObFQ8LsVHwyA3um9gqKRjOT62pTjazzZ0pS4eY-Tjb4ds/s1600/IMG_0651.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bigger sugar maple log</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There they were. Just lying there. Easily a half-dozen fat sugar maple logs. Bob had already taken a huge chunk off the end of one three-foot-diameter bole, so he knew where we should begin our harvest of curly cellulose.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielM5oUlHfgYORcFlAcWdnFcW3y_YFTPgQGWpM0MVha5F-VoA_6h33bTzaskETSsDZdmXM-I_6Ef32wDeKH2K2SQHRdVYgiAdKnnK-_yl2coeocs9ghYews1TblxN8yhjxiDIcG9NZvDs/s1600/IMG_0648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielM5oUlHfgYORcFlAcWdnFcW3y_YFTPgQGWpM0MVha5F-VoA_6h33bTzaskETSsDZdmXM-I_6Ef32wDeKH2K2SQHRdVYgiAdKnnK-_yl2coeocs9ghYews1TblxN8yhjxiDIcG9NZvDs/s1600/IMG_0648.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob (l) and Terry (r) working maple logs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
He and Terry came armed with, oh I don't know, maybe twelve or twenty chainsaws each, so they told me to leave mine in my truck at the restaurant and ride with them. No problem... I took that as license to stay out of their way while they toiled in the hot sun. I'd take a few photos so I couldn't be accused of loafing (that seemed entirely reasonable).<br />
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So the two of them fueled up saws with long bars on them, and bellied up to a couple of the logs to dissect them. Bob took on the bigger one, since he had already previously lopped off a hunk of it. Terry, who apparently has learned to overcome obstinance, chose the smaller log, ie, the one <i>without</i> all the hardware embedded in it.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1BBkGMr_byq0EkTy1neKe23jcGD4lEms3sQ4mW4ldUzjyK1AE9HRNcwwwgN3YWoD1MkSX6EoAtSNwBwZWTpW5ML6FUvlRLFSNdDQZHiGvwwLcFIFy_w-xa6f6gDN6_DNRG-aZ6d-010/s1600/IMG_0660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1BBkGMr_byq0EkTy1neKe23jcGD4lEms3sQ4mW4ldUzjyK1AE9HRNcwwwgN3YWoD1MkSX6EoAtSNwBwZWTpW5ML6FUvlRLFSNdDQZHiGvwwLcFIFy_w-xa6f6gDN6_DNRG-aZ6d-010/s1600/IMG_0660.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's see, which one is sharp?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That newly sharpened chain on Bob's saw, well, it just wasn't up to the task of slicing through hardened masonry nails. Oh it kept on spinning around the bar alright. But it wasn't throwing wood chips out of the kerf anymore, which I'm pretty sure is what Bob wanted it to do. Not to worry, more saws in the truck. Smaller ones. <br />
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<br />
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Meanwhile, Terry's got a twenty-inch length lopped off his log, and is proceeding to dice that into bowl blanks. But there's something a bit curious looking about the end of that log... it has a stain pattern in its outermost wood that looks like ambrosia red maple, not sugar maple. Did we call it wrong upon first inspection? No, wait- those are stains from old tap holes; someone had tapped this tree to make maple syrup (see the arrows in the photo).<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8Z5R4dpdurszIbS5guWBElyn674kwItElfA90F6v3N-Op2yaaqrzr8xLTNOPY9Vjj2MiQCkPN_mrdg53NI5B04Z9tvL-XK0_HUR1TuAm7fRejT9MeP8hf7rYl0dCnec5o4va4BwYre8/s1600/IMG_0658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8Z5R4dpdurszIbS5guWBElyn674kwItElfA90F6v3N-Op2yaaqrzr8xLTNOPY9Vjj2MiQCkPN_mrdg53NI5B04Z9tvL-XK0_HUR1TuAm7fRejT9MeP8hf7rYl0dCnec5o4va4BwYre8/s1600/IMG_0658.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arrows point to old tap holes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3NEY1sAkWhIEmWqVGAq73JRnIf3l8ZSFz3VhtFYC8cNCqZaiJ9OT4VPavOkLNZh-RsfwBkDx-KWvF09AHQAE7DbG9y6G0wqAteEJ8H70RTVDvkEXX_GvMnmJcxJQEBFp-COQPojMAnDM/s1600/IMG_0654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3NEY1sAkWhIEmWqVGAq73JRnIf3l8ZSFz3VhtFYC8cNCqZaiJ9OT4VPavOkLNZh-RsfwBkDx-KWvF09AHQAE7DbG9y6G0wqAteEJ8H70RTVDvkEXX_GvMnmJcxJQEBFp-COQPojMAnDM/s1600/IMG_0654.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Terry, extracting bowl blanks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKo6HLHxw91fSZAIW7cE38fEL65GvBemy_t4Yk9CxA89uHxjUcNZ9Q7GgShA1QXCmfm0iH4OH80_Svxvx0A1Btr5hNE7lEEjOSQ5vThoJkG5MOuMAM6TerYD0rmtjNxHuxIw_XYYn46M/s1600/IMG_0659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKo6HLHxw91fSZAIW7cE38fEL65GvBemy_t4Yk9CxA89uHxjUcNZ9Q7GgShA1QXCmfm0iH4OH80_Svxvx0A1Btr5hNE7lEEjOSQ5vThoJkG5MOuMAM6TerYD0rmtjNxHuxIw_XYYn46M/s1600/IMG_0659.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bowl blanks almost done</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Back at Bob's log, things are progressing, but slowly. Restricted now to a much shorter chain bar, he's got to peck away at the cut because the bar doesn't reach all the way through the log. And there are more nails lurking in the log. Arghhh.<br />
<br />
Maybe we can use wedges driven into the kerf to break the piece off the end of the log? Limited success with that strategy. It's hot under the sun, and swinging a sledge hammer gets old really quickly. But Bob managed to actually break one of my steel wedges in two before quitting. Never saw anyone do that before. The next tactic will be to slice the end of the log into bowl slabs, instead of trying to cut the huge chunk off the log.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwVYgVCV6WSP_QrfLYF-yKY34TNjFLmIPrnRB9nXw_2bfNgo0aId6kRwQRk0jIAB1_fdHQsh7Ej8N9SqRzzkE7_IbpppKuN1Xwe3im3kANT_rBfYLl3rzJUcJ5yNKJKiEa20y6XuCp28/s1600/IMG_0663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwVYgVCV6WSP_QrfLYF-yKY34TNjFLmIPrnRB9nXw_2bfNgo0aId6kRwQRk0jIAB1_fdHQsh7Ej8N9SqRzzkE7_IbpppKuN1Xwe3im3kANT_rBfYLl3rzJUcJ5yNKJKiEa20y6XuCp28/s1600/IMG_0663.JPG" height="271" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New tactic: slice blanks off end of log</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This is a beautifully figured maple log, and no one is going to stop Mr L. from bringing at least part of it home. Not as long as he has at least one saw left!<br />
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This is turning into a lot of work, and there's no shade to do it in. I get the feeling these guys don't appreciate that I have to stand around in the hot sun while they play.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOlQSshiX5KtC69H7WUxv0j05zAg_zK-2XsINL30-2LXVyH5Rt8qA5F7Q6SvBN5xDGh6QKmGvVJSbOlgXvNEcCP1AIMXhHhFu2ZkEK6bvjmOjqRK8715fD7SLQAg-UYY9XqVVqvOCpdq8/s1600/IMG_0664-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOlQSshiX5KtC69H7WUxv0j05zAg_zK-2XsINL30-2LXVyH5Rt8qA5F7Q6SvBN5xDGh6QKmGvVJSbOlgXvNEcCP1AIMXhHhFu2ZkEK6bvjmOjqRK8715fD7SLQAg-UYY9XqVVqvOCpdq8/s1600/IMG_0664-1.JPG" height="292" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small saws can still make big blanks!</td></tr>
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I'm starting to visualize the nearby pub. I know it's much cooler in the pub. I know there's food and drink in the pub. I now know I want to be in the pub. The pub is where we should be.<br />
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But there are two chainsaws still howling in the sun. The breeze is welcome, but why does it always change its direction and push wood dust in my face? Don't these two guys know it's time to quit and go to the pub? <br />
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They do know. But there's still curly maple in log form. And if you're a woodturner, that gnaws at your bones like a beaver putting teeth to tree. You just don't walk away from it till the dam job's done (to prolong the beaver reference). However, come the dawn, the beaver does walk away, retiring to a cooler place out of the sun. And it's now beginning to dawn on Messieurs Murphy and Labrecque that there's enough of the job done for today. Well, almost.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWE-hmEuGX2BLA5AzEvD4S77lfMwmj0bKAelhwr1ZHIUeBtN645HEaEtOoy9DOGOPLHG6vKS7elN-OlXvl0II_erXcypTYAON4Zl-FH5Ra7M9_A_TrzAb63_A6gU87ZgQEcHaPekqjUbk/s1600/IMG_0652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWE-hmEuGX2BLA5AzEvD4S77lfMwmj0bKAelhwr1ZHIUeBtN645HEaEtOoy9DOGOPLHG6vKS7elN-OlXvl0II_erXcypTYAON4Zl-FH5Ra7M9_A_TrzAb63_A6gU87ZgQEcHaPekqjUbk/s1600/IMG_0652.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get it rolled over ...</td></tr>
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There's still a couple big log hunks that need to be broken down into bowl blanks, because there's no way those things are going to get picked up and put in the truck as is. Why is it we always forget to bring ramp planks?<br />
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Using two cant hooks, and any energy they have left from breakfast, they roll the hunks into position.<br />
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Bob's idea is to score the end grain with the saw, then use wedge and sledge in the kerfs to split it, rather than saw all the way through. Terry prefers a clean sawn surface to a split one, for ease in mounting the blank on the lathe. Hmmm.<br />
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That gets resolved quickly, thank goodness... they'll do some of each. End result-- a pair of pooped people pondering pub products.<br />
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It took all three of us to lift the slabs of their labors into two trucks. Throw the saws in there too, and we're out of here, tired, sweaty, dusty, thirsty, hungry, and pubward bound.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQYP-2Q9gBEPtCo0vsPrEK1RrBP2oFOwkDgwJEUUEIP4g01_bNLvqneW-8vDP8ye3S9bHPX8DId-TBmu3u5GecuFA-yhx6jM_rNLhJzROKw4Ge0SkRCjICfUSEdWVdTjg5SbffnWcByw/s1600/IMG_0665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQYP-2Q9gBEPtCo0vsPrEK1RrBP2oFOwkDgwJEUUEIP4g01_bNLvqneW-8vDP8ye3S9bHPX8DId-TBmu3u5GecuFA-yhx6jM_rNLhJzROKw4Ge0SkRCjICfUSEdWVdTjg5SbffnWcByw/s1600/IMG_0665.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slice 'n' dice</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPwWPtgzjZgg8CNFlfruOGoV0GdjWidHiwLU9RTLT_D-du2Bx32OSDpDfM0ExsxKSpe51f12RV4OF3XyWH1rJ4bMsy5GRbhPR2uThxOvOZiK5b75kl9cC2j3MCAPFoODgv6f_ULD_Ozc/s1600/IMG_0666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPwWPtgzjZgg8CNFlfruOGoV0GdjWidHiwLU9RTLT_D-du2Bx32OSDpDfM0ExsxKSpe51f12RV4OF3XyWH1rJ4bMsy5GRbhPR2uThxOvOZiK5b75kl9cC2j3MCAPFoODgv6f_ULD_Ozc/s1600/IMG_0666.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Let's try splitting it..."</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3PV9PBFI2Atsi-nI3L9nL1JWpi4ECiPzdP4yXLE-OaY21r_yWSHw7Np-5alHC8BoeiXLIV5u79rUiBie8whVHuZ0T9SanT1i3xGcrXvrb2A2RgPp-ZQSFY30se62lnoS03ulh2gI3e2c/s1600/IMG_0667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3PV9PBFI2Atsi-nI3L9nL1JWpi4ECiPzdP4yXLE-OaY21r_yWSHw7Np-5alHC8BoeiXLIV5u79rUiBie8whVHuZ0T9SanT1i3xGcrXvrb2A2RgPp-ZQSFY30se62lnoS03ulh2gI3e2c/s1600/IMG_0667.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the haul</td></tr>
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A couple days later, I completed a small turned and carved hollow vessel from a piece of this curly maple log Bob had given me earlier (see photo). It's pretty stuff!<br />
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Bob and Terry have rough-turned several bowls from their haul, to be dried and completed later. They look quite promising. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-NolDYbwbheS86h1durzIJQZISBOu2sJzdYXpmFTCrZGS2dUVRZSW6L7A2R1M7X3j0h5xc1C6tit3K1Ex0uvpDRHgEXXfqhoDJqa2pAA52gDg4KgtLV_y8XQ3pmPi_XXnsel9zRRdHY/s1600/BobsCurlyMaple-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-NolDYbwbheS86h1durzIJQZISBOu2sJzdYXpmFTCrZGS2dUVRZSW6L7A2R1M7X3j0h5xc1C6tit3K1Ex0uvpDRHgEXXfqhoDJqa2pAA52gDg4KgtLV_y8XQ3pmPi_XXnsel9zRRdHY/s1600/BobsCurlyMaple-1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of Bob's bowls, rough-turned</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYp3849JkBq5-QxfOMTS4Ss3YfNIC03pZVfKO3RIS2kXq4FpvdbJlW2mp3bb9aqcO7skFLrsT3xL1ncWzOjCL3WHe5ImdHqb9oBTtrdDVUt3iOQOU44o4fupjCSY9iEtkCTCbNRjUGn4/s1600/BobsCurlyMaple-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYp3849JkBq5-QxfOMTS4Ss3YfNIC03pZVfKO3RIS2kXq4FpvdbJlW2mp3bb9aqcO7skFLrsT3xL1ncWzOjCL3WHe5ImdHqb9oBTtrdDVUt3iOQOU44o4fupjCSY9iEtkCTCbNRjUGn4/s1600/BobsCurlyMaple-2.JPG" height="320" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another of Bob's... notice the curl !</td></tr>
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So that's the end of this story, for now.<br />
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Oh-- and we're going back Tuesday for more.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsNukODr-ezjVZw4GtDjDmxLMOMR94Bj8axkXfL0DcF9tIozF1I0j3xki-gsL-gn3bN4EwGH83pMNac7ESXP3_TexVJA3KhdK5lWr4KKJYwXcEWfQWS2L2rfJHFF-n8KtJZYMs0ncpU-o/s1600/Terry-Curly+Maple-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsNukODr-ezjVZw4GtDjDmxLMOMR94Bj8axkXfL0DcF9tIozF1I0j3xki-gsL-gn3bN4EwGH83pMNac7ESXP3_TexVJA3KhdK5lWr4KKJYwXcEWfQWS2L2rfJHFF-n8KtJZYMs0ncpU-o/s1600/Terry-Curly+Maple-1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of Terry's roughed-out curly bowls</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgQsaGMlJjEd4-G9LzuB4crF1TQZCKlI2qxWYwvsiXR7EQrHKyrfQPUyID3jgmopMF_4xKeyKOjl1O2oOeOhaPTuppl3OHqXOp8OHLi1SyYmZKEOnWKlziZSgQSJziTGcDvOwIM8Dh7g/s1600/Terry-Curly+Maple-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgQsaGMlJjEd4-G9LzuB4crF1TQZCKlI2qxWYwvsiXR7EQrHKyrfQPUyID3jgmopMF_4xKeyKOjl1O2oOeOhaPTuppl3OHqXOp8OHLi1SyYmZKEOnWKlziZSgQSJziTGcDvOwIM8Dh7g/s1600/Terry-Curly+Maple-2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tap hole in a bowl by Terry</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwf22H9tXYm9m5aAIkXu6cUfGZPfBKQABJ2QpGUqNSW-0QjtE1LxR15RpXmvFsYTx2vtIruGpA9kqOFr_GKPgno3PqloOSml8Z6C1JZPisJd3SWF_xnIEl0BxR6XtiC32hMRuCaYZe20/s1600/HF73-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwf22H9tXYm9m5aAIkXu6cUfGZPfBKQABJ2QpGUqNSW-0QjtE1LxR15RpXmvFsYTx2vtIruGpA9kqOFr_GKPgno3PqloOSml8Z6C1JZPisJd3SWF_xnIEl0BxR6XtiC32hMRuCaYZe20/s1600/HF73-5.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curly Maple vessel - <a href="http://bowlwood.com/">Bowlwood.com</a></td></tr>
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<br />Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-90017029410090970762014-04-16T10:25:00.000-04:002014-04-21T16:55:05.511-04:00What's New at Bowlwood TodayA friend who has firewood logs delivered to his home called a few months ago and said he had some boxelder logs that showed great color, and that I could come over and take some of the wood if I wanted it. I think I was already rolling down the street before the "click" of my hang-up reached the telephone company's central office.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaU8UsEuV3iek4L-zQQZxC_qrsFetiNHp5hMrmNwmhTL-HwOdSUQoZanJcLrtFWAIOxXStKJtqXoh0TAgtz7-lDaPmtcMv3E0MUVUs-Qtk24lZltx0SKF1D7T2JO3SjcFWOhXpQwAbtI/s1600/Boxelder+Log-1.jpg" height="275" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">End-grain view of Boxelder log</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Boxelder (a soft maple species) is a plain whitish wood, but when invaded by Ambrosia beetles and the fungus they carry, it becomes stained and streaked with a gorgeous coral red. It's eagerly sought after by woodturners. (Read more about the Ambrosia story <a href="http://timberturner.blogspot.com/2014/02/whats-ambrosia-maple.html" target="_blank">here</a>.)<br />
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It didn't take long to make the 20-mile drive to retrieve a small truckload of the prized wood. And it looked promising, judging by the pattern of red on its end grain.<br />
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Since the color pattern radiated outward from the center of the log, my thought was that this wood begged to be turned into vase-shaped hollow vessels, where the coral streaks would splash down the sides of the vessels from the top. So no time was wasted getting some of the log sections spinning on the lathe. Like a high-speed potato peeling session, soggy strips of boxelder were flying across the shop in a continuous arc, ending in a knee-deep heap on the floor as several vessels were shaped.<br />
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As the outermost white wood was stripped away from each log chunk during the rough shaping, brilliant vermilion layers quickly emerged from within. If you're the one manipulating the gouge, that brings your pulse up a notch or two.<br />
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Because the wood was still soaking wet (literally), it threw off a shower of water as it spun on the lathe. This session was all about getting the vessels rough-shaped to remove as much unwanted wood as possible. The outside shape was formed, then the inside was hollowed out. The walls of the vessels would have to be left thicker than the desired final dimension, and the pieces set aside to dry out for weeks. During that drying, the wood shrinks and distorts. Once dry, each vessel is remounted on the lathe, and made "true" (ie, round) again; the thickness is reduced to final size, and the vessels can be completed.<br />
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At this point, three such vases are done. The first one (HF67) sports a collar of red-dyed holly, and is 5 inches in diameter, 6<span style="font-size: x-small;">1/4</span> inches tall.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBwuh5JByNmzS0TGT9hpBjLDcxhyphenhyphenMUIxV5a9c5y0s_33jdN11q4Rt-Lf_260zqGCU2N-AW-BsUEo-nG9IbMn65luabrJBuTDuHh_bt7IIA3CSKu1Zp-ZdduOHmb-bLL8cIu71uFvsxZQ/s1600/HF67-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBwuh5JByNmzS0TGT9hpBjLDcxhyphenhyphenMUIxV5a9c5y0s_33jdN11q4Rt-Lf_260zqGCU2N-AW-BsUEo-nG9IbMn65luabrJBuTDuHh_bt7IIA3CSKu1Zp-ZdduOHmb-bLL8cIu71uFvsxZQ/s1600/HF67-3.jpg" height="320" width="249" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First completed vessel (HF67)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjn7hNzSdLnz2-9yWQTTgqXYK5fe9l_5j92RUo-nhyw-6naMRsc4XknxXRiQiJ3aeG_sG8p94xeu7Wpej7DNrRH25RPuu8haDWxP2K0RCzm6zyPBBj3Q5beijtX9ndAvul4yFA6KZuXb0/s1600/HF67-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjn7hNzSdLnz2-9yWQTTgqXYK5fe9l_5j92RUo-nhyw-6naMRsc4XknxXRiQiJ3aeG_sG8p94xeu7Wpej7DNrRH25RPuu8haDWxP2K0RCzm6zyPBBj3Q5beijtX9ndAvul4yFA6KZuXb0/s1600/HF67-2.jpg" height="320" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5 x 6-1/4 inches</td></tr>
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The second is similar, but has a darker red collar of Bloodwood, and has bolder, deeper streaks of cinnabar red:<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5l3YypnRoLORGD-CebSbQktXIufLqXNNvTYyuxSHk6BHQwQvbwbWJlQZSIB8JZ_iahg22E394NfOKQ8HWZpBU4oqAmkAVjHQ2ntcAWx87aPzoyLSKKhMV1WfbLfMIqiSWKK-eUvGS6GE/s1600/HF68-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5l3YypnRoLORGD-CebSbQktXIufLqXNNvTYyuxSHk6BHQwQvbwbWJlQZSIB8JZ_iahg22E394NfOKQ8HWZpBU4oqAmkAVjHQ2ntcAWx87aPzoyLSKKhMV1WfbLfMIqiSWKK-eUvGS6GE/s1600/HF68-2.jpg" height="320" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second vessel (HF68)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnTp1BOg56weq49Q0mQ1E-yvNnsy5bI1qOOSa8MWLktL0I9F-dDwb0dnYGV-Wy4XCz4Zj3S1GY5yNQFteOs5MtWG0cSpkmjSLJ3bplGF3V2UUejfu8vEGOkyzHVDE0VP2I1oA9d3aXLw/s1600/HF68-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnTp1BOg56weq49Q0mQ1E-yvNnsy5bI1qOOSa8MWLktL0I9F-dDwb0dnYGV-Wy4XCz4Zj3S1GY5yNQFteOs5MtWG0cSpkmjSLJ3bplGF3V2UUejfu8vEGOkyzHVDE0VP2I1oA9d3aXLw/s1600/HF68-1.jpg" height="320" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5 x 6-1/2 inches</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The third vessel is taller, 11<span style="font-size: x-small;">3/4</span> inches, with 24 carved flutes around a Bloodwood collar ring:<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kvzXXbapRSBRcjRSRutvbLO1RcbBDEjvusprON6x-VSI3hEUUeNvH4572XInn7iJ7UOCQ2a2EP8VnRzd_1eNylOG6k-bZlLDcqLEuDiFDKTyIEdyyCE_t0ImFH7o0X025vHaZLWOI6k/s1600/HF69-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kvzXXbapRSBRcjRSRutvbLO1RcbBDEjvusprON6x-VSI3hEUUeNvH4572XInn7iJ7UOCQ2a2EP8VnRzd_1eNylOG6k-bZlLDcqLEuDiFDKTyIEdyyCE_t0ImFH7o0X025vHaZLWOI6k/s1600/HF69-1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Third vessel (HF69)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO53CESq5-FJO9dVdduwtjJ_crOWWb5EBgSCJYnCBIx-ae2oMm9Zq4d6Rq0kkEgUaP46cRT6q2dmWc_o-5OhBOyUfi8ORtCpWnHNmC3LgIYaBXDndvN27Y0nAsVFBI-AjlXTkL4uevQpk/s1600/HF69-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO53CESq5-FJO9dVdduwtjJ_crOWWb5EBgSCJYnCBIx-ae2oMm9Zq4d6Rq0kkEgUaP46cRT6q2dmWc_o-5OhBOyUfi8ORtCpWnHNmC3LgIYaBXDndvN27Y0nAsVFBI-AjlXTkL4uevQpk/s1600/HF69-3.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6<span style="font-size: x-small;">-1/4</span> x 11-3/4 inches</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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These vessels are all finished with a silk-smooth, semi-gloss lustre, and are available at <a href="http://www.bowlwood.com/" target="_blank">Bowlwood</a>. There are more in the works.<br />
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We may sometimes curse the insect world for their unstoppable activities, but in the case of Ambrosia beetles, I feel like cheering them on!<br />
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4/21/14 Update:<br />
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Another vessel completed. This one sports some curly figure that shimmers in the light (a characteristic known as "chatoyance"). It is 5<span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span> in diameter, 8<span style="font-size: x-small;">1/4</span> inches tall.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUp5dXsS3TUOKeJof-tM1y0swdyflLcOPxRB4wWUSCV0eNfaDhUlvKM4m90uqZ5GBvDI45tR7x1PSBB8EIL8Y3XGvRfh4p9lscipRbvtYYWsKWz8bxsXb2uHqKUOyXKZz7HXDXageDSs/s1600/HF70-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUp5dXsS3TUOKeJof-tM1y0swdyflLcOPxRB4wWUSCV0eNfaDhUlvKM4m90uqZ5GBvDI45tR7x1PSBB8EIL8Y3XGvRfh4p9lscipRbvtYYWsKWz8bxsXb2uHqKUOyXKZz7HXDXageDSs/s1600/HF70-1.jpg" height="320" width="254" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rW5jHbmY2htrNG93txEYZFs8o_hKGR5A2xHWJQFJsOjDoV3ivBjbDm8EKvrLhUrDYWDMtBnxaz62TIefWX6n6nWIarzcKJTmMoGZ-rk65hsFCYnMHJzzBdpABMq-vRULd8mUDdvdgj4/s1600/HF70-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rW5jHbmY2htrNG93txEYZFs8o_hKGR5A2xHWJQFJsOjDoV3ivBjbDm8EKvrLhUrDYWDMtBnxaz62TIefWX6n6nWIarzcKJTmMoGZ-rk65hsFCYnMHJzzBdpABMq-vRULd8mUDdvdgj4/s1600/HF70-4.jpg" height="320" width="224" /></a></div>
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<br />Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-51401953180219554142014-03-12T15:43:00.001-04:002014-11-14T08:36:28.584-05:00Quiz: Can You Identify These Trees ?Here are a number of photos of tree features, all belonging to trees that can be found in New England, as well as much of the eastern U.S. How many can you identify? Some may be fairly easy, others could be pretty difficult for some people, and could easily be confused with other species. Most are native species; some are not, but are commonly seen in the region.<br />
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Why this quiz? </h3>
Hopefully, this exercise will motivate you to take a closer look at the trees in your own area, and maybe you'll discover little details about them you never were aware of before. And that can lead to a greater fascination with the natural world we're all part of. Being aware of trees and actually taking note of individual ones will make your daily travels much more interesting, I promise! I like to encourage people to learn about their trees and appreciate the beauty and variety they offer. They're all the same, and they're all different.<br />
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Each of us uses wood products originating in the trunks of trees, but there's so much more about these largest of plants that we can enjoy and cherish. So, see how many of these look familiar to you. If you have a difficult time of it, don't be discouraged, I'm not sure I could identify them all just from these photos either! Let it inspire you to start learning more about our trees.<br />
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There will be another quiz in the near future, so if you enjoy this kind of torture, come on back soon.<br />
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When you're finished, if you'd like to see how well you did, you can <a href="mailto:ray@bowlwood.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">email</a> me. List your answers, along with the corresponding photo numbers, and I'll let you know how you did. Please put something like "Blog tree quiz" in the subject line of your email.
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Tip- there may be more than one photo for some tree species. Good luck!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtB9aiek3c-NmAatYJHs_X6WI0wRFNH1VtdBsps_IyQyOkURjb8BXvX_k52DAsbMQlckF95j_K4fN-PVAtH12_Qx7HtN-tyreBXcaacav9OHA6xdxQcCYgvpeegSY1rUP0c0AYCkbem6E/s1600/P1090919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtB9aiek3c-NmAatYJHs_X6WI0wRFNH1VtdBsps_IyQyOkURjb8BXvX_k52DAsbMQlckF95j_K4fN-PVAtH12_Qx7HtN-tyreBXcaacav9OHA6xdxQcCYgvpeegSY1rUP0c0AYCkbem6E/s1600/P1090919.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjayVG5PoR2NcYdq91w39a-6vq3xiqkr3TuR9kiczfCzxVxv4PVZUKFz6Ko7eQI0ZK6QmY4d9OsejmclfardAEFP5g4j-E-do945RIZJDhHr6nLob4UIhel6lhfrlGEMAOYMqfIA86xF-s/s1600/P1090497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjayVG5PoR2NcYdq91w39a-6vq3xiqkr3TuR9kiczfCzxVxv4PVZUKFz6Ko7eQI0ZK6QmY4d9OsejmclfardAEFP5g4j-E-do945RIZJDhHr6nLob4UIhel6lhfrlGEMAOYMqfIA86xF-s/s1600/P1090497.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvgfiCuCbnuS-OPMOmLE1Pi3YDnEOXJFk-r8S21B7GBdHGbFQ8_r_Q1uWSsPPOdpm2WoTWKz4RdAesPad3qy_jjZdWE9grVaAEtf_Oissc9EyY-H8EkCz3vo8kM8JvmpahyXls2br8oY/s1600/P1100229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvgfiCuCbnuS-OPMOmLE1Pi3YDnEOXJFk-r8S21B7GBdHGbFQ8_r_Q1uWSsPPOdpm2WoTWKz4RdAesPad3qy_jjZdWE9grVaAEtf_Oissc9EyY-H8EkCz3vo8kM8JvmpahyXls2br8oY/s1600/P1100229.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-NB1eTAjiP9llMZuHaS7lBcWqZTWkRyGsfImdg0IVChfRLabtEvsK_1aa_aCUiRv1U9heEfnBhVBDid3DO7wRVCMX8cTa6CdSrIe0XfghFWEMPsaZU_GrEFF5gxwKBw3Ulyf-GjrokE/s1600/P1090860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-NB1eTAjiP9llMZuHaS7lBcWqZTWkRyGsfImdg0IVChfRLabtEvsK_1aa_aCUiRv1U9heEfnBhVBDid3DO7wRVCMX8cTa6CdSrIe0XfghFWEMPsaZU_GrEFF5gxwKBw3Ulyf-GjrokE/s1600/P1090860.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvya59mzSW_G1zPvsBIOId19D1KbxN-u-xKntC9hoe8qyBXDPu3zArBqcqkHKxx-4emnunREkOJNB0n-ZcX18ZwNNNjYJVLTNX_Ot48fzSu5pdp3JoZ3iTnW0TFw8kH8-f3ap45fqdW8/s1600/P1100768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvya59mzSW_G1zPvsBIOId19D1KbxN-u-xKntC9hoe8qyBXDPu3zArBqcqkHKxx-4emnunREkOJNB0n-ZcX18ZwNNNjYJVLTNX_Ot48fzSu5pdp3JoZ3iTnW0TFw8kH8-f3ap45fqdW8/s1600/P1100768.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKXAZuSlNk9vaZvVa_wIY5s5NYPj8OedL8vLCJJpsRCe7cgkNyQHlbMwJrPKkyUelnt0zR5abaJelOeYIHCMf1-IVjQmJWjhoY0NmIKzIb8orvZUylbrnzInP-WowrGn9PCcza8dOCwM/s1600/P1080302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKXAZuSlNk9vaZvVa_wIY5s5NYPj8OedL8vLCJJpsRCe7cgkNyQHlbMwJrPKkyUelnt0zR5abaJelOeYIHCMf1-IVjQmJWjhoY0NmIKzIb8orvZUylbrnzInP-WowrGn9PCcza8dOCwM/s1600/P1080302.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6 - The leaf is a hint.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1NAwHaV60XDKjPZz7sUyWYDciKuANGxEd37P-Vry5Byv0xaYMoVt3CaYbQS70eLyH8uP6nZA88koNga3ZIdRPAx1FWLl_owZGzF_bYf0N5JXGp_-vrV7yKQzw41I3qFVmYDj8r4gwoE/s1600/P1090182-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1NAwHaV60XDKjPZz7sUyWYDciKuANGxEd37P-Vry5Byv0xaYMoVt3CaYbQS70eLyH8uP6nZA88koNga3ZIdRPAx1FWLl_owZGzF_bYf0N5JXGp_-vrV7yKQzw41I3qFVmYDj8r4gwoE/s1600/P1090182-1.JPG" height="400" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpK_jvgRr8ESi027uY2pZim6voy4xH6PZ30R5u92dnVG9-eYvQq5At-PesVapOSW4j5ASn6oH4Wq8BDD0RvwvLPBj3GNF3g1X7jc0vIvtzihKS7W0urKA9Kp3u-vFDIMK3tztgeBukkw/s1600/P1080370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpK_jvgRr8ESi027uY2pZim6voy4xH6PZ30R5u92dnVG9-eYvQq5At-PesVapOSW4j5ASn6oH4Wq8BDD0RvwvLPBj3GNF3g1X7jc0vIvtzihKS7W0urKA9Kp3u-vFDIMK3tztgeBukkw/s1600/P1080370.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8 - This is a sneaky one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMMfrz2X4ur3tlH4CiJgOq-kvbFvedVhYL7AMBb0HuXepSHIAIKtj6y7rjq5Ehu7rtxCe_aqCh_26OGyFIwbV7uJlkv9kKoKyBXG9mN73UAMcaxdPclXQ0fnW4vyrjjYIWrbKaimTgbY/s1600/P1070943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMMfrz2X4ur3tlH4CiJgOq-kvbFvedVhYL7AMBb0HuXepSHIAIKtj6y7rjq5Ehu7rtxCe_aqCh_26OGyFIwbV7uJlkv9kKoKyBXG9mN73UAMcaxdPclXQ0fnW4vyrjjYIWrbKaimTgbY/s1600/P1070943.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">9.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcpVuhRXlVDVAWfBerYqgTJAL302fB8Lf7qaZJ1EG1cH8xpXAwDMj-6QYqWWtI6WXqMPlehhESCeNlgJKH341aU5AVQim5VBHO3JaYf01ao3vU_5y1yS9G-yJUGc2Ot4B9u4vYVvcet0/s1600/P1090717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcpVuhRXlVDVAWfBerYqgTJAL302fB8Lf7qaZJ1EG1cH8xpXAwDMj-6QYqWWtI6WXqMPlehhESCeNlgJKH341aU5AVQim5VBHO3JaYf01ao3vU_5y1yS9G-yJUGc2Ot4B9u4vYVvcet0/s1600/P1090717.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">11.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xjpF5penEzpR96xkg3nhKJFVVcy5kq6RlaA4N1EwCP7PD6H13sK95n9ikVVHoOk6pY887e0TaFV4DifLZpNDLhQfdAX9Vb3EZK5PWD-MRqxsP6zBvbh17opYybhGKVsSwcj5wo5tkEo/s1600/P1100721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xjpF5penEzpR96xkg3nhKJFVVcy5kq6RlaA4N1EwCP7PD6H13sK95n9ikVVHoOk6pY887e0TaFV4DifLZpNDLhQfdAX9Vb3EZK5PWD-MRqxsP6zBvbh17opYybhGKVsSwcj5wo5tkEo/s1600/P1100721.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFXayLuBsqUrP4zxlbq964lON2rxgbAes-lnCFotAEEK_2kXJxGkqSQEtDCe3HyXXnoMS-1ryqZgHvqAoYFwyPYq8o6FLHn-4s6IBGEFwssGz7y5G6XU6Wz3a-fGuclhck4s-a-37JAQ/s1600/P1100723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFXayLuBsqUrP4zxlbq964lON2rxgbAes-lnCFotAEEK_2kXJxGkqSQEtDCe3HyXXnoMS-1ryqZgHvqAoYFwyPYq8o6FLHn-4s6IBGEFwssGz7y5G6XU6Wz3a-fGuclhck4s-a-37JAQ/s1600/P1100723.JPG" height="320" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">13.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNsWcguTy2CuvXguql5b4NRj87gEKq9UJrkJ-gpi0SCPOq36inStMgjpLWmy1WVMQ-mlthW-cwHu05Ap_RZNVzwS4Jyq-p9GiZAafs6uv4DWPVgZy89Us8X3oxpk8achshF22F-v-uB0/s1600/P1100736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNsWcguTy2CuvXguql5b4NRj87gEKq9UJrkJ-gpi0SCPOq36inStMgjpLWmy1WVMQ-mlthW-cwHu05Ap_RZNVzwS4Jyq-p9GiZAafs6uv4DWPVgZy89Us8X3oxpk8achshF22F-v-uB0/s1600/P1100736.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">12.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsy6Cos6d4EbgBJRhPjbb6FaZ7mcdYNUYGyDyu8CKfewjFEfuFDmWmq4UMuvAYctpqeCX0LrBUsjtZR6qaW38QEZp453tCaJxviNfbZDhVHmgNj647w-M9dY6pM_cXjzgR6GKlT6ZU-c/s1600/P1100738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsy6Cos6d4EbgBJRhPjbb6FaZ7mcdYNUYGyDyu8CKfewjFEfuFDmWmq4UMuvAYctpqeCX0LrBUsjtZR6qaW38QEZp453tCaJxviNfbZDhVHmgNj647w-M9dY6pM_cXjzgR6GKlT6ZU-c/s1600/P1100738.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">15.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhee_2cXXOnNAAE_yGc_7cql8tK8y0WVyp0PkZC9Zv37uqy6wPyTKepQ3czQQcTsE_lrIjBa3Id8yxXwfGhw8ELEhAOr0b1lrie-8mIxz86upFTiQTngtFAyXNLcH9ZUouJsjZvx4ImjRM/s1600/P1100735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhee_2cXXOnNAAE_yGc_7cql8tK8y0WVyp0PkZC9Zv37uqy6wPyTKepQ3czQQcTsE_lrIjBa3Id8yxXwfGhw8ELEhAOr0b1lrie-8mIxz86upFTiQTngtFAyXNLcH9ZUouJsjZvx4ImjRM/s1600/P1100735.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">14.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivJBaWCgi3LUFgsrthA_58hyRmPmxJ5sSgVNgpOSdciIHsMMeVp6Zf8yLgo89W87dzhjQ2CatandJQDtj6xu1-8wegKhRuS8lSaiuWRPPpkb9h8UcM0kELOqf9qlcuI4qIUGZNHj1W8Qs/s1600/P1100732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivJBaWCgi3LUFgsrthA_58hyRmPmxJ5sSgVNgpOSdciIHsMMeVp6Zf8yLgo89W87dzhjQ2CatandJQDtj6xu1-8wegKhRuS8lSaiuWRPPpkb9h8UcM0kELOqf9qlcuI4qIUGZNHj1W8Qs/s1600/P1100732.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">16.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrH0YgMy2KiJk02oxzx8jrHUD0VJNIU30h2N_Ry621s7KLzKB2HR5HX6gphTX58tc5SCc-83bgujTVJwWkFUMZ-RQ72H0SsFa6CctAnSPdel4uXhazDcVX9Xo9YR-lbnvCBoH036ESZHE/s1600/P1100728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrH0YgMy2KiJk02oxzx8jrHUD0VJNIU30h2N_Ry621s7KLzKB2HR5HX6gphTX58tc5SCc-83bgujTVJwWkFUMZ-RQ72H0SsFa6CctAnSPdel4uXhazDcVX9Xo9YR-lbnvCBoH036ESZHE/s1600/P1100728.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">17.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIUb84NdK0cj35G9U6xWP4gSY-epwEmG3QGwGVz-IB2yxdNyZ8lE8GsxKhCXZd6ljgAE3Ep3XCbL5i__YXEgxLdtPefF149uPuiH611Z_8lbmXYkCOMkOXd-mTFc49F7nMlZRXi0YRunU/s1600/P1100725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIUb84NdK0cj35G9U6xWP4gSY-epwEmG3QGwGVz-IB2yxdNyZ8lE8GsxKhCXZd6ljgAE3Ep3XCbL5i__YXEgxLdtPefF149uPuiH611Z_8lbmXYkCOMkOXd-mTFc49F7nMlZRXi0YRunU/s1600/P1100725.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">18.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNttQcAxMPA8yen9XsioRiqmNK0EOg4BktTkNqP3VEwEEE0qEH_xcK4STgXMsgJYb7Y6BAynJHuyF0Hf1aQXgtFsKGMcLsh1lBkhgNfgVoc9tLfCsD42K4IilMwa7Em-KK8vDTaOjKcDk/s1600/P1100734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNttQcAxMPA8yen9XsioRiqmNK0EOg4BktTkNqP3VEwEEE0qEH_xcK4STgXMsgJYb7Y6BAynJHuyF0Hf1aQXgtFsKGMcLsh1lBkhgNfgVoc9tLfCsD42K4IilMwa7Em-KK8vDTaOjKcDk/s1600/P1100734.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">19.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybXQEzhmP5j26WMPl1QY9_boATGxeFGcF_RyK8rqiazWpOrBvYgH8H0TUNbNej23YnQJa15VFsPxOY2opQVoqzeRu_AWUa0jK0vueVFrhAr-TzWi-TFYGsJlKVSbnNsu-HuKV0an1uAw/s1600/P1100756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybXQEzhmP5j26WMPl1QY9_boATGxeFGcF_RyK8rqiazWpOrBvYgH8H0TUNbNej23YnQJa15VFsPxOY2opQVoqzeRu_AWUa0jK0vueVFrhAr-TzWi-TFYGsJlKVSbnNsu-HuKV0an1uAw/s1600/P1100756.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">20.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpeIrv6aU6vyGCJt5JCg46rcrU0VujnCJpjcO6WKQ_z-hkJ7VAa6qoOcMYhWzlRefsYeitVEBxtmM_04pr0vDslUZWLb3uNm6lGWer_rwwgvadhBi_if_HIr3AW8YPV_VU6UVKdfIr8I/s1600/P1100759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpeIrv6aU6vyGCJt5JCg46rcrU0VujnCJpjcO6WKQ_z-hkJ7VAa6qoOcMYhWzlRefsYeitVEBxtmM_04pr0vDslUZWLb3uNm6lGWer_rwwgvadhBi_if_HIr3AW8YPV_VU6UVKdfIr8I/s1600/P1100759.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">21.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7v9WuDV_UzVcnBvzTbKJeyqJ-tz_igF9gQ7b-eVIhAxFpbAttTdYkpAU8HIzs-yg-n8M6sPmHVCPkVTqy9wKTf3O2rz6hAia_hwxl_MS0F90EAeRYi6s6ValS-YtdtdZ0yXOr7z4kaEg/s1600/P1100751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7v9WuDV_UzVcnBvzTbKJeyqJ-tz_igF9gQ7b-eVIhAxFpbAttTdYkpAU8HIzs-yg-n8M6sPmHVCPkVTqy9wKTf3O2rz6hAia_hwxl_MS0F90EAeRYi6s6ValS-YtdtdZ0yXOr7z4kaEg/s1600/P1100751.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">23.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05o6ZowcIgGQWRAgncWcWrU3oPTk0URpiv5VQ2MPwOZNSgj5hgavuUi5Y9BNJk5pFiTIQeBqPaEMOg3j2NO6hDuSDaakyipyx_9qdW5OOp5obRnW9uCPSr06__NWkmYcy2SOqzEE1Gqc/s1600/P1100752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05o6ZowcIgGQWRAgncWcWrU3oPTk0URpiv5VQ2MPwOZNSgj5hgavuUi5Y9BNJk5pFiTIQeBqPaEMOg3j2NO6hDuSDaakyipyx_9qdW5OOp5obRnW9uCPSr06__NWkmYcy2SOqzEE1Gqc/s1600/P1100752.JPG" height="320" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">22 - A tough one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1kHoyNVOLN-ILzMm2gnGUX-GAhgymC7RdRRzkeNckk5StjxyN3vymB4fbzrUI48ZNinV_tiUTHiBvPTaGkfMCfR3aBMSM4PjCaDvxVA9UZYD0KTIaDduT0KwJIXmyyQ_TC6EWa9T7Ss/s1600/P1100748-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1kHoyNVOLN-ILzMm2gnGUX-GAhgymC7RdRRzkeNckk5StjxyN3vymB4fbzrUI48ZNinV_tiUTHiBvPTaGkfMCfR3aBMSM4PjCaDvxVA9UZYD0KTIaDduT0KwJIXmyyQ_TC6EWa9T7Ss/s1600/P1100748-1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">25- See Inset of foliage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPT_MeKaJ8ENdKsOsQly5n4yYqdWxssTbE88Hun_aebrac589g_4ILgVPIBS-de7SjOoX9op7niqt8pBcpYZjShXMhRpL3SX-ZAuQv9ozJAWErB40zNujHANufSJybJivzkqKtsB4GtpM/s1600/P1100741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPT_MeKaJ8ENdKsOsQly5n4yYqdWxssTbE88Hun_aebrac589g_4ILgVPIBS-de7SjOoX9op7niqt8pBcpYZjShXMhRpL3SX-ZAuQv9ozJAWErB40zNujHANufSJybJivzkqKtsB4GtpM/s1600/P1100741.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">24.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1nZBwvKaIUBYgZ1_4AFA9NOvRNE1oszzr34TQJxcHKRz995y1It1cDw_p7Ho3EOq3snN6bgpSnEDY-nhpyxGF0eJ1FMis3vGnhGrfEvrbxYmVoHhEu1tD8D0dHTqo-qNFlGT3kuOgOg/s1600/P1100762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1nZBwvKaIUBYgZ1_4AFA9NOvRNE1oszzr34TQJxcHKRz995y1It1cDw_p7Ho3EOq3snN6bgpSnEDY-nhpyxGF0eJ1FMis3vGnhGrfEvrbxYmVoHhEu1tD8D0dHTqo-qNFlGT3kuOgOg/s1600/P1100762.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">27.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgST7NFz81e7egU6YBepMM4ow-USg1D4h2bfqpBTR4hSh4rohRibQQml3M_ycNVRprJJxsFM-ALK2s2gBL8wTJTCwDaWRawiuYIcnOoIt-CzD1tCZUtVXzYIPwlwe285M7tDKBzuy9C4n8/s1600/P1100742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgST7NFz81e7egU6YBepMM4ow-USg1D4h2bfqpBTR4hSh4rohRibQQml3M_ycNVRprJJxsFM-ALK2s2gBL8wTJTCwDaWRawiuYIcnOoIt-CzD1tCZUtVXzYIPwlwe285M7tDKBzuy9C4n8/s1600/P1100742.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">26- Two in One!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEfc8eCEowkRrQIDnvtdk-Mjg_X5uQxI7Pbdy4X6_2kLigiBKiQE_IUn1A4KgSvJfHUIKwD97ISKefMj6ZZ4zHE5yDpRP5CUokCDFqsG6c5fSxV4o8qvaxx7LySTuGUfE2T7F4EIA95To/s1600/P1100730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEfc8eCEowkRrQIDnvtdk-Mjg_X5uQxI7Pbdy4X6_2kLigiBKiQE_IUn1A4KgSvJfHUIKwD97ISKefMj6ZZ4zHE5yDpRP5CUokCDFqsG6c5fSxV4o8qvaxx7LySTuGUfE2T7F4EIA95To/s1600/P1100730.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">28.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-72885447943027839592014-03-01T19:08:00.001-05:002014-03-12T15:42:35.299-04:00New England's Fallen Champion Hemlock<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Eight degrees. My thoughts went to the crew of like-minded guys who were heading out to the woods of Mt. Tom this February morning. Are we all crazy? It's cold here in western Massachusetts. Really cold. The split in my thumb that had finally healed over is splitting open again from the stinging cold. To work on a frozen log in the woods on a morning like this is silly. But here we are, just the same. And none of us is sorry to be here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Why? That's a question I asked myself too. People who cherish the grandest, oldest trees in the forests are just willing to put up with discomfort to be among those hulking giants. In this case, the old tree is lying in repose on the ground, having smashed down unceremoniously a couple months ago. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvzY3-n1EwEDIzzFqjqLVJtpQdYXnvdt4M8k5fDSlRdjf_k-cfO4kw11zB1FzR2BGQ2swg1tNxe41sOk3pF-kJEdOgpV06WEDSZ840_JtAzH4Aqe0Zmqk6pcV4PQUjbsQqhusnT-3C7Y/s1600/Mt+Tom+Champ+Hemlock+(Bill+Finn).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvzY3-n1EwEDIzzFqjqLVJtpQdYXnvdt4M8k5fDSlRdjf_k-cfO4kw11zB1FzR2BGQ2swg1tNxe41sOk3pF-kJEdOgpV06WEDSZ840_JtAzH4Aqe0Zmqk6pcV4PQUjbsQqhusnT-3C7Y/s1600/Mt+Tom+Champ+Hemlock+(Bill+Finn).jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New England Champion Hemlock, Jan 2009 (Bill Finn photo)</td></tr>
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It's New England's champion hemlock tree, or was. It had stood at least 125 feet tall, with a circumference of about 15 feet. Age estimates before its fall put it at over 200 years, but likely not over 300 years. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2-9_18QtdiOIsg6qt64DhmjFZmln0VsZMrIpkjJKPo0pKs2pzGgIaRGfTGuvGGzNVgCcIL__UIRAg6pmdACHChzu38jpxbxuW_EAlQyORpPmJnd09OQxaA3ytNUaAFSqqMWAihEmf08/s1600/P1100625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2-9_18QtdiOIsg6qt64DhmjFZmln0VsZMrIpkjJKPo0pKs2pzGgIaRGfTGuvGGzNVgCcIL__UIRAg6pmdACHChzu38jpxbxuW_EAlQyORpPmJnd09OQxaA3ytNUaAFSqqMWAihEmf08/s1600/P1100625.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stump of broken champion hemlock</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The person who, as far as I know, first measured and documented the tree was Bob Leverett, widely recognized as the "guru" of the country's eastern old growth forests. Through his efforts, the tree became recognized as the New England champion eastern hemlock (determined by a formula applied to a combination of its height, girth, and crown spread). I recall visiting this tree with Bob and his son Rob twenty-something years ago. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The first photo above </span>is<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> how many of us remember it, as captured in 2009 by Bill Finn. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In December of 2013, Bob forwarded to me an email from Bill, who had just discovered that the champ had fallen, broken off its 17-foot-high stump from a windstorm, no doubt. Prior to its toppling, it was known to have a serious crack in its trunk, an omen that predicted its demise. As it turns out, the tree also had a rotted core which lessened its ability to resist wind forces.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bill and Bob, lamenting the loss of this grand specimen, discussed the idea of cutting a "cookie" (a round disc) from the log, to be displayed in the Mt Tom Visitors Center. The disc would be used to plot, in its annual rings, a timeline of events that had occurred during its lifetime. Being a woodturner, I volunteered to make some other artifact, such as a bowl perhaps, from a chunk of the tree, if that would help. As a result of that offer, I met Bill for the first time in January of 2014, when he and I visited the downed hemlock in the snow. Bill spends a lot of time on the mountain hiking, teaching, and doing trail maintenance. Through our shared affinity for the forests around us, we became friends on that day, and Bill invited me to be part of the group who would try to preserve a few remnants of the revered tree. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And so, on February 27th, after obtaining permission from state officials to cut the log, a congenial cadre of characters assembled in the sub-freezing woods at 9am to do the deed. The list of hearty souls included Bill Finn, Mike Zlogar, Don Rickson, Bob Schwobe, Tom Quinn, Carl Libucha, Bob Cowles, and me. Bob Leverett hoped to be there, but was unable to. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Carl, Tom, Bill, and Don are all enthusiastic members of the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Mt Tom Advocacy Group, and give a lot of their time to make the mountain a great place to spend time in the woods. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bob Schwobe is also a member, and is well known in the region as the long-time Mt Tom historian. Mike is a retired Assistant Fire Chief, is quite active in trail maintenance in New England, and is quite capable in many pursuits. Don, a retired prison guard, is an energetic, jovial guy who's experienced in ski patrol, winter mountaineering, ice climbing, and who knows what else. Bob Cowles is also retired from the same fire department as Mike, and has long experience in the woods.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Let the Fun Begin</span></span></u> </span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The snow was crusty and deep on the slopes of Mt Tom this day, and, of course, the tree lay in a gully downhill from the road. But downhill is good. Um, at least on the way <i>into</i> the woods. With feet clad in snowshoes (except for those of us who lack the ability to envision the extremely-near future), we left the road and began the short descent to the champ. It lay, thankfully, only a couple hundred feet or so down the hill. When we arrived at the log, we performed the mandatory male ritual of forming an informal circle, hands in pockets, meditating on the proper course of action to be taken. These important proceedings can't be ignored or omitted. It was immediately agreed though that Don could forthrightly proceed with the clearing of snow from the top of the log. An uninformed observer might conclude the rest of us were "standing around while one guy did the work". Ha! One need only be part of a work group to know better than that.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1I2R3X8t_f9f9ojqc12cbMUBu6Kkb3mk13Ym_9akOMqi-u9z0suGh8AVdFTqUYP_1q9MliV3v1aSi14eYGw_QHa7QV5F2O7OH4bgS8UxoBHmkFwnNZHpws8d3F2eQxPKkCYqncgpomYw/s1600/P1100621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1I2R3X8t_f9f9ojqc12cbMUBu6Kkb3mk13Ym_9akOMqi-u9z0suGh8AVdFTqUYP_1q9MliV3v1aSi14eYGw_QHa7QV5F2O7OH4bgS8UxoBHmkFwnNZHpws8d3F2eQxPKkCYqncgpomYw/s1600/P1100621.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">The descent to the fallen hemlock</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now, I'm told Bob Cowles is a great guy who has many traits that prove it. One of those enviable traits is his possession of a chainsaw with a 36-inch bar, heh heh. Out of the goodness of his heart, he willingly left the warmth of his homestead that frigid morning to separate hemlock cookie from log. The task wouldn't really be feasible without that saw.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And planning was not lost on this group of resourceful guys. In preparation for the event, Mike, Don, and Bill built a <strike>sled</strike>, uh, "cookie transport system (CTS)", consisting of a pallet perched atop racing skis to glide the cookies up the hill to the road. All manner of paraphernalia was lugged to the site, including coils of rope and cable, a come-along, straps, saws, hooks, pry bars, shovels, etc, etc. Crowning glory- a hefty power winch on the back bumper of Mike's pickup to effortlessly draw the harvested load to the road. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZMrWJotL3QnyE7fw2b1LrBMQThXbFkDQtegpHgbootHPcgk-ehngpVD0bGwtu8yT1ufDs30AWkGEXtbmPtv2HHC_GlGYkoNpvF4IPK81bl-i0LBw3ifSWxRxhHb1rMWPq1oJAUpoBtI/s1600/P1100637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZMrWJotL3QnyE7fw2b1LrBMQThXbFkDQtegpHgbootHPcgk-ehngpVD0bGwtu8yT1ufDs30AWkGEXtbmPtv2HHC_GlGYkoNpvF4IPK81bl-i0LBw3ifSWxRxhHb1rMWPq1oJAUpoBtI/s1600/P1100637.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A hefty winch is available... <b><i>yes</i></b>!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I was impressed. I can recognize <i>workers</i> when I see them, and these guys, all of whom I had just recently met, were the genuine article. They were all there with one purpose in mind... to get the job done! And so, right then and there, feeling a strong sense of duty and belonging, I decided to pitch right in and stay the heck out of their way. Taking pictures won't interfere with their mission, so I'll do that. No, it's not going to be easy, but it's the least I can do.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7S7Vb0F5bbP_Jo57aHoaA0L5rAiIwK1xYaSlNuy7D3z3H_fhfTv3O2I1vKg3y_49bwInaNv06hbyuNNENa-Ph0wzS5jnjWobIn5TfdxRc_KZUv2FCrhcuZlK3RnsxLlKTe-IVZJygjLg/s1600/P1100623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7S7Vb0F5bbP_Jo57aHoaA0L5rAiIwK1xYaSlNuy7D3z3H_fhfTv3O2I1vKg3y_49bwInaNv06hbyuNNENa-Ph0wzS5jnjWobIn5TfdxRc_KZUv2FCrhcuZlK3RnsxLlKTe-IVZJygjLg/s1600/P1100623.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="gphoto-photocaption-caption">Bill, Mike, Tom, Carl plan. Don clears snow from log. </span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Due to the obvious rot in the center of the lower part of the trunk, we wouldn't be able to get a good, solid cookie out of the log unless we took it from far enough up the log to get beyond the rot. Since we couldn't tell exactly where the rot ended, we decided to make a trial cut where we thought it might end, and see what that produced. That was at a point in the tree that had been about 21 feet above ground.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So, without fanfare, Bob Cowles sets about his task. There's no wind to exaggerate the cold, the woods are peaceful and quiet, everything is ready to go. Nothing to impede our progress. The saw roars to life, that impressive 36" saw bar comes down on the log, and zips right down into the frozen behemoth, by golly.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zyf3v1vCur9aEkiniE3EZYI_EqCk_y0232E3oBieKKsugxrnOovMFw_7D3K13I9ypaq-ASrNagbwHLAuT3YnkacOduM684sUeDzkA8icrtTrA97t4IWraWfY9HFGq3_8dn01w6BENhg/s1600/P1100631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zyf3v1vCur9aEkiniE3EZYI_EqCk_y0232E3oBieKKsugxrnOovMFw_7D3K13I9ypaq-ASrNagbwHLAuT3YnkacOduM684sUeDzkA8icrtTrA97t4IWraWfY9HFGq3_8dn01w6BENhg/s1600/P1100631.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bob starts the first cookie cut</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I hear the saw shut down... glancing over at Bob, I see a saw engine in his hands, and the engine end of a saw bar protruding from the log. Uh oh, I don't think this is part of the plan. On hands and knees in snow and sawdust, Bob and I search for the two nuts that used to hold the chain bar on the saw, but starving squirrels wouldn't be up to the task. The only two nuts to be found on the ground were me and Bob. "Well," Bob says, "I can go swipe nuts off my other saw and use those." A few minutes later Bob is back, the saw is reassembled, and the first cut is quickly completed.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkm25r8-tUaSHLgMFBA-uikJ5Oba0MhRiV61NBdKQ4visdMrwtU4ujHKf-DZGoSDsa19_EbOKVFuNbsRkteoYSwVYO9ipdg-fQ7F1O_IBqMAjtPY1Od6EW3YyaihCvD1Z9B3HAChnPM6w/s1600/P1100633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkm25r8-tUaSHLgMFBA-uikJ5Oba0MhRiV61NBdKQ4visdMrwtU4ujHKf-DZGoSDsa19_EbOKVFuNbsRkteoYSwVYO9ipdg-fQ7F1O_IBqMAjtPY1Od6EW3YyaihCvD1Z9B3HAChnPM6w/s1600/P1100633.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Where are those pesky nuts??</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bob moves the bar 6 or so inches to the left and begins the second cut, which would free our first cookie, hopefully a solid one without rot. Bob deftly guides the saw down into the wood, a low growling engine sound broadcasting that this is going well. Sputter, sputter, sputter ... silence. Hmmm. Upon withdrawing bar from log, Bob discovers the smoking evidence of a seized bar sprocket. Sadly, this saw won't be completing the mission today. I'm thinking maybe the forces that control such things aren't really in on this plan. Poor Bob, this isn't a stellar day in the woods for him, and I'm glad I'm not in his boots.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAJHRgIbkLwwgEpcXlbf2qMcKWCVmpxyuB5HgyjrhMjCNiWpNk1XtqCm-ecA6ivZBGxgXQJq_tsgo-qXDn7VyY4d9gPfj5RjLTDI3ZSdhXR0yOM6XiJCniBJIJjC8-Td1_NTlznWRkgQ/s1600/P1100640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAJHRgIbkLwwgEpcXlbf2qMcKWCVmpxyuB5HgyjrhMjCNiWpNk1XtqCm-ecA6ivZBGxgXQJq_tsgo-qXDn7VyY4d9gPfj5RjLTDI3ZSdhXR0yOM6XiJCniBJIJjC8-Td1_NTlznWRkgQ/s1600/P1100640.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bob begins second cut ...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Meanwhile, some of the others are bringing the sled down the slick hill to the site, expecting to be loading the first of several cookie slabs. Along the way, a couple other obstacle logs are cleared from the path. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8kC5ID_77seJ-sHiRtw7OYTkYF6fyFB87TD4Cb6IgAUrTdoiBucjHRfr-SNtr9sBe56JngVG27C0gOE4NKcJQ5kDspwkD47Z3-R2cE0tS-FSA8HmmjXrY0UuE7MlcKC0SYoVFIgzuPQ/s1600/P1100642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8kC5ID_77seJ-sHiRtw7OYTkYF6fyFB87TD4Cb6IgAUrTdoiBucjHRfr-SNtr9sBe56JngVG27C0gOE4NKcJQ5kDspwkD47Z3-R2cE0tS-FSA8HmmjXrY0UuE7MlcKC0SYoVFIgzuPQ/s1600/P1100642.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Bill, Don, Carl bring sled to log</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjxmNy2z8_MXJzy-KnRdq7Ae5OaDIIhO1xC3NqR_HYZtLF5yjzhnNDm-EUfxbcJrvVE1bhTRc8qPu0015P0BOdOLDUxfkzdVtSxq_d8DnoWuyth8xC_2my_w1B4i-t1kPVgRbAsFgjnU/s1600/P1100647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjxmNy2z8_MXJzy-KnRdq7Ae5OaDIIhO1xC3NqR_HYZtLF5yjzhnNDm-EUfxbcJrvVE1bhTRc8qPu0015P0BOdOLDUxfkzdVtSxq_d8DnoWuyth8xC_2my_w1B4i-t1kPVgRbAsFgjnU/s1600/P1100647.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Mike completes second cut</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> After taking a look at the second cut Bob started, Mike says he thinks he can complete it with his smaller saw, and sets about to do that. It takes him several minutes to get the shorter bar to completely sever the log, but he's successful, and our first cookie is about to be liberated from its position in the tree. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiilh65joj_OFCPthK4gAYRR4JqgBjJSQ6bTjHu5VyRVXRaleIU4b1Owj_E_YsXpfgHzl8hblildGOMFbqn49kYGZ6TMiwcx5xGzRBUgSmf2D2l2PTf-0Ynhpxa2zWj2WnhXFvmegAM9BI/s1600/P1100651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiilh65joj_OFCPthK4gAYRR4JqgBjJSQ6bTjHu5VyRVXRaleIU4b1Owj_E_YsXpfgHzl8hblildGOMFbqn49kYGZ6TMiwcx5xGzRBUgSmf2D2l2PTf-0Ynhpxa2zWj2WnhXFvmegAM9BI/s1600/P1100651.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don, Carl, Bill prepare to remove cookie #1</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIQS5UX2Hc-MX-tGQmbcPD5BMzYZKLPl2sjFZg_zhbk1NZQpXUFYGfJMzQR_pft3sTOsrJIVkYI1_gzpMBhjFfI4wJ5hFN3B6iL9gQ28NbPJ34RbjZImN-vhbgSL8xrEBu2_L3iezvu0/s1600/P1100654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIQS5UX2Hc-MX-tGQmbcPD5BMzYZKLPl2sjFZg_zhbk1NZQpXUFYGfJMzQR_pft3sTOsrJIVkYI1_gzpMBhjFfI4wJ5hFN3B6iL9gQ28NbPJ34RbjZImN-vhbgSL8xrEBu2_L3iezvu0/s1600/P1100654.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1st cookie emerges from log, looking great!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">But it's not that easy. We can't just slide it out of its place. It must be pulled out with straps, rope, and the come-along, which Mike anchors to a nearby tree. Once the slack is pulled out of the tow strap by the come-along, cookie #1 begins to emerge from the log with a groan. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bpEOqRiNu5cWTv1HBs6swgDivz6KtNZ48d_Zr-SI7sDjTwAHP_Moe_elYGVwPK02O7hF6_1Y-lN-H2TmXfcyzPIstb-i6hBFkIF4Gn4V2_GcN5gSwfcRU-VFpQ9L-AqVshCgO0fz62c/s1600/P1100650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bpEOqRiNu5cWTv1HBs6swgDivz6KtNZ48d_Zr-SI7sDjTwAHP_Moe_elYGVwPK02O7hF6_1Y-lN-H2TmXfcyzPIstb-i6hBFkIF4Gn4V2_GcN5gSwfcRU-VFpQ9L-AqVshCgO0fz62c/s1600/P1100650.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike mans the come-along</td></tr>
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There's great anticipation as every one of us is hoping to see a solid cookie come out of there, with no evidence of rot. That's what we're after. But Bob had dampened our expectations a little when he made his first cut through the log, saying he felt an area of less resistance near the center of it, indicati</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">ng there probably was rot in there. I think everyone's holding his breath, as the cookie, under strain of the tow strap, pops partly out of its place somewhat unexpectedly. Bill, who was pulling on the strap with Carl and Don, is caught off guard and slips backwards on his snowshoes, doing a half-spin to the ground. After a bit of a laugh at Bill's expense, we turn our attention to the partially extracted cookie... is it sound or rotted? What we can see of it at this point looks great! Let's get it all the way out of the log! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-chFSW39hvzM3FgKexrBx-pPW8VqzesxVv7Evnr48SrgLgQgMWpFxufWeLS-VmpGxKT5oGTI1Gb5tgyfkXEoMGzKaTWHzMs-rirt5eFUmBTo522sZvuDeuJR1KJ5kj32pe_7QLNJG45g/s1600/P1100656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-chFSW39hvzM3FgKexrBx-pPW8VqzesxVv7Evnr48SrgLgQgMWpFxufWeLS-VmpGxKT5oGTI1Gb5tgyfkXEoMGzKaTWHzMs-rirt5eFUmBTo522sZvuDeuJR1KJ5kj32pe_7QLNJG45g/s1600/P1100656.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rotten at its heart</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">With Mike pumping the come-along handle, the strap re-tensions and the cookie pops out, falling on the snow-covered forest floor. We all rush to it for a look... oh, it <i>does</i> have a rotted center. Though we stayed enthusiastic about the first product of our efforts, I sensed there was some disappointment in the cold air. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The plan formulated a few weeks earlier was to cut several cookie slabs out of the log and try different methods of drying/preserving them, in the hope that at least one would come out of the process with little or no serious degradation due to cracking. Wood shrinks as it dries out, and if not handled carefully, usually results in splitting ("checking") and/or warping. And the most difficult of all pieces to dry successfully without cracking is a round disc cut off the end of a log, such as the cookies we're seeking. Further, we hope to get a complete disc without a rotted core for the Visitors Center timeline display piece, and this cookie obviously isn't the perfect one. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Nevertheless, it's what we have, and we're going to keep it. Once Bob gets his big saw repaired, we'll come back and try again. It doesn't look particularly promising, however; the rot in the log probably goes a long way up in the tree, so we'll have to go beyond it to get a solid cookie. That means its diameter will be that much smaller, and it will contain many fewer annual rings. The whole idea is to display a slab that's as old as possible from the tree, which would have come from near ground level in the tree. The farther up the tree we have to cut it from, the farther from our goal we'll be. But such is life.</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">From Bole to Bowl</span></span></span></u></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">At any rate, now that we've got this cookie out of the tree, and don't have Bob's saw to do another one, we can move on to the next chore today- cutting large chunks out of the bole (trunk) of the tree that can hopefully be turned on the lathe into bowls, or other objects. Mike again puts saw to wood while we watch, er, plan.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjan6SShu4PrxzyHoAH3naO3pUT9SVuAswsCMHhhDchmlc_VR4EMOanaLBn2RVwV2jw5wDkfH1L8eFW8zJSCjT1khmLoJTdt5t2q2gmcK5ivtlEYfCZbhpHnQSD5sJeJjXbAZz45gQZrdM/s1600/P1100694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjan6SShu4PrxzyHoAH3naO3pUT9SVuAswsCMHhhDchmlc_VR4EMOanaLBn2RVwV2jw5wDkfH1L8eFW8zJSCjT1khmLoJTdt5t2q2gmcK5ivtlEYfCZbhpHnQSD5sJeJjXbAZz45gQZrdM/s1600/P1100694.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill, Tom, Don, Carl, Bob C. watch Mike cut bowl blanks</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It took some time to get several hunks of log excavated, but Mike managed pretty handily. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span>I now have my work cut out for me, literally.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfKoZgLiK83Xb7Z6OJW-r_pstQOV4kamxqVbWCCPGU4JDTNcV_7W0AQNUqlCE2FWPyzKV5zDxG9vb4aSv43BCzLYhdi3_eoykuDhxihmFjiAFULNQ53WAhDLrHRXrhD6LSMAS3hU52D4/s1600/P1100697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfKoZgLiK83Xb7Z6OJW-r_pstQOV4kamxqVbWCCPGU4JDTNcV_7W0AQNUqlCE2FWPyzKV5zDxG9vb4aSv43BCzLYhdi3_eoykuDhxihmFjiAFULNQ53WAhDLrHRXrhD6LSMAS3hU52D4/s1600/P1100697.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcuGjUMVQ0BqkP2iC1jofermYCtGEw7wH_W-6Dc6ivK1_wSU5CDab-rfHdeaRB_6DYDiQNywlconacubPJV40FAXFo_IRiT9mgFeVzNAfyO8nXiCSwQ0RxAQHkFVllXkVqYXcjQn5KEVQ/s1600/P1100698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcuGjUMVQ0BqkP2iC1jofermYCtGEw7wH_W-6Dc6ivK1_wSU5CDab-rfHdeaRB_6DYDiQNywlconacubPJV40FAXFo_IRiT9mgFeVzNAfyO8nXiCSwQ0RxAQHkFVllXkVqYXcjQn5KEVQ/s1600/P1100698.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yikes, you want me to make a bowl from <i>this</i>??</td></tr>
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<u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Slip-Slidin' Away</span></span></span></u></h4>
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Ok, now we have this pile of frozen cargo ready to go to the car, but where did the car go? Oh yeah, it's up the hill. Who was it that said "downhill is good"?? I don't know when he did it, but somehow Don suddenly produced a very long rope, and it had a series of looped knots (read: handles), one every five feet or so. Was it a clever mountaineering device, or an implement of torture? I feared I was about to find out.<br />
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The cookie was perched, unsecured, on the "CTS", and was ready for ascent. "All hands on the rope"! Have you tried pulling a heavy load up a packed-snow slope on snowshoes? Ya, me either. I wasn't wearing any, and I don't know which scenario was more laughable. I just remember hearing, in between our grunts and chortles, some crazed former prison guard repeatedly shouting something akin to "Pull pappi, pull!" I won't mention his name, but he's the one in the <i>blue and red hat</i> in this picture. If you see this man in the woods, it would make good sense to run.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmJuOJkQ03NM0SrlgL6ULSaatQfd1fTWJFzx0ZfDbxseubDahYSPALFtO-qt3lWUpIyBlysoQVgE6LmsTysR1KAEfKlnZAd4b0uMNmmd0IRxMFFwyYXzD8sHR25KyaB_Sn7dfOhCXoRs/s1600/P1100666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmJuOJkQ03NM0SrlgL6ULSaatQfd1fTWJFzx0ZfDbxseubDahYSPALFtO-qt3lWUpIyBlysoQVgE6LmsTysR1KAEfKlnZAd4b0uMNmmd0IRxMFFwyYXzD8sHR25KyaB_Sn7dfOhCXoRs/s1600/P1100666.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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In spite of this grand fun, we managed to get the cookie and the bowl chunks upslope to the truck.<br />
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WAIT ! What's that-- the WINCH ?? How did we forget about <i>that</i>?!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3P-rcTBrEpNxz4uWW4m4E8eLH-8gMoWwZs9HpPlvy3EQ1EGMdLX85Pmsniv82tYMqVwxBWWhemjm62G6HfJd5fdtbrDnCOdgS0q7dDEUClYzkYPnv-R-WpMhIueWv2zjTSsfqpYdzE4/s1600/P1100669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3P-rcTBrEpNxz4uWW4m4E8eLH-8gMoWwZs9HpPlvy3EQ1EGMdLX85Pmsniv82tYMqVwxBWWhemjm62G6HfJd5fdtbrDnCOdgS0q7dDEUClYzkYPnv-R-WpMhIueWv2zjTSsfqpYdzE4/s1600/P1100669.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cookie meets truck</td></tr>
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Oh, but that's not the only little surprise Mike had in store for some of us. Now we had to get the cookie a couple miles up the road to a storage location where it will be left to dry.<br />
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Bob Schwobe, deservedly and rightfully, rides in the heated cab with Mike at the wheel. Bill, Carl, and I ride with Cookie in the back of the pickup. Did I mention earlier that it was a balmy day, now somewhere in the vicinity of, oh, maybe 11 degrees? Probably reliving a past fire run, Chief Mike seemed to be in an awful hurry to get somewhere. I'm not absolutely sure he was exceeding the posted speed limit because my eyelids were frozen shut. It's days later as this is written; my fingers are still numb.<br />
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But it's ok. The day ended well, and our mission was at least partially accomplished. We'll hopefully return to cut more cookies, and maybe one will be a great specimen to display in the Visitors Center, along with a hemlock bowl.<br />
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Maybe the most rewarding part of the day was watching that guy in the <i>blue and red hat</i> scorching back down the hill out of control on the CTS ...<br />
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... to be continued ...<br />
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3-6-14. Update:<br />
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Here are photos of the first set of bowls rough-turned from the tree.<br />
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The blank is trimmed down with a chainsaw to fit onto the lathe. A "tenon" is formed on the bottom of the bowl, by which the blank can later be gripped in a chuck to hollow out the inside. The outside shape of the bowl is created, using hand-held woodturning gouges. The blank is then reverse mounted end-for-end, the tenon gripped in a chuck for access to the front (ie, top) of the bowl.<br />
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A coring tool is used to extract a nested set of "daughter" bowls from the "mother" bowl, so that little wood is wasted. One of the photos below shows the coring in progress... the first (smallest) inner bowl has been removed and the second is being cut. The walls of the bowls are left thick for now.<br />
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Once the coring is completed, the set of soggy bowls is put away to dry out. When the drying is done (which could take many weeks), the bowls will have shrunk and distorted (and possibly cracked); they'll be re-turned on the lathe to make them round again, and to bring the walls to final thickness. Finally, they'll be sanded and a finish applied.<br />
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Hemlock is not a wood typically used in bowl making. Being a softwood species, it's just not as durable and appropriate as are hardwoods. But since we're trying to preserve some memories of the champion tree, we're going to give this a shot. At this point, with the wood still being thoroughly wet, it doesn't respond all that well to turning; that is, its fibers don't cut well, and the resultant surface is rough. But hopefully the wood will be more cooperative once the rough-turned bowls have dried. We'll see.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydhgfEjGRl2tPAYEDxGachSCsPf574gw4UNMPRwtf_aDkjIPssD9xg9hKmJhFKtYtREFXDbNiYp1vsWOFojr4sebljPoAO4op3IuUrJTlQQuT0T783l8L89O0rBbig6skhx0AqZGZc_w/s1600/P1100703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydhgfEjGRl2tPAYEDxGachSCsPf574gw4UNMPRwtf_aDkjIPssD9xg9hKmJhFKtYtREFXDbNiYp1vsWOFojr4sebljPoAO4op3IuUrJTlQQuT0T783l8L89O0rBbig6skhx0AqZGZc_w/s1600/P1100703.JPG" height="227" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1. First blank, chainsawn to rough shape</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHwFEiAVYG1eZZdydmd5FbRcjYj7V2-R0TxomvhZ9eUvbSYh8LWRxca_cY6YBhDSAxtwGPShyphenhyphenEu_EP3CpwTJ8OumlR_zfAv2H73wrq7hcBCR9PpTfoXdegSHlXSOzV4TBdDbnDcrOnQo/s1600/P1100706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHwFEiAVYG1eZZdydmd5FbRcjYj7V2-R0TxomvhZ9eUvbSYh8LWRxca_cY6YBhDSAxtwGPShyphenhyphenEu_EP3CpwTJ8OumlR_zfAv2H73wrq7hcBCR9PpTfoXdegSHlXSOzV4TBdDbnDcrOnQo/s1600/P1100706.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 ... mounted on lathe</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIifdHknpO2dNqG8dLUoTOwhTXIXOzkXseN5R0FaWsufMnMxXIRLp1feHsiPFMJO2-nVtaOskqO5SNAhu_fvNITw1W-b9TQjy0c3Ay0L0qSnsRdIWuQppqe_g_lf6Jzjj5T2klfBcZjTY/s1600/P1100707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIifdHknpO2dNqG8dLUoTOwhTXIXOzkXseN5R0FaWsufMnMxXIRLp1feHsiPFMJO2-nVtaOskqO5SNAhu_fvNITw1W-b9TQjy0c3Ay0L0qSnsRdIWuQppqe_g_lf6Jzjj5T2klfBcZjTY/s1600/P1100707.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3. Turning begins ...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjgmVjpKHnUVu5U2y74ot6QmjHpcSUqmweWqDZF2ok5kwVish22cIrlheRriFZcKmM5S8_2w8XNHZzgneMIVqLwa6TNqudXhBEIS1DbpFJUsPVGISRcNG_Z0TtuIgqNzEzFKeNu76yCA/s1600/P1100708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjgmVjpKHnUVu5U2y74ot6QmjHpcSUqmweWqDZF2ok5kwVish22cIrlheRriFZcKmM5S8_2w8XNHZzgneMIVqLwa6TNqudXhBEIS1DbpFJUsPVGISRcNG_Z0TtuIgqNzEzFKeNu76yCA/s1600/P1100708.JPG" height="312" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4. Outside turned to shape, tenon formed</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDl_hnUE7CXrHkUYNrq5Qu6lzZ2ddSsCJZeezD0gC7tVEqaBb8EeSO9vHKR-OWjTqRj8ANLZ30HNtYkZQJSUAUp2NC2yHu6_XOQptXf_N_TEzfE0Zx6mYYYLB9ebcyCod5ktCd9KeOL4/s1600/P1100713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDl_hnUE7CXrHkUYNrq5Qu6lzZ2ddSsCJZeezD0gC7tVEqaBb8EeSO9vHKR-OWjTqRj8ANLZ30HNtYkZQJSUAUp2NC2yHu6_XOQptXf_N_TEzfE0Zx6mYYYLB9ebcyCod5ktCd9KeOL4/s1600/P1100713.JPG" height="215" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5. Reverse-mounted in chuck</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrDPRFVa7zMp3THb8Avnk1n97Y5_LTu0VE7g_cQn3r_KOpbk9lK08VScHVCRkGjlBAX9SWFrKM0n7OHPiAnwCucho8ebx92tVC46QVf62QAPHKVsXqhm4b-tPuPDLm4iRsHQOZjs8TcAs/s1600/P1100714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrDPRFVa7zMp3THb8Avnk1n97Y5_LTu0VE7g_cQn3r_KOpbk9lK08VScHVCRkGjlBAX9SWFrKM0n7OHPiAnwCucho8ebx92tVC46QVf62QAPHKVsXqhm4b-tPuPDLm4iRsHQOZjs8TcAs/s1600/P1100714.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6. Coring 2nd inner bowl</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBp2hE_RKYv4kcEuiGrDMNbxL-FdpFVs2_kfYx9KPa1q9L7-YurnApl1l-q2ULqSGrXP80LzKb1s8ZxWlDflB5UlQSePTBVvienfDuyJJ5w_PEK-Bs7P5MUgmzr1ueXtKbvQOmng9_hA/s1600/P1100716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBp2hE_RKYv4kcEuiGrDMNbxL-FdpFVs2_kfYx9KPa1q9L7-YurnApl1l-q2ULqSGrXP80LzKb1s8ZxWlDflB5UlQSePTBVvienfDuyJJ5w_PEK-Bs7P5MUgmzr1ueXtKbvQOmng9_hA/s1600/P1100716.JPG" height="233" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7. A bowlful of bowls ..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbosKCeaUrgWrC8fo0bSU8u5LrDEffprg-ECsMKMwvLIGnAbVxMK-01PmHsiTfe-OjUvUC6kjuVBGKWTY0k0EuNm4vluNoQcEPYAfYoj00x2IQ-6nBlo_AtOSw2m2fgktbUCtzMmecsoY/s1600/P1100717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbosKCeaUrgWrC8fo0bSU8u5LrDEffprg-ECsMKMwvLIGnAbVxMK-01PmHsiTfe-OjUvUC6kjuVBGKWTY0k0EuNm4vluNoQcEPYAfYoj00x2IQ-6nBlo_AtOSw2m2fgktbUCtzMmecsoY/s1600/P1100717.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8. To be dried, and completed later</td></tr>
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... to be continued ...
Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-6430894317035323652014-02-05T12:41:00.000-05:002014-03-19T08:03:51.606-04:00What's Ambrosia Maple?<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Wood can have a variety of figured grain types, including the familiar birdseye, striped, curly, quilted, etc. These are all the result of anomalies or peculiarities in the physical structure of the tree's wood tissues. All are desirable to woodworkers, and trees that contain such figured wood are uncommon or rare when compared to the number of trees there are growing on the planet. Furniture and musical instrument makers especially seek out these prized figured woods, which can occur in many, if not all, tree species. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG702zBEFk6njieFg14Ou95QnIZ3tI6dLCP2ZCnPWMtTh9tNJdXok2_PZ6tPFAQun_UtUCijCfdxRMMzT8eMWheP-ROw_ObF4EAN5_zIyhnF9Pnwk69tvqCYXj32hFDPpa4Cz4oS7E0BY/s1600/P1080759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG702zBEFk6njieFg14Ou95QnIZ3tI6dLCP2ZCnPWMtTh9tNJdXok2_PZ6tPFAQun_UtUCijCfdxRMMzT8eMWheP-ROw_ObF4EAN5_zIyhnF9Pnwk69tvqCYXj32hFDPpa4Cz4oS7E0BY/s1600/P1080759.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiger Striped Apple Wood Vase</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The causes of these different figure types are not completely understood, but generally are the result of variations in the tree's vertically oriented tissue cells; that is, the cells that normally grow longitudinally in the tree have some shape or orientation other than what is typical. When the lumber is sawn, the figure is exposed, depending on the plane of the cut made through the log.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistzVwwYGIN_2f8MRhLzaujE806rRJtrvBVOp31z2wNi_uEiCIRkfITXU8LHxpp3tTnoTKoCmHwkholuUn7ey0sJyyYB0TpbhFdcRNN6hFoa4aYJwLJeL-Hs-DKy5_Fdvk9IT-SXtRe-E/s1600/P1090638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistzVwwYGIN_2f8MRhLzaujE806rRJtrvBVOp31z2wNi_uEiCIRkfITXU8LHxpp3tTnoTKoCmHwkholuUn7ey0sJyyYB0TpbhFdcRNN6hFoa4aYJwLJeL-Hs-DKy5_Fdvk9IT-SXtRe-E/s1600/P1090638.JPG" height="218" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multi-figured Bastogne Walnut</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Maple? Go figure.</span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></b>There is another "figure" commonly found in various species of maple trees, known as "ambrosia" maple. It is not a grain figure formed by the structure of the wood itself, but rather is a stain within the wood resulting from the interesting activities of the Beatles, er, that is, the <i>ambrosia beetles</i>. That moniker describes a group of weevil family beetles who dine on the food of the gods, as it were. But first, a short discussion, titled ... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Wood borers aren't boring</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Generally speaking,</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> female</span></span> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">adults of the myriad number of </span>wood boring beetle species deposit their eggs in the crevices of bark, or chew a tunnel into the tree's wood where the eggs are laid. The eggs hatch and the larvae tunnel into the wood to feed, eventually emerging as adults to repeat the cycle. In some species, it's an annual cycle; in others, it may take years for the larvae to become adults and emerge from the wood. In some cases, the tunneling can be so extensive that the tree's water conducting vessels are seriously damaged, resulting in the tree's death.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Many species of wood boring beetles exist. Some feed on the wood itself, and may or may not be significant pests. Most are important parts of our forest ecology, helping to decompose dead trees. A few non-natives are invasive and highly destructive to live trees though, such as the Asian longhorned beetle and the Emerald Ash borer, which kill trees by their tunneling activities. These two species are currently wreaking havoc on the eastern deciduous forest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Other species inadvertently carry various fungi and/or bacteria into the trees, or at least make pathways for these organisms to enter; but ambrosia beetles put a slightly different, peculiar slant on this ...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<b>Weird things in the woods</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Although there are thousands of species of ambrosia beetles, one thing they have in common is their curious feeding strategy. As with other wood boring beetles, the adult female lays eggs in a tunnel she excavates in the wood (usually of dying or dead trees). But here's where it gets more interesting... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Ambrosia beetles have special organs ("mycangia") within their bodies to carry the spores of symbiotic ambrosia fungi; upon chewing a tunnel in the wood, the beetle releases some of these spores from her body, which quickly grow on and into the walls of the chamber. The fungus digests some of the wood tissue, and makes nutrients available on the tunnel walls. The female essentially cultivates her own "garden"... she's a fungus farmer! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">She deposits her eggs in short side galleries, and the hatched larvae are raised there, feeding on the fungus the female has been growing for them. She tends to them while they grow; both adult and larvae feed on the fungus growing on the tunnel walls, not on the wood. The tunnels are kept clear of wood dust and excrement produced by the larvae, the female often pushing it out of the tree (if you examine the small beetle holes in ambrosia lumber, you'll usually find that they're clear of wood dust; the tunnels created by other boring insects will often be packed with wood dust). When the larvae have grown to become adults, they gather fungal spores and emerge from the tree to start their own colonies. These critters don't tunnel voraciously through wood, eating all the wood they can; rather, they exploit the moist environment within the wood only to grow their main food source, and raise young.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Who knows what weevil lurks in the hearts of ...</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Some researchers have found that there are a few species of beetles that have short-circuited the system: these abominable ambrosias can locate the fungus garden galleries of larger ambrosias, drill smaller holes next to theirs, then steal the other's food supply! Some have become so successful at this that they no longer have spore-carrying organs, since they don't have to transport spores to start their own gardens. Hmm, I could make a political comment here, but let's keep this civil.</span><br />
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<b>Isn't this fun, Gus?</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Like the beetles, there are many kinds of ambrosia fungi, but they're mostly found only in these symbiotic associations with the beetles, typically nowhere else.
That's why it's a symbiotic relationship- the fungus is propagated by
the beetles, and the beetles rely on the fungus as their principal food source. The fungus is passed on to successive generations of beetles, as described above, which spread it through the forest.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">An Ambrosia Maple Log</span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">With the fungus now
introduced into the tree, it grows and spreads into the wood tissues,
staining it with color. That's what creates the attractive figure we
call "ambrosia". A look at the end grain of a cut log that's infected
with ambrosia fungus often reveals a somewhat starburst pattern of
staining, typically radiating from the center of the log.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A number of tree species
can be infected with ambrosia fungus, but here in New England we often
find it in Red Maples (Acer rubrum), where it produces a gray and/or
brown stain in the wood.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here are some photos of a Red Maple that was cut down on a golf course this winter. It lay about 100 feet from the road, largely snow-covered. As I was driving by, I could immediately identify not only the fact that it was an ambrosia log, but the species as well, just by the appearance of the end grain staining. Once you become familiar with the look, it's easily recognizable at once. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Several pictures of the cut ends of the logs show typical Red Maple ambrosia stain patterns. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigKJ0SbloiMNIRkcvAe07ZXs1PAsmz-rqdkNYLsNnO48fcrqhMkexAPMDlRgdBUCSw9wTWjEaH-Roda-irCcxGCmf9MR7nSpVFzFG1RWMcFG-C0_InBo2RrrFJdjs0WOKWUXXcs13uhss/s1600/Ambrosia+Maple+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigKJ0SbloiMNIRkcvAe07ZXs1PAsmz-rqdkNYLsNnO48fcrqhMkexAPMDlRgdBUCSw9wTWjEaH-Roda-irCcxGCmf9MR7nSpVFzFG1RWMcFG-C0_InBo2RrrFJdjs0WOKWUXXcs13uhss/s1600/Ambrosia+Maple+1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ambrosia Red Maple log</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGwhwnbBo3pP_Abi8kSqxdPpVbf48dGKcpYMd7ySwRXiQ5CrHGkaVVAC12CV5iiUd1Okvl_xCMd_hf5DEzBcZuTt13JfU2v7tMktw1tmJLDc2SRUhE-32KOrV1gWzm0Pi_B_nr6IeSeY/s1600/Ambrosia+Maple+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGwhwnbBo3pP_Abi8kSqxdPpVbf48dGKcpYMd7ySwRXiQ5CrHGkaVVAC12CV5iiUd1Okvl_xCMd_hf5DEzBcZuTt13JfU2v7tMktw1tmJLDc2SRUhE-32KOrV1gWzm0Pi_B_nr6IeSeY/s1600/Ambrosia+Maple+2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ambrosia Maple Stain Pattern</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBqYglkeLLKpRkKQiwTgv6Y1WLtQ8vdg8DgSOvYZoRSgzP_HsHLmYrDne_7FnwkhEfIKoRQvKI0LAFwy1osXAmKGX5mvhINnNIt429LzlZZ_n4TRUfXcxNZWcaegq_fMf2FUXumtTdWY/s1600/Ambrosia+Maple+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBqYglkeLLKpRkKQiwTgv6Y1WLtQ8vdg8DgSOvYZoRSgzP_HsHLmYrDne_7FnwkhEfIKoRQvKI0LAFwy1osXAmKGX5mvhINnNIt429LzlZZ_n4TRUfXcxNZWcaegq_fMf2FUXumtTdWY/s1600/Ambrosia+Maple+3.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Ambrosia Maple Staining</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGFq289nUVUZv3UUv558BOZhSmICqjwI38lGUx0wgQhYvcUAQyqo1g7fooXSCW2wK7Jgiy4VIhsCQbgJGMpvG14DY0X4N4Bdhz2abI_h5j_KHk2qp9H-Hb9r_CVfA7uR3Ju1J_Dpvieo/s1600/Ambrosia+Maple+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGFq289nUVUZv3UUv558BOZhSmICqjwI38lGUx0wgQhYvcUAQyqo1g7fooXSCW2wK7Jgiy4VIhsCQbgJGMpvG14DY0X4N4Bdhz2abI_h5j_KHk2qp9H-Hb9r_CVfA7uR3Ju1J_Dpvieo/s1600/Ambrosia+Maple+5.jpg" height="172" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">More Ambrosia Maple Staining</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7JtyLC8vvCDEjjUxTiEb9he4vQdaBcL1IUZImTr-jh3mXDntuetHB6XQcCt-8hq0WGDlTtZy-wHgJqak5NiIfHrtzCGMRA5P2xJ0xr074HlToFcsTIG0pjY5VN8ksQeeSr-kXqv1GO9c/s1600/BW238-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7JtyLC8vvCDEjjUxTiEb9he4vQdaBcL1IUZImTr-jh3mXDntuetHB6XQcCt-8hq0WGDlTtZy-wHgJqak5NiIfHrtzCGMRA5P2xJ0xr074HlToFcsTIG0pjY5VN8ksQeeSr-kXqv1GO9c/s1600/BW238-4.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ambrosia (Red) Maple Bowl</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaU8UsEuV3iek4L-zQQZxC_qrsFetiNHp5hMrmNwmhTL-HwOdSUQoZanJcLrtFWAIOxXStKJtqXoh0TAgtz7-lDaPmtcMv3E0MUVUs-Qtk24lZltx0SKF1D7T2JO3SjcFWOhXpQwAbtI/s1600/Boxelder+Log-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaU8UsEuV3iek4L-zQQZxC_qrsFetiNHp5hMrmNwmhTL-HwOdSUQoZanJcLrtFWAIOxXStKJtqXoh0TAgtz7-lDaPmtcMv3E0MUVUs-Qtk24lZltx0SKF1D7T2JO3SjcFWOhXpQwAbtI/s1600/Boxelder+Log-1.jpg" height="275" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Ambrosia staining in Boxelder log</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And Now, a More Colorful Story</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A more spectacular example of ambrosia stain is found in another maple species, boxelder (Acer negundo). When found in this </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">species, it produces a vivid, unforgettable red stain, sometimes called "flame boxelder". The effect </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">can be stunning. The photo at right shows a freshly cut boxelder log end, with a fair amount of staining.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here are two (not yet completed)
hollow vessels turned from ambrosia boxelder. As you can see, the red
staining is quite beautiful, especially once a finish is applied.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkUkqRJXVUx9nl_RUjc7TCaTKLLOkMraGky38LcDdd4qDoSYdKfjhr_yG_-iHUfUFBGIZuOeICMEWPCJOC8FsB1f0kIsHBEJSCV9yoI06JpbsATlI3djG1eWKHWZsstk_nwAMok52ndaA/s1600/Boxelder-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkUkqRJXVUx9nl_RUjc7TCaTKLLOkMraGky38LcDdd4qDoSYdKfjhr_yG_-iHUfUFBGIZuOeICMEWPCJOC8FsB1f0kIsHBEJSCV9yoI06JpbsATlI3djG1eWKHWZsstk_nwAMok52ndaA/s1600/Boxelder-3.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Ambrosia Boxelder vessel</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-WpbAmYWP7llqNWqyIDJGB2DdsGHeLQ0PM-k7ZGSnYXjdxaQ65Rp9F0VxwR6CTmXUXjq-Hw80BGHyCpfRwne6D7TRECVL7f2ZlogKO2N5_AYsflK9ZX_eE-4fzENHFNoEKsqDxVownA/s1600/Boxelder-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-WpbAmYWP7llqNWqyIDJGB2DdsGHeLQ0PM-k7ZGSnYXjdxaQ65Rp9F0VxwR6CTmXUXjq-Hw80BGHyCpfRwne6D7TRECVL7f2ZlogKO2N5_AYsflK9ZX_eE-4fzENHFNoEKsqDxVownA/s1600/Boxelder-2.jpg" height="320" width="280" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Pattern running down sides of Boxelder vessel</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In these photos, you can see small
holes that are evidence of the beetles' tunnel boring. When you see
them, they're almost always within a streak of the stained area.</span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-qQ8psoaVWedRqx8IoQyFcMWnPfKlzBkNFuYix1PCWpdrCH1UqUSFb9Ur5XB2yrUaeP8cFIEzgy2KNqjd1vHq8BcznDnqTczndDual-Y9G3ncafIMEZNe1528KvoD31KKdOVyFMFMaM/s1600/Boxelder-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-qQ8psoaVWedRqx8IoQyFcMWnPfKlzBkNFuYix1PCWpdrCH1UqUSFb9Ur5XB2yrUaeP8cFIEzgy2KNqjd1vHq8BcznDnqTczndDual-Y9G3ncafIMEZNe1528KvoD31KKdOVyFMFMaM/s1600/Boxelder-4.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Beetle tunnel holes visible</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzCvEOcxlCMuwgZZNBX8xne-gPqAlrfVoNf2O4_j9moFUS50h7Ay9FXP4zo8QxYqhzBoQX7L1WOm8ULD5HoiHg0L0yv0t5sWWVNLpnN6BJ6hbeEkBX1HqobloixMerN7Lm1BEMpwWLzE/s1600/Boxelder-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzCvEOcxlCMuwgZZNBX8xne-gPqAlrfVoNf2O4_j9moFUS50h7Ay9FXP4zo8QxYqhzBoQX7L1WOm8ULD5HoiHg0L0yv0t5sWWVNLpnN6BJ6hbeEkBX1HqobloixMerN7Lm1BEMpwWLzE/s1600/Boxelder-5.jpg" height="320" width="265" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Beetle holes in Boxelder </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Although boring beetles are often considered to be pests that damage trees and the lumber we get from them, in some instances they certainly do enhance the results, and we woodturners appreciate their efforts!</span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqk_LCWJua3U0YuQdEy6YKLtw082EPGnSFQJ7xQ5ur3tcQhJMOz14Xd6ftePpeA0FNZBQxhor3QxIBOf0YhsIjWjZprxkPV_uDAAvV1_mdFrT-4TWhyphenhyphen5kC2Rz9T44JSZsDUj-tV42Lrc/s1600/Boxelder-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqk_LCWJua3U0YuQdEy6YKLtw082EPGnSFQJ7xQ5ur3tcQhJMOz14Xd6ftePpeA0FNZBQxhor3QxIBOf0YhsIjWjZprxkPV_uDAAvV1_mdFrT-4TWhyphenhyphen5kC2Rz9T44JSZsDUj-tV42Lrc/s1600/Boxelder-1.jpg" height="400" width="380" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Starburst Ambrosia pattern in Boxelder vessel </span></td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The vessels shown here, and others, will be available at <a href="http://www.bowlwood.com/" target="_blank">Bowlwood</a> when they're completed.</span></i><br />
<br />Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-49246788998459228022013-12-20T15:46:00.001-05:002014-02-05T18:26:24.333-05:00Saying Goodbye to a Good Friend<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkUPExLikLR6J-6j6Mz81PoUxjGRCPp7z7ClFLicNugfNc9iXbjte-TGp5tUx5h1PaAw8URfZYLpUNXyJEWjBfG-7dNkh9SMOGUtUqoDreIAptKF9PRZtu6z1LYRXWPiXXtLg2kXHLuco/s1600/Bill%252C+White+Ash+at+Clark+Mtn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkUPExLikLR6J-6j6Mz81PoUxjGRCPp7z7ClFLicNugfNc9iXbjte-TGp5tUx5h1PaAw8URfZYLpUNXyJEWjBfG-7dNkh9SMOGUtUqoDreIAptKF9PRZtu6z1LYRXWPiXXtLg2kXHLuco/s640/Bill%252C+White+Ash+at+Clark+Mtn.jpg" height="640" width="523" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill Leclerc</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Woodturners, like any other random group of Earth's denizens, are a varied lot. Some are sociable, gregarious types, who enjoy the company of like-minded folks. Others are more solitary curmudgeons, fussy and picky about who can share their space. I like to think I should be pigeon-holed into the first group, but recognize that at least at times, I fit more squarely into the latter. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I have a friend, Bill Leclerc, who could have been the poster boy for the fun-loving first group. I say "could have been", because Bill has just, as the (very) old folks used to say, "shuffled off his mortal coil", and has made his way to some better place. He left us in a very swift, totally unexpected way. No chance to prepare. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Beginning</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I don't remember the first time I met Bill, I'm sure it wasn't all that remarkable an event. I do know it was at a woodturning club meeting. Bill wasn't the type who made himself highly noticeable. Wasn't a puffed-up, self-serving kind of guy. He had been retired for a number of years at that point, and was more than happy to leave self-aggrandizement to the young roosters who seem to require it. No, Bill was just a guy who was good at what he did, and eagerly helped anyone else who had the desire to learn what he knew. He didn't demand too much from life, except to keep seeing more of it, to learn new things, and to have fun. And most of all, it seemed to me, to grow into a much more intimate relationship with this awe-inspiring land we occupy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bill and I quickly became best buddies when a small group of us woodturners trekked out into the snow one bitter January day, at my suggestion, to go gawk at frozen trees in the woods. I ask you, what better time than that is there to study tree identification? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Numb toes and fingers notwithstanding, Bill took a liking to that kind of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="hdrrmn" style="float: left;"></span> camaraderie and abuse. I guess that day had all the essential elements for him... a mix of friends, forest, and field study. All those seemingly identical trees suddenly had identities and names of their own. And there was clowning around, and jokes. And BURLS! That's just <u><i>treasure</i></u> to a turner. We found quite a few that day. These dang things actually grow on trees!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I uttered a sheepish question at the end of that day's outing ... "um, does anyone want to do this again sometime"? Bill's response was a quick "YES, this was great!". That did more than anything else could have done to relieve my feeling of guilt at having inflicted this icy march on these guys, who could easily have been in their cozy warm woodshops, spinning chunks of trees into works of art. Bill (and everyone else) actually <i>enjoyed</i> this! I mean, I know <u><i>I did</i></u>, but then, I'm a nut. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And so, our little subset of the woodturning club, the five of us who had an affinity for investing time amongst the trees we consume as turners, coalesced. The troop consisted at that point of Bill, Bob Labrecque, Arnie Paye, Frank White, and me. Our forest forays quickly became weekly adventures. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The premise centered around our common interest in knowing the trees whose wood we work. </span>The challenge now was to explore new and grand places where we'd encounter few, if any, other humans, and lots of tree species to identify.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob and Bill Discussing a Maple Burl</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4sB1QMKMRjE9yoFzztxKq4ccLDy-uT1tOR-VNO01TxlyfqxqQlK4kqR5MKmsFPionvpYmyNxjiYGaA2AP1W3ZCEMBQFABDlV9X0EHnnfbUbaoickhI_UQdrrJDpqB522atfrmSWOQzpU/s1600/Bryant+-+Hemlock+Trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4sB1QMKMRjE9yoFzztxKq4ccLDy-uT1tOR-VNO01TxlyfqxqQlK4kqR5MKmsFPionvpYmyNxjiYGaA2AP1W3ZCEMBQFABDlV9X0EHnnfbUbaoickhI_UQdrrJDpqB522atfrmSWOQzpU/s320/Bryant+-+Hemlock+Trail.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking thru the old Hemlocks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In time, our platoon changed composition somewhat. Terry Murphy became a welcomed regular; Bob Labrecque had to tend to other demands; on occasion, Mike Smith or Andy Myers would join us.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEFmCJO9FjLQn0eEElA8zDN0raQm43sg0Y5wt0lSykIz1AHr7GGo5nVYRhbUZkc3433xFxti-j1Kjg0rXk3wIa0Wm4h3Ntd3-icfER0O6YH3T9TC2Du9Z78wt0S-EQKASiTJtLQ_m_-t4/s1600/P1080993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEFmCJO9FjLQn0eEElA8zDN0raQm43sg0Y5wt0lSykIz1AHr7GGo5nVYRhbUZkc3433xFxti-j1Kjg0rXk3wIa0Wm4h3Ntd3-icfER0O6YH3T9TC2Du9Z78wt0S-EQKASiTJtLQ_m_-t4/s320/P1080993.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frank,Terry,Bill,Bob Leverett cross Berkshires stream</td></tr>
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</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We teamed up with Bob Leverett, the revered old-growth forest guru, on several safaris into the rugged terrain of the Berkshires where the big and old trees are safely hidden. That's when I saw the magic happen for Bill (and others too), as it had for me a couple decades earlier. Trees were nothing new to Bill, of course- he had labored cutting firewood for many years in his youth on a family farm. But <i>these</i> trees, these he was now seeing as never before, <i>were</i> new to him. These were much bigger, much taller, much more impressive than meager second-growth poles. The terrain they sink roots in is rugged, often near-vertical land (which is largely what spared them from otherwise certain exploitation).<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMn8BK5cvX9YWTSFbbGtdiXGLvlY9oNDnP_NrV8ZxdjrY890tdZqyiEeGKTLQTp_O1o5emDSABS1tC4RZTkwyyJ153vurELNXFR77gubNwCLDgPmw5v7Ph6bcdmbMPBVFWxVEqzdBgOw/s1600/P1080135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMn8BK5cvX9YWTSFbbGtdiXGLvlY9oNDnP_NrV8ZxdjrY890tdZqyiEeGKTLQTp_O1o5emDSABS1tC4RZTkwyyJ153vurELNXFR77gubNwCLDgPmw5v7Ph6bcdmbMPBVFWxVEqzdBgOw/s320/P1080135.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill at National Champ Sugar Maple</td></tr>
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These were the kind of places that evoke a sense of reverence, permanence, and antiquity, a feeling for a naturalist that, <i>aha!</i>, <i>not all the good places have been destroyed, there's still a few left!</i> I know how he felt. It's that excitement of a new discovery, an exhilaration earned only by those who will do the required hiking when the body might be advising against. You get a spiritual sense in such a forest, a calming feeling that all is well in these woods. It's peaceful, the always-near mountain stream providing a continuous whoosh of well-being and reassurance. Life flows uninterrupted here, although slowly. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQO9khwFl15eB_2pNVpOGku-RfCha-nDUvKc42QeDW2PNODPe-Ic30Y_2J_UWj885boaEf41OB75Vrc3H1O4xS-QsMD_uFt5QOltlY06PeODEhtFJcagWb7rP1hJ4eyPdHHF-TIwm4CaI/s1600/Split+Sugar+Maple-+High+Ledges-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQO9khwFl15eB_2pNVpOGku-RfCha-nDUvKc42QeDW2PNODPe-Ic30Y_2J_UWj885boaEf41OB75Vrc3H1O4xS-QsMD_uFt5QOltlY06PeODEhtFJcagWb7rP1hJ4eyPdHHF-TIwm4CaI/s320/Split+Sugar+Maple-+High+Ledges-2.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill and another old Sugar Maple</td></tr>
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It was a genuine treat to see the effects of these days in the woods on Bill. Yep, he was pooped out when we finally climbed into the truck at day's end, just as we all were. But he had a calm, happy glow. Maybe it was just the fact that he was spent, and glad to be going home to Dolores and her waiting dinner. Couldn't blame him for that. But I think it was just as likely that he was recounting the day's discoveries in his mind, reliving the experiences, revisiting those champion trees, that boulder-strewn cascading stream. Ah, life is good. It was about being a carefree kid again, with the world opening up to you. In Bill's career at Hamilton Standard, he worked on backpack equipment for the moon landing; his name (I just learned) has been left on the moon. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZU6NDDFYQ3zsS8FDLrkUqM6x-_3gPN7etkP2hEapey_DahAYT3ttshWkEmzWnE7SGRLatjrtBvrErN7h53Y2Uy79_JsMAq77EUw5Bnhf38V3Eyj-U30m7KYVAAJzgFG5iP0BGZt9Xrik/s1600/Bill,+Arnie+at+Black+Cherry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZU6NDDFYQ3zsS8FDLrkUqM6x-_3gPN7etkP2hEapey_DahAYT3ttshWkEmzWnE7SGRLatjrtBvrErN7h53Y2Uy79_JsMAq77EUw5Bnhf38V3Eyj-U30m7KYVAAJzgFG5iP0BGZt9Xrik/s320/Bill,+Arnie+at+Black+Cherry.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill and Arnie at Black Cherry</td></tr>
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But I never heard him talk about that project. Yes, he did talk about his time in the service in Alaska, and often made reference to his working days, usually during pre-hike breakfasts. But once our boots hit forest duff and we were in the company of trees, he was in a happy place where little of the past was important, and it was all about the here and now. That's exactly what happens to me in the forest, like passing through a portal that activates all the senses. You find yourself tuning in to the forest, becoming aware of the individual trees, the rocks, and the simple beauty of it all. It was a rewarding feeling to know that it affected him the same way, a kind of bonding between buddies.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuFyub0fF9I2YoHCShetG7K_1Zf5yZxaWEzLeMiWqazO-4gzOgRY88iwvv0g59dT7GL4XDHDXhyphenhyphenTekbAPPuyXcK2_GpY87UpyrmZ2_BkwfbmzRh2BbR9apWiSyX3xQuaLWYu42A_aI6A/s1600/P1090339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuFyub0fF9I2YoHCShetG7K_1Zf5yZxaWEzLeMiWqazO-4gzOgRY88iwvv0g59dT7GL4XDHDXhyphenhyphenTekbAPPuyXcK2_GpY87UpyrmZ2_BkwfbmzRh2BbR9apWiSyX3xQuaLWYu42A_aI6A/s320/P1090339.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike,Terry,Bill,Arnie,Frank in misty woods</td></tr>
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And so it went. Bill looked forward to our weekly expeditions; sometimes it was a road trip to buy wood in Vermont, or to an interesting rural museum (eg, Eric Sloane's museum in Kent, CT), or to a wood dealer in the Berkshires. Those were all fun excursions. But I think the woodland hikes were number one, as they are for me. </span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Seeds and Flashlights</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bill and Dolores keep a very nicely groomed and inviting backyard, where you feel immersed in nature. Bird feeders hang from the trees on a grassy, gentle slope to a shady brook. The hulk of Mt Tom is right across the road. When you relax on their wooden swing, you'll soon be cheerfully greeted by plump little feathered darts... chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, and many others who've come to know what treats await them. Including mama black bear and her cubs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Which brings us to a black night this fall. Bill heard an unwelcomed noise in the yard, so, with flashlight at the ready, went out the back door to investigate. He shined the light to the right. Nothing. Then he slowly scanned to the left. All looked well down in the yard. Aiming the beam hard left, towards the shed where sacks of seed were stored, two round, highly reflective eyes returned the flashlight's beam. Bill took a step toward mama bear. GRRRRRR !! She instantly set Bill into a 180 degree half-spin and a varsity sprint into the house, door slamming behind him. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Laughing as he relived this tale, Bill said he had never run that fast in his life. Continuing the story... now with the security of the back door between him and mama bear, he could stop to catch his breath. That's when he first experienced tightening in his chest. He calmed down, but was worried. So, he wasted no time making an appointment with the doc. A stress test showed that his heart was just fine, but there was a blockage in an artery. A procedure was scheduled to fix that problem with a stent.</span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Gobble Mountain</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In the meantime, while awaiting the stent procedure, there was still a Wednesday that could accomodate a hike. It was a very cold Wednesday in late fall, just a few weeks ago. For several weeks, we had been exploring some of the beauty of the steep mountains of Chester, MA, a little town sunk into the hollow bowl of surrounding mountains, along a branch of the Westfield river. I had been hearing the tale of when Terry (whose knee suffers from a long-ago athletic injury) and Andy (who had just finished hiking the 2200 mile Appalachian Trail) hiked up Gobble Mountain. I had to have that experience. So, this was the day for it. Terry, Andy, Bill and I fueled up at one of our favorite breakfast emporiums along the river. Then it was off to gobble up Gobble Mountain. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It was cold. The mountain doesn't give you a break-in walk to stretch those old muscles. It pretty much hits you with all it's got from the get-go. It's a blood-pumping, steep hill; not for the out-of-shape, casual walker. But there's a tall tower at the summit that you can climb, so we of course had to do it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There was that initial huffing and puffing period, where you struggle for a while to get your second breath, and you start opening your jacket to let the steam out. Bill was hit the hardest, and had to stop a few times to let his tightening chest relax. Just a minute or two, and he was fine. I was a little concerned, so we didn't push hard, just took it easy. I don't remember how long it actually took to reach the summit tower, but it eventually appeared. Andy had warned that, even with the foliage down, you don't see the tower on your ascent until you're literally yards away from it; it just suddenly jumps out from behind some oaks. He was right.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We made it! There was a breeze whizzing through the trees up there. As steamed up as we were, it didn't take long to cool down. At the top of the tower, which has an open platform, an American flag snapped in the wind, put there, no doubt, by locals. Disappointingly, there were cans strewn around a campfire, and a long beer banner left under the tower. Terry and Andy had already climbed the tower on their earlier hike, and Bill wasn't going to do it. But I had to see the view, so I clambered up the diagonal angle iron braces to reach the steel ladder. The tower is about 80 to 85 feet tall. The ladder is just that... a steel rung-over-rung, straight-up-the-side ladder. At about two-thirds the way up, I was above treetops, and my bare hands were below freezing, or so it felt. The day was largely overcast, with sun straining to burn through, which made the view of the surrounding mountainsides a grey, hazy blahh. I looked straight up the ladder, my arms wrapped around the rails to keep my hands off the steel. The platform was still as far away as when I began the ascent. Should I bother? Nah. It would be so nice to be back on the ground below, out of this wind. The guys were looking up at me, egging me on. They looked like ants way down there. Okay, okay, so they were <i>huge</i> ants. I was coming down anyway.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYQKxofzYK_OHHU0wq78fScoGp-kHKmBmOO_42lason6mIjmZVOq2vioiYnwekgeLOWlv113gLQyH_qc8XTmnkM7m0znru1utBoISfHBpreXNIp5kNyrTsVdoZ8eFOs1PH8JsMzOBwLo/s1600/Gobble+Mtn-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYQKxofzYK_OHHU0wq78fScoGp-kHKmBmOO_42lason6mIjmZVOq2vioiYnwekgeLOWlv113gLQyH_qc8XTmnkM7m0znru1utBoISfHBpreXNIp5kNyrTsVdoZ8eFOs1PH8JsMzOBwLo/s640/Gobble+Mtn-1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Chester, MA, from Gobble Mtn Tower</td></tr>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We gathered up all the trash and guardedly picked our way back down the slippery, frozen mountain. As many of us learn, going down a steep hill can be a lot tougher on the knees than going up. Finally at the bottom, some of us lamented our age, but were happy. We had conquered another one. One more great day's hike with the guys to put in the log book. It just doesn't have to get any better than this. Sadly, I would learn in a couple weeks that this would be the last hike we'd ever have with Bill.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The day quickly came when the stent was put in the artery to open the blockage, just a week and a half ago. An overnight stay in the hospital, and Bill was back home. He started feeling much better in a day or two, and within four days was "feeling fantastic". He couldn't wait to get back to the weekly hike routine, but had to wait one more week until the doc gave him the ok. Our woodturning club had its monthly meeting right after the procedure, and we called Bill at home to shout out our group's good wishes over the phone. Bill was elated that we thought enough of him to do that, and I'm now so glad we made that call. I'd get just one more chance to talk with him over the phone; in that last of our conversations, he affirmed that we made his day with that brief call, and that we needed to plan our next hike.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Two days later, the skies turned snowy. Bill and Dolores were outside that Sunday, just days ago on December 15, 2013, to clear the driveway of snow. Dee says Bill got cold and went back in the house. When she went in shortly afterwards, Bill was on the bed, apparently napping. She wasn't able to wake him. Our Bill had left us, just as quickly as he escaped that mama bear.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We all love you, Bill. We miss your grin, your corny clichès, your energy, your good nature, your company. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There will always be a chair for you on pizza-and-beer night. You'll always be there with us in the woods. You'll always be there when Frank finds us an ice cream stand on the way home. You'll always be there at the pike entrance waiting with Arnie, backpack in hand. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">You'll always be there with us at Gould's for pancake breakfast. You'll always be there when we visit Terry's shop. You'll always be with us at the huge </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Dunbar </span></span>ash tree. There will always be an omelette for you in Monterey.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">You'll always be there in the second row at the meetings. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">You'll always be there with us under the big pines at Mohawk. </span>You'll always be there when Bob finds the next prized log to cut up. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">You'll always be there when we talk "machine shop" with Mike. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">You'll be there if Bob and I ever see another fat woman with Japanese tattoos. You'll always be there with us on the Deerfield River trail where you went ass-over-teakettle down the mountain. </span></span>You'll always be there picking through Rob Doyle's bargain bin with moisture meter in hand, and to greet Deb when she gets there for barbecue day. You'll be there when we go back </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">to Gold Mine Brook </span>to see the cascades for the first time this spring. You'll always be there when we're gazing up into the canopy to identify a tree; and yes, we'll remember-- you can always tell a sugar maple... it's got a sap bucket hanging on it.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTEmJjsHFtjx0fbN2swWdv4Kd7azfgoP7CUoBftnwHctVjigriLPGJSOGtCqHa4vmpe8PfRrhxL60hu7TGOuSgP3vlfhwvX7q_u1k_Zywu-VI_NrWPueFmpctrXU5KWXvvVLl_UK9n-Y/s1600/Bill+Leclerc+at+Sunderland+Sycamore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTEmJjsHFtjx0fbN2swWdv4Kd7azfgoP7CUoBftnwHctVjigriLPGJSOGtCqHa4vmpe8PfRrhxL60hu7TGOuSgP3vlfhwvX7q_u1k_Zywu-VI_NrWPueFmpctrXU5KWXvvVLl_UK9n-Y/s1600/Bill+Leclerc+at+Sunderland+Sycamore.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill at his best</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Goodbye for now, my friend. It was way too short a time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">----------------------------------------------------------------------</span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Additional Photos </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></h3>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgILJJ7QmWC0LtAsAyf8-V4zrUWaIyoNUXy-8bppPLerytQDQ82iSJlmqNjxAlJ3RmRVLXAEBOFX0DdmDcCiaoxRTuyDjzRW1WCeK12XiGRG9GeDwz5xp4voz5kdYF093l9UEoyjCGLxeA/s1600/IMG_0980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgILJJ7QmWC0LtAsAyf8-V4zrUWaIyoNUXy-8bppPLerytQDQ82iSJlmqNjxAlJ3RmRVLXAEBOFX0DdmDcCiaoxRTuyDjzRW1WCeK12XiGRG9GeDwz5xp4voz5kdYF093l9UEoyjCGLxeA/s320/IMG_0980.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arnie,me,Bill at Ice Glen, 8/24/12 (by Bob Labrecque)</td>
</tr>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkABNR6n3VsafZX27LXJjlbC1OYaUv1j-qHdgpCZHNkhjpvVOp5lNx5AQeB5cyngN3w1js3s_vCz9z97uMLKTwca9989IapcveqMUZ3Gyz5QqE9Bt2aycTujW2kEHDUEJTYeHXKHF9y8c/s1600/PICT0064.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkABNR6n3VsafZX27LXJjlbC1OYaUv1j-qHdgpCZHNkhjpvVOp5lNx5AQeB5cyngN3w1js3s_vCz9z97uMLKTwca9989IapcveqMUZ3Gyz5QqE9Bt2aycTujW2kEHDUEJTYeHXKHF9y8c/s320/PICT0064.jpeg" height="286" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill studies Chinquapin, Forest Park 5/17/12 (by Jim Bonneville)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbe0yNlzqSSX_qYFAPA4ExMotxUKSZW52va75mWTsoEo1xtBYS9GjjbAYSx5l9Kr8TT4G1CS1SSLMb5Z1LammL5gJ_r78XIxSwicx5dZ1l77uU_JaLmMKHj7NIfFBcqDQkgdpIDAIziU/s1600/IMG_0577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbe0yNlzqSSX_qYFAPA4ExMotxUKSZW52va75mWTsoEo1xtBYS9GjjbAYSx5l9Kr8TT4G1CS1SSLMb5Z1LammL5gJ_r78XIxSwicx5dZ1l77uU_JaLmMKHj7NIfFBcqDQkgdpIDAIziU/s400/IMG_0577.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill,me,Frank at Dunbar Brook 9/20/12 (by Arnie Paye)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYuYI6YGOQpMlV6b-QkWZhzv9kUqBd6smsdBqJ8cMNz8pgxoC0MKfxO8M3gY0fq0Rc457rGO2k4QEddq8Y-oANFWt28BJTHlzKsLy023lbWueXZG9m9LgcbS4fyj4tK8F1RbtgrFOGgE/s1600/IMG_0643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYuYI6YGOQpMlV6b-QkWZhzv9kUqBd6smsdBqJ8cMNz8pgxoC0MKfxO8M3gY0fq0Rc457rGO2k4QEddq8Y-oANFWt28BJTHlzKsLy023lbWueXZG9m9LgcbS4fyj4tK8F1RbtgrFOGgE/s400/IMG_0643.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Terry, me ,Bill at Sanderson Brook, 4/29/13 (by Arnie Paye)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHliC53-CDHjwQhsLjnPlTtAte3uV-_Sli0XNvrIMCSGGYejelz_lpHLrmMtu59jFoekJZEL-ZwA-7__fy6SkEXr1jZqlSb7OqoibT7WHd6VY-wOrSm47h21lzYkN1E-dYH8cmbWMOLv8/s1600/IMG_0587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHliC53-CDHjwQhsLjnPlTtAte3uV-_Sli0XNvrIMCSGGYejelz_lpHLrmMtu59jFoekJZEL-ZwA-7__fy6SkEXr1jZqlSb7OqoibT7WHd6VY-wOrSm47h21lzYkN1E-dYH8cmbWMOLv8/s320/IMG_0587.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arnie,Bill,Frank at Dunbar Ash tree, 9/20/12</td></tr>
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<br />Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-27833623616492683382013-10-28T14:28:00.000-04:002014-12-08T13:08:38.607-05:00Barking Up the Right Tree<br />
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Each year, I look forward to those first days of autumn, when the bell curve of annual temperatures and humidity is decidedly on its downslope side. That's New England at its best. Having had a long interest in trees and woodturning, I like to be in the woods at any time of year, but especially in the fall.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8NV0eyPnt_tm1Kw1titP87ijZbYdtZcj0hSnh75jHrJUgmt5R3Ed6m_vZkPOhGWiBQpBzoJt8d_uFGKT2XJPHab6kBupaHbW1JKeZgNHQovETDCJYPiKr4i4qvadEW1hmB8nE5kqOZE/s1600/Sugar+Maple-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8NV0eyPnt_tm1Kw1titP87ijZbYdtZcj0hSnh75jHrJUgmt5R3Ed6m_vZkPOhGWiBQpBzoJt8d_uFGKT2XJPHab6kBupaHbW1JKeZgNHQovETDCJYPiKr4i4qvadEW1hmB8nE5kqOZE/s320/Sugar+Maple-1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sugar Maple in Autumn</td></tr>
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In the last couple years or so, I've been helping fellow wood turners learn to identify the trees whose wood we all work with. A core group of us has developed, and we've been enjoying day hikes in the woods almost weekly for some time now. As a result of having to answer innumerable questions such as "what makes that a Sugar Maple and not a Red Maple?", or "how do you <i>know</i> that's a White Oak?", I've had to hone my own identification skills, and review the characteristics of dozens of species to be able to explain them to others. And that's been a very good exercise for me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gV-CvNMDVRgpQBC34o-2Z5tDXEQRRXZoHcXzb4qkqp__CG0REExYeEFwTqvdvlSzQirAavrYVoaqQ3h2mLv_GALYS5V0GpQUMZDBy-M7N_DzqzbQ7VWfixx-mOMt_8TOYoUH9dxP88U/s1600/White+Oak-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gV-CvNMDVRgpQBC34o-2Z5tDXEQRRXZoHcXzb4qkqp__CG0REExYeEFwTqvdvlSzQirAavrYVoaqQ3h2mLv_GALYS5V0GpQUMZDBy-M7N_DzqzbQ7VWfixx-mOMt_8TOYoUH9dxP88U/s320/White+Oak-1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Oak in Autumn</td></tr>
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As an extension of sharpening my own tree identification skills, I've lately been taking the time to examine tree trunks more closely, paying particular attention to little details in the bark. That's led me to spend more time noticing the patterns in it, as well as the surfaces of dead wood, and the structures of other organisms growing on and in trees (fungi, mosses, lichens, etc). I like to call the pastime "barking".<br />
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This fall, the weather has been superb in western Massachusetts, and it's been a great pleasure to poke around in a forest for hours on end, camera in hand. There's an enormous world of tiny things to be found on and around trees. I'm fascinated by dead and decaying wood, especially the patterns to be seen in the weathered, eroding structure of it. So far, I've found some of the most interesting grain patterns in dead oak limbs, those whose bark has fallen off. <br />
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One day, while reviewing a close-up photo of the grain structure of a dead oak limb I had taken with my cell phone camera, I was delighted to notice an animal caricature in the grain's pattern. Take a look at photo-1 and maybe you'll see it too. It helps if you look at it from a distance; on the small screen of my cell phone, it was best seen at arm's length, so you may need to be farther away than that from your larger computer monitor.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7dEdyEYK16ABGPE_GE9pmT_JHcok9WjIxFYJ1Md1NAN62rbGC_71n4C-GTa-vWlPWFbxCIeA_EYtPcDP_Iua8wDVNjBov0Gpg2zjWOrFo6VFZodGeguT3JtwjwQ5BzwpA17mzoZEC-8/s1600/Dog+in+the+Oak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7dEdyEYK16ABGPE_GE9pmT_JHcok9WjIxFYJ1Md1NAN62rbGC_71n4C-GTa-vWlPWFbxCIeA_EYtPcDP_Iua8wDVNjBov0Gpg2zjWOrFo6VFZodGeguT3JtwjwQ5BzwpA17mzoZEC-8/s320/Dog+in+the+Oak.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1</td></tr>
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Do you see an animal's face? I see a terrier, others see a bear. The terrier is looking slightly downward and to the right; his right ear and eye, and nose, are prominent, and his left eye is not visible.<br />
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That photo was a closeup of the swirling grain on a dead oak limb, and the next photo (#2) is of the same limb; different area, and not such a closeup. What do you see in this one?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11UXV6TP_W8XbPZw4kk_Mjr1E-HRi4EwH0vn9PtP3qky0kScGE86rzkYMr9yMz5cD6MoEYovo0uSFANmsnNJuJm3NdcjoCWRJaGMNGobbSgSFhJOP7BWKKOkXrsURoXQ0vvdzVlM6Poc/s1600/Moose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11UXV6TP_W8XbPZw4kk_Mjr1E-HRi4EwH0vn9PtP3qky0kScGE86rzkYMr9yMz5cD6MoEYovo0uSFANmsnNJuJm3NdcjoCWRJaGMNGobbSgSFhJOP7BWKKOkXrsURoXQ0vvdzVlM6Poc/s320/Moose.jpg" height="320" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2</td></tr>
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Photo 3 is a rather bizarre one. I don't know what caused this beech tree to look like this, but when I think of the old assurance that "his bark is worse than his bite", I have some doubts! Have I just found my first alien??<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqJmpDBjZHtlRhk0mABVNqTS2pFM-CwjIrWKRH2Uu52cVQXCLNOk2EI4W5b5pWnYyFSKa4l8xN5LbqHZ2oh3cHrJU-FML6I30tCMt6yqAEmyMS_7ZDWRheYiLubr5RxCZ_HFVfVEWMRA/s1600/Bark+Worse+than+Bite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqJmpDBjZHtlRhk0mABVNqTS2pFM-CwjIrWKRH2Uu52cVQXCLNOk2EI4W5b5pWnYyFSKa4l8xN5LbqHZ2oh3cHrJU-FML6I30tCMt6yqAEmyMS_7ZDWRheYiLubr5RxCZ_HFVfVEWMRA/s320/Bark+Worse+than+Bite.jpg" height="320" width="170" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> 3</td></tr>
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Read on ...<br />
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Ambling along a section of the Appalachian Trail with my cronies recently, I happened to glance to my right, and spotted the character in photo 4 gawking at me. Love the hat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOaBkIkeUKRGzxs6muJM-djtT2iUrIXGSDUn-apr4cBEqGvoVsLW82CT_35eEeG4lasMpHXoEgSp1zqcMO6CV4sdY9L9D1u_bxPvkL1GmzBGZ5QX1PTx96ujuDuu5m8HrtD9bO_qFVyY/s1600/Weird+Guy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOaBkIkeUKRGzxs6muJM-djtT2iUrIXGSDUn-apr4cBEqGvoVsLW82CT_35eEeG4lasMpHXoEgSp1zqcMO6CV4sdY9L9D1u_bxPvkL1GmzBGZ5QX1PTx96ujuDuu5m8HrtD9bO_qFVyY/s320/Weird+Guy.jpg" height="231" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieeIAWsErnC_drjFhT0mSe14gpuqkcvd_3jH9EU-rWGLvX6ckuDMJy3y24bTDmsbwp0XITlYY-EGR15xQ9CF84CciMx1vIMTp4aowlsjRLTkV1N_uoth_ckJRxrrf9kKOKn8nJvNqRSt0/s1600/Hemlock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieeIAWsErnC_drjFhT0mSe14gpuqkcvd_3jH9EU-rWGLvX6ckuDMJy3y24bTDmsbwp0XITlYY-EGR15xQ9CF84CciMx1vIMTp4aowlsjRLTkV1N_uoth_ckJRxrrf9kKOKn8nJvNqRSt0/s320/Hemlock.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5 - Peculiar Hemlock Growth</td></tr>
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Not all that's interesting is so comical, of course. A lot of the little things to be seen, as well as many of the larger, are intriguing for any number of reasons. Some can be seen as "art", some are curiosities, and others are just plain cool!<br />
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Nature has a way of producing art of its own, and it exists on a continuum of scales, from microscopic to huge. You don't have to go far to find it. No matter where you live, it's all around you. For me, the most pleasing examples of it are in the forests around me. I can while away hours peeking under the shedding bark of dead trees, or clambering through the aftermath of the tornado that descended on our area a couple years ago.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06i1s7_NmUyaYcxc9fhUbJt2PZiYXnEEVqnFsl6eXrR5X9DOXdf0zI0eufo_-iSjjTfWzpgZMcvmWSEuU01meAY26skhr45UdHqGYcciH-keyrnHd1l1bTpnkqtCNYiijBuwRkUAHG1g/s1600/Barbed+Wire+in+Oak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06i1s7_NmUyaYcxc9fhUbJt2PZiYXnEEVqnFsl6eXrR5X9DOXdf0zI0eufo_-iSjjTfWzpgZMcvmWSEuU01meAY26skhr45UdHqGYcciH-keyrnHd1l1bTpnkqtCNYiijBuwRkUAHG1g/s320/Barbed+Wire+in+Oak.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6 - Old Barbed Wire in Oak</td></tr>
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As fungi invade a tree through a wound, or after its death, they begin the decay process that will eventually return the tree's constituent elements to the soil. In the early stages of decay, different fungus species will send hair-like hyphae through the wood, like roots, to feed on the sugars. When hyphae of two different fungi meet in the wood, they create a boundary or zone line between them. The lines, called "spalting", can be stunning, like India-ink drawings. Such spalted wood is prized by woodworkers. A rough-sawn piece of spalted Silver Maple is shown in photo 7.<br />
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You can find spalt lines on the surface of some dead trees just under the shedding bark, as in the sugar maple seen in photo 8. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8TJVfZjxCbHSXNCwojRbRWM6FHqBrSILOWm5sfYkvLzJ30sftj4lwTrTIfI7HOUjIAG96aEM3OzMamAp4LK_ClDplolOFdJQGY_p_U90hvk6XqgSDcgo1nQ5xHe_DP3lE-vRq16qHrE/s1600/Spalted+Silver+Maple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8TJVfZjxCbHSXNCwojRbRWM6FHqBrSILOWm5sfYkvLzJ30sftj4lwTrTIfI7HOUjIAG96aEM3OzMamAp4LK_ClDplolOFdJQGY_p_U90hvk6XqgSDcgo1nQ5xHe_DP3lE-vRq16qHrE/s320/Spalted+Silver+Maple.jpg" height="320" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7 - Spalted Silver Maple Wood</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNu3kuHVwzaF2_xugVNOBCP69IndELdIxinwiQ6UMXvAvPhfO-Q-g4bU2mIPxHBImEmf4z963NRDC0tsNcnVo61-wNnzreE0V-H4FSV6UdwzGThOHNU9CddLeaKAOnB0m0fCC93Q9UOg/s1600/Sugar+Maple+Pattern-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNu3kuHVwzaF2_xugVNOBCP69IndELdIxinwiQ6UMXvAvPhfO-Q-g4bU2mIPxHBImEmf4z963NRDC0tsNcnVo61-wNnzreE0V-H4FSV6UdwzGThOHNU9CddLeaKAOnB0m0fCC93Q9UOg/s400/Sugar+Maple+Pattern-2.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8 - Spalt Lines Under Sugar Maple Bark</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUqsqaSAcHV65UxwrNRy0XtZohXV2p_Z52clFXggVXvAQtRAvMvc-NPtbOVpGQuKwHD2bewFsg_FfvaL-FCSdjBVJsHUcjCX1t3w5N5hxwUKZ10mlkHr-gx52aNJVRhguHYCDYKOSZC4/s1600/Spalted+Maple+Bowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUqsqaSAcHV65UxwrNRy0XtZohXV2p_Z52clFXggVXvAQtRAvMvc-NPtbOVpGQuKwHD2bewFsg_FfvaL-FCSdjBVJsHUcjCX1t3w5N5hxwUKZ10mlkHr-gx52aNJVRhguHYCDYKOSZC4/s1600/Spalted+Maple+Bowl.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spalted Maple Bowl</td></tr>
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When the fungus has matured, it develops fruiting bodies on the outside of the tree (or fallen log) to disperse spores, which may find another tree to repeat the cycle. We see those fruiting bodies as mushrooms. Anytime you see them growing on a tree, you know there's decay happening in its wood, and the decomposers are at work.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4UozNAS0uga5SqGe1m2mtrL44QdTfC7LdB1G9ovi75Hi2R4rPAqEs5SaK_GnWJ58f_bcoxloRu3tX2LwBkd_au7olkAF5jgONLJyNHyqQOP9VXt0iVDpGB6CteVe04iv765b_y5JboLA/s1600/Decomposers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4UozNAS0uga5SqGe1m2mtrL44QdTfC7LdB1G9ovi75Hi2R4rPAqEs5SaK_GnWJ58f_bcoxloRu3tX2LwBkd_au7olkAF5jgONLJyNHyqQOP9VXt0iVDpGB6CteVe04iv765b_y5JboLA/s320/Decomposers.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uh-oh ... mushrooms at work!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcy5v5R9jSM3NJY-NPwXsKg7jiB4PDPK1EUfggb1fwSfP3yQw3Rkov7LlnU9gqIUVAwtg744yy_z8WZjySNKcPZn_xZ3ahhej1IAg2H-ibSZ8QkHW62URKZaUkDyUW-qh1EgtFB-BM3VA/s1600/Decomposers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcy5v5R9jSM3NJY-NPwXsKg7jiB4PDPK1EUfggb1fwSfP3yQw3Rkov7LlnU9gqIUVAwtg744yy_z8WZjySNKcPZn_xZ3ahhej1IAg2H-ibSZ8QkHW62URKZaUkDyUW-qh1EgtFB-BM3VA/s320/Decomposers.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Possible spalting under way?</td></tr>
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Under the bark of many, many trees are the galleries and wanderings excavated by beetle larvae as they grow. Adult beetles lay their eggs in bark crevices; when the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the wood tissues under the bark, eventually chewing their way back out through the bark as adults. They leave behind their "engravings" (photo 9). As the dead wood weathers, the galleries slowly fade away, but may still be an interesting picture (photo 10).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvEZYLo0vxJLFVGr8Pf4jvMjP-DioS9wxk6njqAqNJIlgxAb66uEOM_-6Rz2BSmAxf5xoMayIe9dWYiEsI5mNyfxVeP-A_kRc9b04WQA2GFbDstWqYCkL1VcMj5bCVne6qmg9KILjnPc/s1600/Beetle+Engravings-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvEZYLo0vxJLFVGr8Pf4jvMjP-DioS9wxk6njqAqNJIlgxAb66uEOM_-6Rz2BSmAxf5xoMayIe9dWYiEsI5mNyfxVeP-A_kRc9b04WQA2GFbDstWqYCkL1VcMj5bCVne6qmg9KILjnPc/s320/Beetle+Engravings-2.JPG" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> 10 - Weathered Engravings</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYrOa5B6wB2mZE2OaHVUd6y47zNW0QeN2eBWeU8lb5YzuCr8wmffmNFGgZhL-CwzwkijKbch3LaARCxGgD3RFD8smtRzThModSmnrFwiqM7yP5aJY9hbhEpY3srXuhPjWva8EUOPFtOlI/s1600/Beetle+Engravings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYrOa5B6wB2mZE2OaHVUd6y47zNW0QeN2eBWeU8lb5YzuCr8wmffmNFGgZhL-CwzwkijKbch3LaARCxGgD3RFD8smtRzThModSmnrFwiqM7yP5aJY9hbhEpY3srXuhPjWva8EUOPFtOlI/s320/Beetle+Engravings.JPG" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">9 - Beetle Larvae Engravings</td></tr>
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A walk in the woods is almost always sure to reveal contorted and weird growth forms in some of the trees. Heavy snow and ice loads often bend small stems and limbs toward the ground; falling trees and branches may crush others nearby. Those burdened victims may survive to bend their way back up toward the light, eventually becoming strangely serpentine in form.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HJRNn1yNSVVr29OR3B3dliChaawr_76vCo-8DRVuYkoAkvlJDkPS4rMOnEA5UVTJtGxiWrIP1YuHeGslYKcLlL0ggdkNeMhmJ3avMV0Y6vg8KVJitjD_S7Y7fdiFftl1rYIRIg3RSdM/s1600/Snake+Pine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HJRNn1yNSVVr29OR3B3dliChaawr_76vCo-8DRVuYkoAkvlJDkPS4rMOnEA5UVTJtGxiWrIP1YuHeGslYKcLlL0ggdkNeMhmJ3avMV0Y6vg8KVJitjD_S7Y7fdiFftl1rYIRIg3RSdM/s320/Snake+Pine.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">11 - Serpentine White Pine</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4DjAx2JmWOJxcoWpLRi0rz5R3Es9CoCTir5wGyldPmYrkd5L6NKGEYncWG3z-MDJu6IgQ6uBMBoGr3RZLR6uqHW6kGxoHIDU7dKG4x-6julCv7hC5qwq24OAuuO2DrDzk9_oM6qm-WA/s1600/Bryant-+RMaple-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4DjAx2JmWOJxcoWpLRi0rz5R3Es9CoCTir5wGyldPmYrkd5L6NKGEYncWG3z-MDJu6IgQ6uBMBoGr3RZLR6uqHW6kGxoHIDU7dKG4x-6julCv7hC5qwq24OAuuO2DrDzk9_oM6qm-WA/s320/Bryant-+RMaple-3.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">12 - Snaky Red Maple</td></tr>
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It's always amusing to see one tree "kissing" another, or otherwise making close contact. Sometimes, one tree's trunk or limb has happened to grow in a situation where it's pressed against some part of a neighbor tree, and proceeds to grow right around the other, engulfing it. Or, the two trees may just end up in an amusing coupling. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9MRJikXy5IRHIFBnPilnR7qjSIPkJTe2q7418Ju2C16zRJ61v1JAu7v28bOeZ0ifimequfzu0vgTXavAzRzfh3NhpY7qM6S0TVsK8qQakdVotzsnMx7xq4gnxvMN0XKy9Wg-HfV9hbM/s1600/Maple+Eats+Cedar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9MRJikXy5IRHIFBnPilnR7qjSIPkJTe2q7418Ju2C16zRJ61v1JAu7v28bOeZ0ifimequfzu0vgTXavAzRzfh3NhpY7qM6S0TVsK8qQakdVotzsnMx7xq4gnxvMN0XKy9Wg-HfV9hbM/s320/Maple+Eats+Cedar.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">13 - Maple (L) Meets Cedar (R)</td></tr>
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<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzvBzUHUH3PT85GT_xb0oSqmRRD9F5GH20LLJykbMlUttIKVzzHJmiL_X4_iJhJ94uXq7QLokKCqkEE1gpa2aSkpj7JeSCMkA2DA8MJR7h67PhKpJFGyA8Hdlnzdrg0oPUvo1QxRpCZs/s1600/Beech+Foot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzvBzUHUH3PT85GT_xb0oSqmRRD9F5GH20LLJykbMlUttIKVzzHJmiL_X4_iJhJ94uXq7QLokKCqkEE1gpa2aSkpj7JeSCMkA2DA8MJR7h67PhKpJFGyA8Hdlnzdrg0oPUvo1QxRpCZs/s320/Beech+Foot.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">14 - Beech, Stepping on Black Birch</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ0mcPfHPCkP1-2RRNFscVehyabJz2et2-8m8lbLmDJzG5OFJQ_gXauoFJbB1L1CxzjMG3iZ9PsQX_B0cUT8807ukBxmLOhzJmc9I_jre9QZIc18X5oDA3zUWkSULbcKAHpS601bhXfNc/s1600/YBirches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ0mcPfHPCkP1-2RRNFscVehyabJz2et2-8m8lbLmDJzG5OFJQ_gXauoFJbB1L1CxzjMG3iZ9PsQX_B0cUT8807ukBxmLOhzJmc9I_jre9QZIc18X5oDA3zUWkSULbcKAHpS601bhXfNc/s320/YBirches.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">15 - Yellow Birches, Streamside</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPFyrrQ4w3aLBashBUFcQazkZjUa8wxohc5SQHLEBf3jZCzhHwLZG5UAsTyqYU69uA6IXjXoFVVDYKCx5dvVyTnhKnXfmeL9ATi27JAnAkSQEjXEfdH81gOHLUJ1yFlUJSux87qD4jbc/s1600/Ball+and+Claw.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPFyrrQ4w3aLBashBUFcQazkZjUa8wxohc5SQHLEBf3jZCzhHwLZG5UAsTyqYU69uA6IXjXoFVVDYKCx5dvVyTnhKnXfmeL9ATi27JAnAkSQEjXEfdH81gOHLUJ1yFlUJSux87qD4jbc/s320/Ball+and+Claw.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">16 - The Ball and Claw</td></tr>
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Photo 16 shows a common sight in our northern hardwood forests... a Yellow Birch appears to be grappling a large rock in its talons. How did this happen?? Birches have tiny seeds that won't be able to grow if they fall in the leaf litter; they must contact bare soil, or something akin to it, to grow. When a forest tree is uprooted by wind or other causes, its root ball heaves up soil, providing a perfect place for birch seeds to germinate. In time, the tree will grow, and the bare soil is washed away, often leaving the tree looking like it's standing on tiptoes. Sometimes the seeds will take root in the thin soil atop a boulder and grow down around it; again, as soil is eroded, the boulder becomes exposed, and the tree appears to be grasping it, as in the photo. Could this sort of image be the original inspiration for the "ball and claw" feet on our traditional furniture? The design supposedly was based on the feet of animals, but I do wonder... what animal would be grasping a ball-shaped object or prey?<br />
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Then there are the curious growths known as burls (or "burrs" if you're across the pond). Some folks think of them as tumors or warts. They don't appear to be well understood, and there doesn't seem to be any one explanation for their formation, but they're an abnormal growth that isn't detrimental to the host tree. They may be caused by some kind of injury to the tree, by a virus, or maybe insects. Who knows. In some cases, they appear to be the result of unusual hormone activity, causing an uncontrolled, localized surge in bud formation.<br />
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Whatever the cause, the burls often contain attractive figure and grain, making them desirable for many woodworking applications. I use them often in my woodturning. Some species of tree produce fantastic looking tissue in the burls; others are rather ho-hum and not that interesting. There are exotic burl species from around the world that command high prices, but that's not true of many North American burls. In New England, Black Cherry generally produces the most attractive burl wood. Burls of other species, such as maples, oaks, birches, etc, may or may not be something to write home about. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwde3jWUek5fHjwaDey4GS_JyD6dnKYPlI1cLU8EYG0-DJbMo9eBerDPO-_m52efWSYQOD-IX5YS4CZr0CIs-ciKBx2M0DLAxcPnA5FuIPFMGDd-9jdECNrNfNeQNYGbkTgILVX57lWHY/s1600/Hophornbeam+Burl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwde3jWUek5fHjwaDey4GS_JyD6dnKYPlI1cLU8EYG0-DJbMo9eBerDPO-_m52efWSYQOD-IX5YS4CZr0CIs-ciKBx2M0DLAxcPnA5FuIPFMGDd-9jdECNrNfNeQNYGbkTgILVX57lWHY/s320/Hophornbeam+Burl.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hophornbeam Burl</td></tr>
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And not every wart-looking bump on a tree is a burl... when a limb is cut or broken off near its junction with the trunk, the trunk will eventually grow new tissue over the wound, forming what some may think is a burl, but is just a healed-over branch stub. Some examples of burls are shown here. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg873rncpUmCPYB88FuM6EAyMWvieSwVwpDZ46EVhEAyaEoc6UmrTZ_q63_oEKDFInN6rpU9rlwWx-nnFyZZZjrzftvd4omEAnOo7c5ynUCSnJKZ3HXR9x6pSYvw2W2kCJoET3XWJgO9lI/s1600/Black+Birch+Burl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg873rncpUmCPYB88FuM6EAyMWvieSwVwpDZ46EVhEAyaEoc6UmrTZ_q63_oEKDFInN6rpU9rlwWx-nnFyZZZjrzftvd4omEAnOo7c5ynUCSnJKZ3HXR9x6pSYvw2W2kCJoET3XWJgO9lI/s320/Black+Birch+Burl.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Birch Burl</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nrk-XsqaLStfnUSCRIJ0CfxNDpfymduqWQojTZl9OWs8K4ec_KGqnxyVFVM398e-j1oZWuNrK5Z0TxbJpxo78K62GNGXIEYq5aFSHXg-wY98ZrcR_g2D-gnJvlMzT70V1ywyR1syE_c/s1600/White+Birch+Burl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nrk-XsqaLStfnUSCRIJ0CfxNDpfymduqWQojTZl9OWs8K4ec_KGqnxyVFVM398e-j1oZWuNrK5Z0TxbJpxo78K62GNGXIEYq5aFSHXg-wY98ZrcR_g2D-gnJvlMzT70V1ywyR1syE_c/s320/White+Birch+Burl.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Birch Burl</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0LdgNIIB6OTJlWAEGkPvny2XWEbVqpkKk27tdTZeMLvejP32V2xMzIACHa6UC8qARY9w5eq0rTjBNHIdWwgEBwNssV-JTAzS3zmqLOvWkK3z9kMfiz4K7kpWXqVbibld1anU2dD2OOog/s1600/BW280-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0LdgNIIB6OTJlWAEGkPvny2XWEbVqpkKk27tdTZeMLvejP32V2xMzIACHa6UC8qARY9w5eq0rTjBNHIdWwgEBwNssV-JTAzS3zmqLOvWkK3z9kMfiz4K7kpWXqVbibld1anU2dD2OOog/s320/BW280-3.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Cherry Burl Bowl</td></tr>
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So you see, there's a lot to be experienced and examined in the woods. This article has only scratched the surface. So much more could be said and shown.<br />
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When you're scampering down a trail, consider slowing the pace and leaving the trampled path for a few minutes to explore the trees close up. Seek out the details of any tree's bark. Especially pore over dead trees. Look in the crevices. If there's dead bark separating from the trunk, peek under it (but don't pull it off, it may be home to a variety of creatures). Look up into the trees. Watch for the curiosities you're bound to find. In other words ... go "barking" !<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOH2QNxi1pQeWHL5JZwCU_QaeBXl0xEgLCbgYdn7JmaYPqFyl8LT8A4MN43KJtHpvhqv5wn3qbPeLDkgT4o4gNpk6Bd-h9MX1L-CjYMS6RNEVlWaZFyOPVJAUZC0qKhKuQ9bSBfQS8AWY/s1600/Birch+Heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOH2QNxi1pQeWHL5JZwCU_QaeBXl0xEgLCbgYdn7JmaYPqFyl8LT8A4MN43KJtHpvhqv5wn3qbPeLDkgT4o4gNpk6Bd-h9MX1L-CjYMS6RNEVlWaZFyOPVJAUZC0qKhKuQ9bSBfQS8AWY/s320/Birch+Heart.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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<h3>
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More Tree Oddities:</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTBie_yVlwGRpreV-hZH4an0_oZmB634RWKgWBGNkwb5eVMiAkOeopwgjZ9SC0oR8c-iI8BeMHucgLutOZSzI4GEP_UXC3XZ6A_osH-bNa23xoy2TCS970Vol44WD2zyCKLmSic0Lp5o/s1600/Conway+stump2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTBie_yVlwGRpreV-hZH4an0_oZmB634RWKgWBGNkwb5eVMiAkOeopwgjZ9SC0oR8c-iI8BeMHucgLutOZSzI4GEP_UXC3XZ6A_osH-bNa23xoy2TCS970Vol44WD2zyCKLmSic0Lp5o/s1600/Conway+stump2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Which way is up??</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgko5HHe1tUvHr0zmPpiEsX7hW5R_f6tLDxZXVI9OP7hK5KOIsCXFCB1VFvM2AdlN8A1kjxJZLlMo6XZCHXRGxjNUJF0DHQJ_eQOyjLryWamISpxFKO0ACgb6xE9b1_iQ7Eg5sBGFQIiC0/s1600/Silver+Maple+Clam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgko5HHe1tUvHr0zmPpiEsX7hW5R_f6tLDxZXVI9OP7hK5KOIsCXFCB1VFvM2AdlN8A1kjxJZLlMo6XZCHXRGxjNUJF0DHQJ_eQOyjLryWamISpxFKO0ACgb6xE9b1_iQ7Eg5sBGFQIiC0/s1600/Silver+Maple+Clam.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rare tree clam emerging in spring</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJRsX1pLeHyZdx6163oy0Gib0JX39hQbEq1_t7eCupr0KoOU-lXp84oIAJx8g0dIYxrULxRux2_g_ywltuxZtXOTMmRvsmEGyGOH729eO99DVLzIR6od1kxpzMSe1XGg6mjwNq2yc_1I/s320/Dog.JPG" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dog? Bear??</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWDJ3Dv1wuSKAXaYl0dCJHdrMV6TEYZ9oaOPBoz_f7Ld-LUJW8B8spraB2VxNl6tCX8OiOUExy3AtabjlwFvUSthEy_OL4F1jN6lO_IqaSTLutLA2TDR9H2Qngnvt3c93y59FtYvdg10/s320/IMG_0328.JPG" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ash tree eats rock</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fjGCYo4aUJ3P-QQAPkzs5ZdTDCskuUSjUx-P3N56LL-S6668Yo0iSnlBLT68-t8EOvuG1mLOVueBWvXR373cGjO3vnmjdRMz9p30NPq9OX9XKoSjAKZspn-EZAAcWVZqSMK-7eDmF0M/s1600/ear-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fjGCYo4aUJ3P-QQAPkzs5ZdTDCskuUSjUx-P3N56LL-S6668Yo0iSnlBLT68-t8EOvuG1mLOVueBWvXR373cGjO3vnmjdRMz9p30NPq9OX9XKoSjAKZspn-EZAAcWVZqSMK-7eDmF0M/s320/ear-1.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Careful-- they're listening ....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9o04Z9EHjQa3OfZR9VmTFON7ffiEHdPmLksH-uf0Pcc0QgnXPQlbZ6Cz-cKs6VA4ny-lli0wsozGlAKvGOjW4KVzef0NAfBoF4Ept9v5HBro5nVm8cAd1JWPepfnpfB4ALSDFQLPVf4/s320/Window.jpg" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="263" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Window into the woods</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtG91VXFyUWLIT8lZnYD7gjLAv7CzjwLfsq8A7X6Gs9o6oWzSw-UJrNwA1TdZlaMUtNyvawunrFYGDEcGrJK7Sj4CootbIvzxck54WxjeTSU6Csc72iNpKeDPRmhsLSFiKk6BCN0Lgebs/s1600/Mother+and+child.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtG91VXFyUWLIT8lZnYD7gjLAv7CzjwLfsq8A7X6Gs9o6oWzSw-UJrNwA1TdZlaMUtNyvawunrFYGDEcGrJK7Sj4CootbIvzxck54WxjeTSU6Csc72iNpKeDPRmhsLSFiKk6BCN0Lgebs/s1600/Mother+and+child.jpg" height="400" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A mother-and-child moment?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_jT2sXSTbLgjYQe4Y-pvSHcpG5gJSSREss6TTCt6RVVAhCbJwAD9Kk1SY7Z2QtTlXkrjdcl5irT8N9PbUt3yaOFAtOVR9Nm6YZtrqZgfNdGMbZqEz2Zp7yoDpVXI9XSgRambwJmZKqU/s1600/P1110078-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_jT2sXSTbLgjYQe4Y-pvSHcpG5gJSSREss6TTCt6RVVAhCbJwAD9Kk1SY7Z2QtTlXkrjdcl5irT8N9PbUt3yaOFAtOVR9Nm6YZtrqZgfNdGMbZqEz2Zp7yoDpVXI9XSgRambwJmZKqU/s1600/P1110078-1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow birch diamond</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8D6T6HbwMZSZbGfMxfylD8yLjYasBcIbii5FlsO6KevJV_wtj4aPHp4KnQpKVjzAGhr2E-rpx48LpUgLnaGHWMSGT_pe38QSYd8BD9meaFwT_m4I5qjBJaHYfk18gEzxns6VqWAZ6InU/s1600/Fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8D6T6HbwMZSZbGfMxfylD8yLjYasBcIbii5FlsO6KevJV_wtj4aPHp4KnQpKVjzAGhr2E-rpx48LpUgLnaGHWMSGT_pe38QSYd8BD9meaFwT_m4I5qjBJaHYfk18gEzxns6VqWAZ6InU/s1600/Fish.jpg" height="320" width="189" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQt3eX2lyNNHiJe8M6cCJUfOVhHSyrwnn9lP8cMM99ozklPyj1EB7stOjbyiRcc6bjMUdhvhbH9D_1WEUcbESq22TWBPsyH0MPLWG555ev760mMxJk1legr5LR0loPLtN-YvB2ETpz6U/s1600/P1110114-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQt3eX2lyNNHiJe8M6cCJUfOVhHSyrwnn9lP8cMM99ozklPyj1EB7stOjbyiRcc6bjMUdhvhbH9D_1WEUcbESq22TWBPsyH0MPLWG555ev760mMxJk1legr5LR0loPLtN-YvB2ETpz6U/s1600/P1110114-1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another tree clam</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhgq0TkbRf3vBKXEwmQU1NamLo9FbVZX8GajUwgAsE5IxDcmsBEBEagLhQOTyFduu30ZU3swf9AMNbM5cScpK9sdlfaLzMETaPk9CkesJ1mo8rQqWmxrhk38qMtMCS5j2VNmS919OqgA/s1600/P1110691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhgq0TkbRf3vBKXEwmQU1NamLo9FbVZX8GajUwgAsE5IxDcmsBEBEagLhQOTyFduu30ZU3swf9AMNbM5cScpK9sdlfaLzMETaPk9CkesJ1mo8rQqWmxrhk38qMtMCS5j2VNmS919OqgA/s1600/P1110691.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bigfoot, at the beech</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCK3U-H1-2maHbbnETZ9yCcP024F6C9pOz8ALMpvLd0JunFgrOUh8VoVzpAbOS2Jru1kYR-iDkWUXOlrVKISK1UAOYTb42EHs3QZLafCA9tu-c5GlWuIv7wTfSoFdrumWIxg36_owbqAY/s1600/P1120449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCK3U-H1-2maHbbnETZ9yCcP024F6C9pOz8ALMpvLd0JunFgrOUh8VoVzpAbOS2Jru1kYR-iDkWUXOlrVKISK1UAOYTb42EHs3QZLafCA9tu-c5GlWuIv7wTfSoFdrumWIxg36_owbqAY/s1600/P1120449.JPG" height="197" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mushroom doves on bark</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-5osoL_pSprYwA0aSUQ8cuK69zCqHRQxX_X8K3og6w-jES-YTePV9AFq0IWwuRNcJuV_Qc437AEiwFrXsOWu-EqEHR05zq4FmhNnwWa4kSNkdKLE93QQy-FTTBuNxJ7yGc7tYwdr6YQ/s1600/P1000295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-5osoL_pSprYwA0aSUQ8cuK69zCqHRQxX_X8K3og6w-jES-YTePV9AFq0IWwuRNcJuV_Qc437AEiwFrXsOWu-EqEHR05zq4FmhNnwWa4kSNkdKLE93QQy-FTTBuNxJ7yGc7tYwdr6YQ/s320/P1000295.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is that a bear ??</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIaNWyvWu41cL6k3dJbBEuKuYBZNu1xXRWO8ZolXEdbxr8eQbVPh5WenBfpXvwSltndaViatnSOWkotW4R3bCeyi5qC4j0AxqITRTXpGlvvogCmDMojz1-znYMA7hvXLkqsg4dr7nHJLk/s1600/Beech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIaNWyvWu41cL6k3dJbBEuKuYBZNu1xXRWO8ZolXEdbxr8eQbVPh5WenBfpXvwSltndaViatnSOWkotW4R3bCeyi5qC4j0AxqITRTXpGlvvogCmDMojz1-znYMA7hvXLkqsg4dr7nHJLk/s1600/Beech.jpg" height="320" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Better Stay on His Good Side...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWDJ3Dv1wuSKAXaYl0dCJHdrMV6TEYZ9oaOPBoz_f7Ld-LUJW8B8spraB2VxNl6tCX8OiOUExy3AtabjlwFvUSthEy_OL4F1jN6lO_IqaSTLutLA2TDR9H2Qngnvt3c93y59FtYvdg10/s1600/IMG_0328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></td></tr>
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Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-18557233411992856072013-08-17T12:48:00.003-04:002013-11-16T13:41:31.457-05:00The Big Butternut BonanzaWoodturners have an inherent affliction. We're wood hoarders. I think it's a function of the same gene that makes us woodturners. Pity us, we can't help ourselves. Well, that's not exactly true; we <i>do</i> help ourselves-- to as much free wood as we can haul home!<br />
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So, even though I knew better, when wood hound and craigslist crawler Bob Labrecque called the other day asking if I was interested in picking the bones of a huge fallen Butternut tree, I said "of course!". Another road trip! Breakfast out. Chain saws. Sawdust 'n' sweat. Male bonding. A sunny day outdoors. All that good stuff.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMek5pbBeAA4YTGlCzrEcXEMvRuuRYTwWq1TJLGvKy00D_BeJ4MEiHE1_4fJeTPq61n5J7rXgJmsKVthkd0R_xo7Pv6ZeInCZc4xfux5J_WM4NUCL7sJqAqf6OHq_TajdA0wrghJd71s/s1600/Butternut-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMek5pbBeAA4YTGlCzrEcXEMvRuuRYTwWq1TJLGvKy00D_BeJ4MEiHE1_4fJeTPq61n5J7rXgJmsKVthkd0R_xo7Pv6ZeInCZc4xfux5J_WM4NUCL7sJqAqf6OHq_TajdA0wrghJd71s/s320/Butternut-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butternuts</td></tr>
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So how did it all pan out? Ok, so the breakfast was, um, awful. Next time Bob talks me into getting the waffle topped with mixed frozen berries, I'll do as he does and get eggs. (When the waitress asked how my waffle was, and saw the look on my face, she said "nobody gets the mixed frozen-berry waffle, but as a waitress I couldn't tell you that"). <br />
The road trip was only about 5 miles, and in local traffic. Bob's big-boy chainsaw threw the chain and chewed it up shortly after starting. The wood had to be hauled uphill.<br />
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But none of that stopped us. I survived the breakfast. We had other saws. And Matt Collins, in whose backyard the Butternut behemoth lay, turned out to be a great guy who brought the wood up the hill for us.<br />
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Matt and his family live on an attractive piece of land in western Massachusetts. The ample, grassy backyard slopes downhill to a relatively wet, lowland wooded area. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1EZU1FVbmmPnXt1SQAjIktv46cdsGJnPuFlcW8TmT9i86_MFiztK8i1dznW9zEWellEnrAzPlYeN83DgNkJ2jJ8xBG6SX4e9D_X8WKAW-W8IQwBtY7anoDNECDZQc460SnhsDvF5Rn0Y/s1600/Butternut-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1EZU1FVbmmPnXt1SQAjIktv46cdsGJnPuFlcW8TmT9i86_MFiztK8i1dznW9zEWellEnrAzPlYeN83DgNkJ2jJ8xBG6SX4e9D_X8WKAW-W8IQwBtY7anoDNECDZQc460SnhsDvF5Rn0Y/s400/Butternut-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fallen Butternut</td></tr>
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The plentiful ground moisture helps grow a pleasing mixture of New England hardwoods, such as Black Cherry, Sugar Maple, Silver Maple, Catalpa, Red Oaks, and, until recently, a grand, double-trunk spreading Butternut.<br />
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A storm last October toppled the smaller, 3-foot diameter half of the duo, then April brought the demise of the larger twin, which measures in the 4-foot range at its base. That's the largest Butternut I've encountered, and I'd much rather have seen it standing proudly than lying prone. According to <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Lm6uEmdfETwJLz5hsGhN34xRWSB0GreIVH_6TmkLUJCYRWTlNtiyfakRjvuTKLmROUEhIUJhOh3Y4gMnt7SosdXBSrsObfmW9mjttxpOMXc9IthRQ7hoZasmFYZA59d3AmYzmfhyJ5I/s1600/Butternut-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Lm6uEmdfETwJLz5hsGhN34xRWSB0GreIVH_6TmkLUJCYRWTlNtiyfakRjvuTKLmROUEhIUJhOh3Y4gMnt7SosdXBSrsObfmW9mjttxpOMXc9IthRQ7hoZasmFYZA59d3AmYzmfhyJ5I/s640/Butternut-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt, topside, while Bob explains...uh .... something important, I'm sure!</td></tr>
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Matt, it was the most prominent feature of his landscape, and his family is saddened by the loss of this familiar old friend. He now wants to see the tree's wood put to good use, and has offered it to any woodworkers who can create something with it. Matt would like to have a keepsake in memory of the cherished Butternut, so we'll see to it he gets a nice bowl or two.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMjxVFggBgVdksw2kT7CuP4-RuDUoWJiCYjK14Cuc7Jx7cdRRoTTGRn2-tjvdLWKftMhd9rpH7vl7E5e2Rh0gpZgzjMQiH2Ve1n6ihoOGGDpTHkx1a9dvWp_r4rGYCst0CD3ThGQqWDY/s1600/Butternut-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMjxVFggBgVdksw2kT7CuP4-RuDUoWJiCYjK14Cuc7Jx7cdRRoTTGRn2-tjvdLWKftMhd9rpH7vl7E5e2Rh0gpZgzjMQiH2Ve1n6ihoOGGDpTHkx1a9dvWp_r4rGYCst0CD3ThGQqWDY/s320/Butternut-4.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob, excising a burl</td></tr>
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We spent the middle hours of a beautiful August day with Matt and his two young sons (Aidan and Cam), reducing half of the 3-foot trunk to bowl blanks. We didn't put much of a dent in the wood supply, but filled Bob's pickup above the gills with fresh Butternut log sections. While Bob and I cut, Matt loaded his Jeep with the results and hauled them up the hill to his driveway, then transferred the Jeep's contents to the pickup for us. That Jeep (and Matt's efforts) saved us a heck of a lot of work we would have been too pooped to do.<br />
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The two trunks had blown down in opposite directions; the 3-footer went west, the 4-footer went east. The larger of the two still had roots connected to mother earth, and green foliage in its crown, though now at much lower altitude. There are clusters of butternuts hanging within reach too. Such a shame this tree is no longer standing upright.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsgWmH6Uf0147hSMj4gIwR9s0_9iRY6y3Nk1ERWXD1FHPzXVZR8FD_pf9IXJk26kDbXtVJUdXY29tFoNnWyt6otQt5wsHQLN0mzw8o1PaGlme8NDbG2dTx8pH71MkbRN9pjsqbAlOTzg/s1600/Butternut-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsgWmH6Uf0147hSMj4gIwR9s0_9iRY6y3Nk1ERWXD1FHPzXVZR8FD_pf9IXJk26kDbXtVJUdXY29tFoNnWyt6otQt5wsHQLN0mzw8o1PaGlme8NDbG2dTx8pH71MkbRN9pjsqbAlOTzg/s320/Butternut-6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yours truly, hard at work!</td></tr>
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The first thing Bob and I noticed was a burl on one of the logs. We zeroed in on that, since neither of us has seen the inside of a Butternut burl, and Bob went to work removing it. It will be interesting to see what it looks like after being turned on the lathe.<br />
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We quickly realized there was way more wood here than the two of us could use in a lifetime of turning. Matt's goal was to recover as much of his backyard space as possible, so we decided to concentrate our efforts on the 3-foot diameter log, and reduce it to as small a footprint as we could. As far as Bob and I were concerned, there was plenty of good quality wood in that log, so there was no need to touch the other. Someone else might be interested in sawing boards out of the larger log, so we didn't want to cut it up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1VzJyOz41oOwtWDbSICHsGhLki9RPZqTuO3EiFa9VIrSFC2q0RXIicote620Bo0s1YSsWWKE9oYCJrjvNin4ZwauS84uj8FGS3QCvhiytRchfxIFum66Tl2Xajy26T-kIJDgFWEMo-w/s1600/Butternut-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1VzJyOz41oOwtWDbSICHsGhLki9RPZqTuO3EiFa9VIrSFC2q0RXIicote620Bo0s1YSsWWKE9oYCJrjvNin4ZwauS84uj8FGS3QCvhiytRchfxIFum66Tl2Xajy26T-kIJDgFWEMo-w/s640/Butternut-7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crown end of the larger log</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9McrMdcWKtX8sWzX1frrb-t_NNrewZ_b_lUJrdZk_fD4tQc4Sf3wYYFL4aLL7bxXNDhxIdlZN_3JUloP5bwdS1cvU6Yq-Ks94VVOLNcNgAyfvzVz3w3pVUQul262uck_qJVN3GXzyYIs/s1600/Butternut-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9McrMdcWKtX8sWzX1frrb-t_NNrewZ_b_lUJrdZk_fD4tQc4Sf3wYYFL4aLL7bxXNDhxIdlZN_3JUloP5bwdS1cvU6Yq-Ks94VVOLNcNgAyfvzVz3w3pVUQul262uck_qJVN3GXzyYIs/s400/Butternut-9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plenty of bowl blanks here!</td></tr>
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Before long, we had dozens of log sections cut, more than we can use, I'm sure. We wanted to cut up as much of the log as we could, to help Matt clean up the yard. The problem is, when you have all that cut-up wood lying there, it's hard to not take it all home! Luckily for us, we only had one pickup truck. But if Matt hadn't hauled those huge chunks up the hill in his Jeep, we would have gone home with far less than a truckload of Butternut. We split a few of the heftier log chunks in half with sledge and wedge, but, out there in the sun, that speedily reminded us why "work" is a four-letter word.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCXNJOz0H1ci8dlU5Uyqs3mOuh4onDfMZQuxBr5Kd4ycdEbdzKwbhvrHh9Gpu9uMpHig4otTzo3tjYfu5pbzphiKtQNUq-AC76m6GL81W5ClFFygA1cLTDkZllAHEx92UWU8LCxU99Oc/s1600/Butternut-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCXNJOz0H1ci8dlU5Uyqs3mOuh4onDfMZQuxBr5Kd4ycdEbdzKwbhvrHh9Gpu9uMpHig4otTzo3tjYfu5pbzphiKtQNUq-AC76m6GL81W5ClFFygA1cLTDkZllAHEx92UWU8LCxU99Oc/s400/Butternut-10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aidan Collins, ready to haul wood</td></tr>
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Butternut is a close relative of the Black Walnut (both are species of genus <i>Juglans</i>); in fact, it's sometimes called "White Walnut", due to the lighter color of its wood, which has a rather unusual quality- the annual rings have a scalloped shape. That translates into some interesting grain patterns in products made from it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzg-paJ2AJ9zlDJMJhlXufehnC123CC-QQaatl32qaiASZy3c5wR0v1boAL8t1d-lCZqqI-QwGj-Gl4KAzGEMzho3a7FmkZnUrNYfFD2GbfkV6kvIA1Wdb8CLDu4nQLZERQfKtzEzwGI/s1600/Butternut-bowl-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzg-paJ2AJ9zlDJMJhlXufehnC123CC-QQaatl32qaiASZy3c5wR0v1boAL8t1d-lCZqqI-QwGj-Gl4KAzGEMzho3a7FmkZnUrNYfFD2GbfkV6kvIA1Wdb8CLDu4nQLZERQfKtzEzwGI/s320/Butternut-bowl-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butternut's scalloped annual rings</td></tr>
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One big reason why it's disheartening to see a Butternut's life end, particularly a large specimen, is that the species is under siege. Butternut canker disease, caused by a fungus, is quickly killing the trees across their entire range. The U.S. considers Butternut a species at risk, due to the high toll the blight is taking. Butternuts are not particularly plentiful in the forests of New England in the first place. It's not that easy to find them in western Mass, so losing a nice one is especially frustrating. As of 2008, Vermont reported 60% mortality in the trees.<br />
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Wood Available</h3>
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It seems the least we can do is to celebrate the wood when it does become available. And Matt would really like to see that happen. If you're a woodworker who can put the wood to good use, it's yours for the taking. What we cut was completely sound and of good quality, and there's much more still there that we didn't cut. Bob and I will turn bowls from what we took. If you're interested in hauling some of it home, <a href="mailto:ray@bowlwood.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">contact me</a>, and I'll put you in touch with Matt.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSv9oBKgqtp_7c14ESiiaxdQfj3Zx5LairQAZWxiLR1FS29Gla4wIf9-BymRYmKFM6iyubT2Iv5b33gWyGMsHeEDd3BNMsMZ5USyLDzXjwlATtHfa0HJ9swDHBn71-3yKEJd5BuKa9dZE/s1600/Butternut-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSv9oBKgqtp_7c14ESiiaxdQfj3Zx5LairQAZWxiLR1FS29Gla4wIf9-BymRYmKFM6iyubT2Iv5b33gWyGMsHeEDd3BNMsMZ5USyLDzXjwlATtHfa0HJ9swDHBn71-3yKEJd5BuKa9dZE/s640/Butternut-11.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's yours if you want it !</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdiapiTgyCT7y9GtRD3yX36cxO0y6ULy0OafN5ITkkiB6fN8NbOg2nZCJ7-Qz6F-kGfrtp21UCvcfGlQeVqsG_TowmMBZ6N4hDKCtsRNuWrttsXZaFAj9H3o5sqncNVbtrjD9WsWeBkzQ/s1600/Butternut-bowl-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdiapiTgyCT7y9GtRD3yX36cxO0y6ULy0OafN5ITkkiB6fN8NbOg2nZCJ7-Qz6F-kGfrtp21UCvcfGlQeVqsG_TowmMBZ6N4hDKCtsRNuWrttsXZaFAj9H3o5sqncNVbtrjD9WsWeBkzQ/s320/Butternut-bowl-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First bowls rough-turned from the tree</td></tr>
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<br />Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-72878432416933608752013-07-06T12:59:00.000-04:002013-09-14T14:37:57.398-04:00New Wallhangings at Bowlwood<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There's a new category of items now available at <a href="http://www.bowlwood.com/" target="_blank">Bowlwood.</a>.. wallhangings. Because of my interest in trees, most of these pieces are inspired by them, and take the shape of leaves or trees. They're all slabs of various beautiful burl woods. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When I'm rummaging through the hundreds of burls available at my supplier, any whose shape is suggestive of trees or leaves generally have to come home with me. Other easily recognizable shapes might fall prey too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The silhouettes of these display pieces are pretty much the actual, natural shapes of the burls from which they were sliced. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Take a look:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The first is a burl of Australian Red Morrel, which is a Eucalyptus species (one of many found in the Land Down Under). </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHo7e5rFgG9HOiU7Ok9mJcVvjwVnMgXNIa__4PDIcb1T6_fmaMLXtWNzsMD1Hbt-5uBW0ucpNehcgR3zyyachZ9qkilNyc6pCp6jYZ2-Nf9JV68zgd-HkZzjspP9AKyBz-PotdrleckcI/s1600/WH04-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHo7e5rFgG9HOiU7Ok9mJcVvjwVnMgXNIa__4PDIcb1T6_fmaMLXtWNzsMD1Hbt-5uBW0ucpNehcgR3zyyachZ9qkilNyc6pCp6jYZ2-Nf9JV68zgd-HkZzjspP9AKyBz-PotdrleckcI/s400/WH04-1.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Red Morrel Burl</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The first reaction of some people, upon seeing this piece, might be "I see an arrowhead", I suppose. To my eye, it's a tree. In either case, it's burl figure is stunning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The "spiky" bumps around the perimeter is the natural texture of the burl, as found when the bark was removed.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This wallhanging is 10 inches in width, 14 inches tall.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR50PuIj8-1ZNhzJPpeZU7SxCjok6cSQ3wxzd2D3jnFFE_cZWQX6G2prh_3TwP5wQPMaDd044_yTqHykmGNddz4iinoiJVtfpGBifBK8gZaz1pz8gMbP_bl7jTK4y1mxG7BH-W7UTC_7Y/s1600/WH05-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR50PuIj8-1ZNhzJPpeZU7SxCjok6cSQ3wxzd2D3jnFFE_cZWQX6G2prh_3TwP5wQPMaDd044_yTqHykmGNddz4iinoiJVtfpGBifBK8gZaz1pz8gMbP_bl7jTK4y1mxG7BH-W7UTC_7Y/s400/WH05-1.jpg" width="303" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"Bigleaf Bonsai"</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Second on the list, but just as pretty, is "Bigleaf Bonsai", a section slabbed off a Bigleaf Maple burl. The only modification to its silhouette was a minor cut to better define the tree's trunk at the base. The "boughs" of the tree are all composed of wonderful burl figure, and the lower trunk and limb are defined by wavy grain lines. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">17 inches wide, 24 inches tall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Third is "Autumn Red Maple Leaf", a slice of<span style="font-size: small;"> Gummy Coolibah burl (another </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: small;">Australian </span></span>Eucalyptus species). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The title describes what this piece reminds me of. Here in New England, autumn brings billions of these colorful leaves fluttering to the ground. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This piece is 18 by 18 inches.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oXTAE47-T4dunEI4PAutsTgwl9AAaJiI3IQi6qfgh566IXEHZqpy-5pEMCJnUvGd7bLB8fTXi6oD5auw2mTFAnQPdrC04Zsawaz7Aje4InEEy9CAQazIwewbt-ZckeppU_ZJ0tEP5nU/s1600/WH02-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oXTAE47-T4dunEI4PAutsTgwl9AAaJiI3IQi6qfgh566IXEHZqpy-5pEMCJnUvGd7bLB8fTXi6oD5auw2mTFAnQPdrC04Zsawaz7Aje4InEEy9CAQazIwewbt-ZckeppU_ZJ0tEP5nU/s320/WH02-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"Autumn Red Maple Leaf"</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://www.bowlwood.com/Wall_Hangings.html"></a></span>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Finally, there is the largest of the lot, a Red Mallee burl piece whose outline reminds me of a young Sequoia tree. It measures 35<span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2 <span style="font-size: small;">inches tall, and 18 inches across at its widest point. The figure in the burl is quite pronounced, and the color is rich and deep. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">These wallhangings are available at <a href="http://www.bowlwood.com/">Bowlwood.com</a>. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qYfDUKBmDzQpU0WwEq-QNmQYb38LeEwDEnJgwf5fWIU1oZA-wxsrP-arcPETxCFHajW6fjtc6tDEG2Wo7tEP6k_F2boUXQlvlD0I1ijpSrgPESj8r1cz4G5HFn9TZ3tgc3DpEQfcFBE/s1600/WH07-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qYfDUKBmDzQpU0WwEq-QNmQYb38LeEwDEnJgwf5fWIU1oZA-wxsrP-arcPETxCFHajW6fjtc6tDEG2Wo7tEP6k_F2boUXQlvlD0I1ijpSrgPESj8r1cz4G5HFn9TZ3tgc3DpEQfcFBE/s320/WH07-5.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"Young Sequoia" Red Mallee Burl</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span>Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-30083618971096671972013-06-21T17:07:00.000-04:002013-11-16T13:45:54.053-05:00The Tulip Tree <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLeovFQomIJPv3Dov18ZgrLeOVdX-TEe3ecizLaLai6PQfeXFBttOCBWKQnkbjoshy8K8bKCbcfn2rFT2-GzF9uxNbYfaHv11JYdFS8w2Y2LGGUKVCgRxXNfKw9HLwaMd3wT-3YPi2QU/s1600/Tulip+Poplar+flower-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> <img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLeovFQomIJPv3Dov18ZgrLeOVdX-TEe3ecizLaLai6PQfeXFBttOCBWKQnkbjoshy8K8bKCbcfn2rFT2-GzF9uxNbYfaHv11JYdFS8w2Y2LGGUKVCgRxXNfKw9HLwaMd3wT-3YPi2QU/s320/Tulip+Poplar+flower-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tuliptree flower</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Tulips are flowers, right? Yup. For us woodturners though, when someone says "tulip", we think "big tree". The mighty Tulip Poplar (<span class="st">Liriodendron tulipifera) has the reputation of being the tallest growing hardwood in the eastern North American forest. It's also known as the Tuliptree, or Yellow Poplar, but it's not really a poplar; it belongs to the Magnolia family. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZB2k3EstZuvQyL_zM5oRrB9y_Ok3EfN7qCvEkH3ypdohgfCkrGw9M3Y_BmQZGdv7Kq9Sh6sLi0FtFGISDlEcUX2PJFLj9vfQ3Xf88LDHBfY0eaC3r7FDIWs9Wl6mnHl9XrOmCZrz2lc/s1600/Tulip+Poplar+Leaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZB2k3EstZuvQyL_zM5oRrB9y_Ok3EfN7qCvEkH3ypdohgfCkrGw9M3Y_BmQZGdv7Kq9Sh6sLi0FtFGISDlEcUX2PJFLj9vfQ3Xf88LDHBfY0eaC3r7FDIWs9Wl6mnHl9XrOmCZrz2lc/s320/Tulip+Poplar+Leaf.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tuliptree Leaf (underside)</td></tr>
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<span class="st"><span style="font-size: small;">Here in southern New England, Tuliptrees flower in June. They produce fairly large tulip-like flowers that are quite pretty, but most people are probably completely unaware of them, since they tend to appear on lofty branches and go unnoticed by the masses. Even the outline of the</span> large leaves suggests a tulip. </span><br />
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<span class="st">While these trees are not rare in this area, they're not exactly plentiful either, and it's not often that we wood hoarders, er, turners, get an opportunity to acquire sizable chunks of tulip wood. So when I recently saw a bucket truck crew lopping the very top limbs off a huge one on a busy road, I knew it was time to call Bob to tell him there would soon be (literally) tons of large-diameter tulip on the ground. We were both already familiar with this big tree, since it was located 5 minutes from Bob's home, and we've admired its stature before. </span><br />
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<span class="st">Sadly and surprisingly though, someone somewhere had decided this monster was a threat to something somehow, and it had to be unceremoniously brought down. And down it came. </span><br />
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<span class="st">Bob made a phone call to a town official, and was given permission to take as much of the wood as he wanted; the rest would go to the town dump. So much for a beautiful, huge specimen of a tree that measured 4 feet in diameter at its base. I don't know how tall it was, but it was impressive as a street tree.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNKite1Q4wKM1vCuJ_GeVclT-mZjxl79tl0SrL7tAezwha2Uxw5QaHBcSsaA1R2Mj2_OXoFPwpes-B3OFfxt8RAWI18-x97o3cf6TyB-pNVqFpGP_yewRy-aQfWgOz1bxUBsDLIppP7M/s1600/Tulip-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNKite1Q4wKM1vCuJ_GeVclT-mZjxl79tl0SrL7tAezwha2Uxw5QaHBcSsaA1R2Mj2_OXoFPwpes-B3OFfxt8RAWI18-x97o3cf6TyB-pNVqFpGP_yewRy-aQfWgOz1bxUBsDLIppP7M/s320/Tulip-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob in a sea of Tulip wood</td></tr>
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When I arrived with chain saw in hand later that morning, Bob was already at work in a sea of tulip logs. We scanned the broken bones of the once-grand tree for the choicest log sections; there was more wood on the ground than a dozen woodturners could use. We soon set our sights on a 42-inch diameter, 8-foot log, and began extracting bowl blanks-to-be.<br />
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A day that had begun as a moderately nice, overcast, fairly cool kind of day soon became an outdoor oven. We were both transpiring water to the atmosphere, and losing enthusiasm for hard labor quicker than a Georgia convict. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjad2KRzRmmnycIwgOKJXSEkWNLHJOCAGBBrjsGounSgPVcQBE4IS0BDC3yp4VBCQzXE9jmxWQtatvh7h1B8DEYW6sAmGd3X6bIH-1exr9SR76ssFK7uiABDR4VtU0DB06mNf3x2VWWlXk/s1600/P1090508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjad2KRzRmmnycIwgOKJXSEkWNLHJOCAGBBrjsGounSgPVcQBE4IS0BDC3yp4VBCQzXE9jmxWQtatvh7h1B8DEYW6sAmGd3X6bIH-1exr9SR76ssFK7uiABDR4VtU0DB06mNf3x2VWWlXk/s320/P1090508.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob preparing bowl blanks</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCt8LgoadB3ZZbyjg1qg0CzGCEHG1sLmL4i4natGFAtwn-IOjKXGxCguM8sZsbM6GhzCrB1ckWO_gLLgcJCmQC_KOMpLm8C4a_FejpBhc86tFS0IoSeVNBB7tYDIl98Vet87oPkUIVIqM/s1600/Tulip+Poplar+stump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCt8LgoadB3ZZbyjg1qg0CzGCEHG1sLmL4i4natGFAtwn-IOjKXGxCguM8sZsbM6GhzCrB1ckWO_gLLgcJCmQC_KOMpLm8C4a_FejpBhc86tFS0IoSeVNBB7tYDIl98Vet87oPkUIVIqM/s320/Tulip+Poplar+stump.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tuliptree, 4-foot diameter at ground level</td></tr>
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<span class="st">So we sectioned a few of the large chunks for bowls and called it quits. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqaJtnIILGdkR09oRdYFILStn7A2pdLmatY5hLIhVRDL9c8lQGmfRbPkT8BIP5IoXJP9Wa54YXKpVpDQTeiM-0a1dQF3cRLcSMDMFY-O1EPcl-8UpVLfz6bIp5J4lAcL6jphCd7HKP4gs/s1600/Tulip-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqaJtnIILGdkR09oRdYFILStn7A2pdLmatY5hLIhVRDL9c8lQGmfRbPkT8BIP5IoXJP9Wa54YXKpVpDQTeiM-0a1dQF3cRLcSMDMFY-O1EPcl-8UpVLfz6bIp5J4lAcL6jphCd7HKP4gs/s320/Tulip-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A hint of purple in the heartwood</td></tr>
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<span class="st">I had hoped the heartwood of this tree would yield some "rainbow" poplar pieces, which is multi-colored with hues of purple, green, brown, yellow, and black. But that wasn't to be. A few pieces had tantalizing hints of purple stain, but nothing substantial. For the most part, the bowl blanks we extracted from the scene will have creamy white sapwood and greenish-brown heartwood. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsc5fL1837tQ6MP5G4k42k_PfVpOxTRUX6VsqSID376nDTH1i0hy3WJW1vw_Zx0wQGfP2E1_wLBauxjINbIqnIhckSbS0uudQyiDo1o3aG-F7_elF__uhC3pOC0pieTeLvCjX7_t-0l6w/s1600/P1090505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsc5fL1837tQ6MP5G4k42k_PfVpOxTRUX6VsqSID376nDTH1i0hy3WJW1vw_Zx0wQGfP2E1_wLBauxjINbIqnIhckSbS0uudQyiDo1o3aG-F7_elF__uhC3pOC0pieTeLvCjX7_t-0l6w/s320/P1090505.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 35-inch bowl blank?</td></tr>
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<span class="st">With several hundred pounds of wood loaded up, we
headed home, both wondering whether or not we should have taken more
wood while it was available. That's how we woodturners think. We know we
already have more wood at home than we could ever transform into
"objets d'art" , but hey, this stuff doesn't grow on trees.</span><br />
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<span class="st">But the work wasn't over. Quite the opposite. The </span><span class="st"><span class="st">waterlogged cargo</span> had to be unloaded at home. Then each chunk had to be cut to more manageable sizes, and rough-shaped into blanks for bowls, vases, or whatever else we might want to transform them into. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESKq7GiCbr6pFoR6VyEd-8qsN5cxWtKUOX4M6wvdfXiu6q1u_-I82vDeo49lFI1Hq4giBfSDAfnzthtVaQY8CLWUrhOVKgEYZJ5cx3lriAF4KMnAML9QJj2iqgi0aLGvm7R75WxWMC40/s1600/P1090541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESKq7GiCbr6pFoR6VyEd-8qsN5cxWtKUOX4M6wvdfXiu6q1u_-I82vDeo49lFI1Hq4giBfSDAfnzthtVaQY8CLWUrhOVKgEYZJ5cx3lriAF4KMnAML9QJj2iqgi0aLGvm7R75WxWMC40/s400/P1090541.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple stain on rough-turned bowl set</td></tr>
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<span class="st">In our respective shops, Bob and I spun up some blanks on the lathe. I'm sure he's working on either bowls or platters, or both. I roughed out a set of 5 nested bowls from one 19" diameter hunk, and set them aside to dry out; when they're dried, they'll be finish-turned on the lathe. I also made a hollow vessel of another piece, again setting it aside to dry.</span><br />
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<span class="st">Five days later, I checked on the bowls I had roughed out; they were in a large paper bag, in my dehumidified basement. I was surprised to find purple stains on the rim of each bowl (see photo). It was what I had hoped would be in the heartwood of the tree, but I suspect this is just on the surface, probably a result of some fungal activity. It wasn't apparent when I bagged the bowls, so that's most likely what's causing it. But it was a pleasant surprise nonetheless.</span><br />
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<span class="st"> All these pieces will be somewhat darker when they've been sanded and have a finish applied, and the heartwood will stand out from the sapwood; at this point, the pieces look quite blah. When eventually completed, they'll be available at <a href="http://www.bowlwood.com/" target="_blank">Bowlwood</a>.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlIoUYeIA3Tfc4WTzBh5K5hOJ9uM-UXIZ9uV9f8AV4PN6k8qJy6lTIM8AfsEImN-94jaM1un60A3-1a-22CshHM_BDUN9Jp24Sz_u54cbVjcGE1bh3EizvEMmmeb90CvLlsvrbGFLgNLM/s1600/P1090536-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlIoUYeIA3Tfc4WTzBh5K5hOJ9uM-UXIZ9uV9f8AV4PN6k8qJy6lTIM8AfsEImN-94jaM1un60A3-1a-22CshHM_BDUN9Jp24Sz_u54cbVjcGE1bh3EizvEMmmeb90CvLlsvrbGFLgNLM/s320/P1090536-001.JPG" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rough-turned hollow vessel</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="st">July 16, 2013 update: </span></span></h3>
<span class="st"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The first piece of this Tuliptree lot is completed... the hollow vessel seen above. It looks a lot different with a finish on it, doesn't it? The grain is enhanced and the colors deepened. A collar of Purpleheart has been added to the top, and the base narrowed to its final configuration. <span style="font-size: small;">T</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">he wood was a joy to turn, and I'm very pleased with the results. More pieces are in the works! </span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipv3yRrQ7h2ekAK8IHOc2mmLpJ_LachZYRbPtKRgbYJlndS7EpxXI67Lxfv1YSBvXvQzUYML1k94BuD4dsvyEaJh4vv1a800wqVk99hyc45rMQV7_FzkkVqYNhk8a-ZJjk4c39uAKdDiI/s1600/HF54-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipv3yRrQ7h2ekAK8IHOc2mmLpJ_LachZYRbPtKRgbYJlndS7EpxXI67Lxfv1YSBvXvQzUYML1k94BuD4dsvyEaJh4vv1a800wqVk99hyc45rMQV7_FzkkVqYNhk8a-ZJjk4c39uAKdDiI/s320/HF54-2.jpg" width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Completed Tuliptree Hollow Vessel</span></td></tr>
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<span class="st"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The vessel is available at <a href="http://www.bowlwood.com/" target="_blank">Bowlwood</a>. </span> </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="st"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">August, 2013 Update:</span></span></h3>
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<span class="st"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> More vessels and some bowls have been completed. See them at <a href="http://www.bowlwood.com/" target="_blank">Bowlwood</a>.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">18" Salad Bowl</td></tr>
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<span class="st"></span>Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-35777676422591997892013-06-04T16:13:00.000-04:002013-06-05T19:54:06.956-04:00Old Growth Forests in Massachusetts<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">While this blog is primarily about woodturning, and the latest projects in the shop, it seems appropriate to talk about some of the places where wood comes from, namely, forests.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There are plenty of trees coming down for various reasons to keep a wood consumer like me supplied for life, so there's no need (or desire) for me to go out and cut down living trees just to get my hands on some wood. No, I'd much rather appreciate trees in their glory days.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1 - Towering old White Pines</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And, wanting to see trees in all their glory, there's simply no better place to do that than in an old growth forest. But that's not always an easy thing to pull off. So little old growth is left to be seen, since our forests have long ago been ravaged by insatiable lust for timber and developable land.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">However, even here in Massachusetts, there are small tracts of gorgeous old forest; not necessarily <i>virgin</i> forest, but old nonetheless. The previous blog post talked about Bob Leverett, widely recognized as the "eastern old growth guru". This article is a continuation of that topic, with updates. If you haven't read the previous post, you might want to do that now before continuing. Otherwise, click on "Read more" below ....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This spring, I've had the good fortune of exploring more old forests in western Mass with Bob, where we not only amble among giant trees, but enjoy some physical exertion and fragrant, woodsy spring air. It's rejuvenating stuff. We've also visited several locations to see individual special trees, or small stands with impressive ones.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So here are photos of some of those places. I may or may not identify the specific locations, but all are in western Massachusetts. I hesitate to give too much publicity to these sensitive areas, but anyone with a genuine interest in such places should be able to find out more about them with a bit of searching.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy the photos, and will be able to sense the special nature of these forests. If you do explore them yourself, please be careful and respectful, and try not to trample vegetation or do anything else to lessen their beauty or health.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here we go...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">First, photos of a stand of towering White Pines, many above 130' in height, at least 19 over 150' tall, and at least one over 160'. This forest is spectacular for the northeastern U.S., with an unusually high density of big, old White Pines. These trees are estimated to be in the 240 to 280-year-old range.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">These pines are still being researched and measured, primarily by Bob
Leverett, but those measured so far range from about 8' to 13' in
circumference at 4.5' above the ground (a standard height to measure circumference). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Photos 2 and 3 give some idea of the density of the clusters of large trees in this forest.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2 - White Pines</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">3 - Clustered Pines</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYCiswAklXlV20s8I8UvNyEgbashtIR_zHhtAR_DEmJ54QlJ91YSl2LWrOUwCmasZABu0-nkxvwzqwp-I6LLHCrwE6rHak2h8rtNfk9inwBmEbDu23wzstcGaA_8TPVgu_5r6dmOMYId4/s1600/Bryant-+WPine-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYCiswAklXlV20s8I8UvNyEgbashtIR_zHhtAR_DEmJ54QlJ91YSl2LWrOUwCmasZABu0-nkxvwzqwp-I6LLHCrwE6rHak2h8rtNfk9inwBmEbDu23wzstcGaA_8TPVgu_5r6dmOMYId4/s640/Bryant-+WPine-4.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">4- Looking Straight Up</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Number 4 is what you see when looking up the trunk of one of these behemoths. The crown is a long way up! Actually, you can't see the top of the tree in the photo, it's above those first lofty branches. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In number 5, Bob is preparing to measure the circumference of a large pine with a tape. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">5 - Bob prepares to measure circumference</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFLSflNohRg31c3NoU39t8CSAdhIVd_ZXRixugMj7Qauvfz5PJ5bhcnO2IUgg7FJoZITClq0Y-4BSvXHXQXX1sXuqMc8bFk6ECjvJerr9bntPwMPVP4WZMwKKeVCRsz12Muz_9U6r0W8/s1600/Bryant+-+Forest+Giants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFLSflNohRg31c3NoU39t8CSAdhIVd_ZXRixugMj7Qauvfz5PJ5bhcnO2IUgg7FJoZITClq0Y-4BSvXHXQXX1sXuqMc8bFk6ECjvJerr9bntPwMPVP4WZMwKKeVCRsz12Muz_9U6r0W8/s640/Bryant+-+Forest+Giants.jpg" width="478" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">6 - Forest giants in the mist</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Photo 6- A look at the giant pines of this old stand, in the mist. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And now, some of the other species in the same forest. Photo 7 is what an old Sugar Maple should look like! The moist environment of these woods produces a lot of moss, among other things.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> In #8, we see a White Ash with its toes in a small stream. White Ash trees are disappearing rapidly to the west of us, with the onslaught of the Emerald Ash Borer, now advancing into New England. What a shame.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJDRFYg9N21r6HMFE177aI-5oVHnqybsv_scpnkGvI1PJwneOTpW1PR5i7AtzzLPAmDZksaGRmHHRAbThgRIu2KoToUM11nMEeQqpXjRurCvTtnsHCUcZ5LPBwUEtq_FKzhkVO79Ls7Y/s1600/Bryant+-+Mossy+Maple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJDRFYg9N21r6HMFE177aI-5oVHnqybsv_scpnkGvI1PJwneOTpW1PR5i7AtzzLPAmDZksaGRmHHRAbThgRIu2KoToUM11nMEeQqpXjRurCvTtnsHCUcZ5LPBwUEtq_FKzhkVO79Ls7Y/s320/Bryant+-+Mossy+Maple.jpg" width="239" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">7- A mossy-footed old Sugar Maple</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhVAjkvmYjqZxMq8L5cplxuq3LYSe8krmwTpNGdfss5m4LJZRMdoUgLglNfxDVFJTeQGQgqq_7GdaiH69Pw2kUXj0omMyxHXfmuE2ZaMM-3d1LdOrWtfRe6JvZlIZIhDnhxc34gwW4Hz0/s1600/Bryant+-+Ash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhVAjkvmYjqZxMq8L5cplxuq3LYSe8krmwTpNGdfss5m4LJZRMdoUgLglNfxDVFJTeQGQgqq_7GdaiH69Pw2kUXj0omMyxHXfmuE2ZaMM-3d1LdOrWtfRe6JvZlIZIhDnhxc34gwW4Hz0/s400/Bryant+-+Ash.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">8 - White Ash on the brook</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Red maples can end up too numerous in a forest that's been cut over, lowering the diversity. In an old growth forest, they're more sparse, and can be gorgeous in their old age. Photo 9 is an example of such a tree. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">10 - Aged Sugar Maple with a lean</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7eEexCRyW06Bng09iBruvrONVZiMbWfc6xdztee_gBIYanSsK61hr0u_PufzRqkO3CXUjfb-alz7h7jl7Ex0Ktn7Mmn-0YV8zc4JAdeOfX8fsVrFX931Z2E_oT1Xlecu3Pgk20T4I-0/s1600/Bryant-+RMaple-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7eEexCRyW06Bng09iBruvrONVZiMbWfc6xdztee_gBIYanSsK61hr0u_PufzRqkO3CXUjfb-alz7h7jl7Ex0Ktn7Mmn-0YV8zc4JAdeOfX8fsVrFX931Z2E_oT1Xlecu3Pgk20T4I-0/s400/Bryant-+RMaple-4.JPG" width="300" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">9 - What an old Red Maple looks like</span></td>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> An aged forest monarch with a decided lean, covered in moss, as in # 10, somehow conveys a sense of antiquity and permanence. It will in time go down, of course. But it seems to have grace and dignity in its resistance to inevitable forces. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">What can you expect to see in a Massachusetts old growth forest? </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Much, but not all, of the remaining old forest in Massachusetts is in very steep terrain, which no doubt played a part in its survival. It wasn't easily accessible to logging of the past, and the high, steep mountainsides provide shelter from the winds. Other stands have been protected by benevolent landowners. Don't expect to find significantly old forests in the lowlands or river floodplains of the Bay state; that kind of land is just too valuable for agriculture (at least in the past) and development.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Of course, there will be old trees. You may need to become accustomed to recognizing them though. There will likely be a mix of tree ages. Not every tree will be a huge specimen. But there should be a significant percentage of them. Over the decades, as large trees go down, the canopy is opened and light streams in to spur regeneration; you'll likely see some seedlings, saplings, and all sizes of trunks up to the largest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> In a second-growth forest, you can often find some individual large trees. But, although they may be large in diameter, they tend to be few, and have limbs that begin to spread not far from the ground. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Trunks of the taller, straighter trees probably taper in diameter quickly. </span>Or, you may be looking at a single "wolf" tree (more about that <a href="http://timberturner.blogspot.com/2012_09_01_archive.html" target="_blank">here</a>) that grew on open land which later became forest around it. The forest floor will lack significant numbers of large logs. There may be remnant "pioneer" species that grow on open-land, such as red cedar, or even juniper shrubs (from pasture land).<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5aP8NuM-LubCUD2KF4O709c9ia4kbzTckxn1fQg0wOc2dVHGEANXO39Jtut1AVWQXwvxaU9yqAjwwjOmpt9iJ2r5ZIDqgOw-tCkGdCVrlsAwgpRt6vSMk1INaY-FuIltQU35VQtZc5g/s1600/Second+Growth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5aP8NuM-LubCUD2KF4O709c9ia4kbzTckxn1fQg0wOc2dVHGEANXO39Jtut1AVWQXwvxaU9yqAjwwjOmpt9iJ2r5ZIDqgOw-tCkGdCVrlsAwgpRt6vSMk1INaY-FuIltQU35VQtZc5g/s320/Second+Growth.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second growth forest</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now, compare that look with the first several photos in this post... <br />notice the soaring trunks with little taper, and lack of large, if any, limbs near the ground. A closed canopy eliminates branches below the crown.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The bark of old trees takes on a different look too. Many lose the relative smoothness of their younger counterparts, developing heavier plates. Bigtooth Aspen is an example- it develops deeply furrowed bark with age.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfwLAszRDp2YpGZNEKFS-lYW-gxJmkt-HuBA_KpTTu1_LZkvwDYWAddq4LM_5mY54erd8xq9FhMQBxQ4fzd0yZbBXKeZTUatFvJjHM8qnBzJ7kZKlm1F3ANZH7eiFQFp8N46g-dZ7GrU/s1600/Bigtooth-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfwLAszRDp2YpGZNEKFS-lYW-gxJmkt-HuBA_KpTTu1_LZkvwDYWAddq4LM_5mY54erd8xq9FhMQBxQ4fzd0yZbBXKeZTUatFvJjHM8qnBzJ7kZKlm1F3ANZH7eiFQFp8N46g-dZ7GrU/s200/Bigtooth-2.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Bigtooth Aspen Bark</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Others, such as White Ash, which have sharply furrowed, ridged bark when young, develop deeper, coarser ridges; eventually the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">sharply defined ridges </span>may slough off and flatten out. The photo below shows three different White Ash bark ages: younger to the left, old in the center, much older to the right.<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZ6E_iyF2j3seZFxJVggwVTBf2RSFHSwkEbe3FocA0dXIcSUgIABdB7y-19QSlD8MkAn9oFzZRKM8EJDTwxbzkvDcQfI-7qqxQyKciYYE19ScznyYiPxo10mq1VSuWrYppt7f7tEnfaU/s1600/Wh+Ash+Bark+aging.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZ6E_iyF2j3seZFxJVggwVTBf2RSFHSwkEbe3FocA0dXIcSUgIABdB7y-19QSlD8MkAn9oFzZRKM8EJDTwxbzkvDcQfI-7qqxQyKciYYE19ScznyYiPxo10mq1VSuWrYppt7f7tEnfaU/s400/Wh+Ash+Bark+aging.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Ash Bark- Young, Old, Older</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> A significant part of the beauty, and ecology, of an old growth forest is the random and sometimes chaotic mass of log litter on the forest floor. Wind and ice storms topple trees, or break their tops off. The fallen timber isn't "cleaned up" by man, so it may be difficult to walk through some areas due to the accumulation of downed timber. It can take a long time for nature to make a large diameter log disappear.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx4yhBdV1daK0rS3BIJ6o3LwC5jwnbxuJnBAUQVJA9ml2P2OA4lwYmXkcNRbeRGuW5vlnv3jBFq6vUwuo11zdIixtrsos7ARG86J7QdtqA4SmqsP6cyzd6U0xSF3fkfN9-GCM_FSNZ6_M/s1600/Bryant-+Forest+Tangle-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx4yhBdV1daK0rS3BIJ6o3LwC5jwnbxuJnBAUQVJA9ml2P2OA4lwYmXkcNRbeRGuW5vlnv3jBFq6vUwuo11zdIixtrsos7ARG86J7QdtqA4SmqsP6cyzd6U0xSF3fkfN9-GCM_FSNZ6_M/s320/Bryant-+Forest+Tangle-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">11 - Timber tangle</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTvMiNqMAKUQ0VscF675rPLbHUx975moGkcSiuh1M_MPME4Ez_TsYiE2MHmEL9kg248HA_dB9hdrHSDTJNmviSWDe-wi8yq5HEcz2lzNqA7vqyG094yUeaoTkIQz2neN2kT4JgNB1Lk4/s1600/Bryant+-+Root+Maze.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTvMiNqMAKUQ0VscF675rPLbHUx975moGkcSiuh1M_MPME4Ez_TsYiE2MHmEL9kg248HA_dB9hdrHSDTJNmviSWDe-wi8yq5HEcz2lzNqA7vqyG094yUeaoTkIQz2neN2kT4JgNB1Lk4/s320/Bryant+-+Root+Maze.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">13 - Root maze of windthrown tree</span></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEdnBlmOQ-27OQ6BHEIzDbq19fh6LzLz1KWCqGrAN-4ts2s8bo5FtZ4p9ukzwVY5UPywGKWOIQwRViCVsk_O0t4JvauVFWl_WJXe_iLLcDtNzCSfUVTf4Ov2K3yZiL9QwuL39VCLQ8Uc/s1600/Bryant-+Mossy+Log-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEdnBlmOQ-27OQ6BHEIzDbq19fh6LzLz1KWCqGrAN-4ts2s8bo5FtZ4p9ukzwVY5UPywGKWOIQwRViCVsk_O0t4JvauVFWl_WJXe_iLLcDtNzCSfUVTf4Ov2K3yZiL9QwuL39VCLQ8Uc/s200/Bryant-+Mossy+Log-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">12 - Log litter</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Logs and other debris are slowly broken down by the
decomposing action of fungi, returning the constituent elements to the
soil to become new plants, including trees.</span> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMl8chxDHF5ateeLTdUFDK0-82Im4Z2oralMhMcc5Lmb2igv5earfPKJcm5hMiTop9_a-hrLL-b2BIGwvb7TNooKOcmcu4_IA1fhau5X3Reqrh2oRew0MpQBDbnkvZEkoLQX7P5WNNchQ/s1600/Bryant+-+Decomposers+at+Work.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMl8chxDHF5ateeLTdUFDK0-82Im4Z2oralMhMcc5Lmb2igv5earfPKJcm5hMiTop9_a-hrLL-b2BIGwvb7TNooKOcmcu4_IA1fhau5X3Reqrh2oRew0MpQBDbnkvZEkoLQX7P5WNNchQ/s200/Bryant+-+Decomposers+at+Work.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">14 - Decomposers at work</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0382psqBqrrh92JQAsyeRHStxEzbfr6xWx0ORnUhBJbYM7zRTa_G7HWfBdpIihaNQz14eQk3aI5wq_RF_oxUnGmP140Qa3fopTcrZt8HLXkdQhsuLAtcWMtln7T9tNY-FanM92AVCHk/s1600/Bryant-+Decomposers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0382psqBqrrh92JQAsyeRHStxEzbfr6xWx0ORnUhBJbYM7zRTa_G7HWfBdpIihaNQz14eQk3aI5wq_RF_oxUnGmP140Qa3fopTcrZt8HLXkdQhsuLAtcWMtln7T9tNY-FanM92AVCHk/s200/Bryant-+Decomposers.JPG" width="112" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">15 - More Decomposition</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQA0ClVQzYfQzdsJwdnh7LTyYumJnYe083EOmo_pinY1XQbiZN8s1pYyzZ9Cfl-red2YRucXrbwllgNnUzCHzOxIQ_XEeEMWLq0FwneaxyMeJzmNw0XV2aHt3ZVVasgniN-Dmw9D8r58/s1600/Bryant-+Pileated-Beech.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQA0ClVQzYfQzdsJwdnh7LTyYumJnYe083EOmo_pinY1XQbiZN8s1pYyzZ9Cfl-red2YRucXrbwllgNnUzCHzOxIQ_XEeEMWLq0FwneaxyMeJzmNw0XV2aHt3ZVVasgniN-Dmw9D8r58/s200/Bryant-+Pileated-Beech.JPG" width="128" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">16 - Pileated Woodpecker's work</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Other organisms aid in the breakdown of wood too, such as carpenter ants, and Pileated woodpeckers, who chisel into rotting tree trunks in search of the ants. Black bears will claw logs apart in their quest for a meal of grubs too. Even freeze/thaw cycles help to break wood apart.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzd1LPVgGcFBGEI31LZzztYWDre8VpbFhdL97Wg9c2FkplX4qmLu7q07sDpVJTQqz3P9pTADoJOGAW3p5BUrs-zKcXXPqHYRYhATEcO1HGP7aU0CgHtOQ2JrRa7Gwrg6-0lEGNIRQG-sM/s1600/Bryant+-+Wood+breakdown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzd1LPVgGcFBGEI31LZzztYWDre8VpbFhdL97Wg9c2FkplX4qmLu7q07sDpVJTQqz3P9pTADoJOGAW3p5BUrs-zKcXXPqHYRYhATEcO1HGP7aU0CgHtOQ2JrRa7Gwrg6-0lEGNIRQG-sM/s320/Bryant+-+Wood+breakdown.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">17 - Wood breaks down on the forest floor</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The mounds of soil heaved up by windthrown trees are seedbeds for
tree species with small seeds. The tiny seeds of birches, for example, don't have enough stored energy to sprout and send a
long root down through leaf litter, so usually need to be in direct contact with soil. Larger seed species (think acorn)
contain greater amounts of stored energy, which permits them to sprout
and send a </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">comparatively long </span></span>root down through the duff to find
soil. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidALP-u5yzufakzNhfKTGi5v6Vk9_jALy2HC7PPSlZmYVHhBy-0SGeoOGpSbZaLifbvEpp6QNaOYlZWjifDpSGw1CHqPr-K3Dpkjc60AAI56Sh8KijT6rRZIouPbqq4PfflGDQYttC7RQ/s1600/Bryant+-+Root+Mound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidALP-u5yzufakzNhfKTGi5v6Vk9_jALy2HC7PPSlZmYVHhBy-0SGeoOGpSbZaLifbvEpp6QNaOYlZWjifDpSGw1CHqPr-K3Dpkjc60AAI56Sh8KijT6rRZIouPbqq4PfflGDQYttC7RQ/s320/Bryant+-+Root+Mound.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uprooted trees expose fresh soil</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Fallen
logs in a moist forest become saturated with water on the forest
floor, and often serve as "nurse" logs, on which new tree seedlings can root. In the forest pictured here, Yellow Birch is present, and is commonly found growing on mounds and nurse logs. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi246LoAQONkURV8XEhnpoHgT3j2_kkinrM5L-3kGFYQj-fob8usBniEjwYoIT0NODgs7fqtnz4yMO1Kn9uzn89SqtVdUaZpIBICBJYV7wyXzD5A1HGiuBTWUfvYNWEc2NRrSoOYtlIqqs/s1600/Bryant-+YBirch-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi246LoAQONkURV8XEhnpoHgT3j2_kkinrM5L-3kGFYQj-fob8usBniEjwYoIT0NODgs7fqtnz4yMO1Kn9uzn89SqtVdUaZpIBICBJYV7wyXzD5A1HGiuBTWUfvYNWEc2NRrSoOYtlIqqs/s320/Bryant-+YBirch-1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">18 - Yellow Birch growing on root mound<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZ0Ds4JYm8arLcCULu9iFLRBM25q0qxQlu23KyrZ0jQMFBWtfgEv2s3bJ1x1vjbRrW_vnNTvejh5gh9rnKFQxIGffkeAFYZIkwvyKeVRwA5VZoenon1XmushCesTtC1-FgBOZg2qcctQ/s1600/Bryant-+YBirch+on+nurse+log-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZ0Ds4JYm8arLcCULu9iFLRBM25q0qxQlu23KyrZ0jQMFBWtfgEv2s3bJ1x1vjbRrW_vnNTvejh5gh9rnKFQxIGffkeAFYZIkwvyKeVRwA5VZoenon1XmushCesTtC1-FgBOZg2qcctQ/s320/Bryant-+YBirch+on+nurse+log-1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">19 - Yellow Birch seedling on mossy nurse log</td></tr>
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<tr><td>Birches often have the appearance of "standing on tiptoes", ie, their roots seem to mysteriously travel through the air to reach ground. How do they do that?? Well, they originally rooted on a soil mound, which eventually washed away after the tree had grown enough to remain standing. It can create some pretty entertaining sights. You can often find them "grasping a rock in their talons". </td>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinz80ICW2Z2KRDOM7LmohkwihFIYcMBwDSnnbJb4XGkJmDYVMKOnIPHWynxMoM9ZIJn5D7hyCIv8-9187x-qg1sFgXAqWMZeS-ONZWcpaUYvRKdJucv3bpJcxAiOyYZ0Z74CM5vhvVjUQ/s1600/YBirch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinz80ICW2Z2KRDOM7LmohkwihFIYcMBwDSnnbJb4XGkJmDYVMKOnIPHWynxMoM9ZIJn5D7hyCIv8-9187x-qg1sFgXAqWMZeS-ONZWcpaUYvRKdJucv3bpJcxAiOyYZ0Z74CM5vhvVjUQ/s320/YBirch.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow Birch on tiptoes</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The
mounds ("pillows"), and the craters created next to them, can remain
visible for many years. Over time, this can lead to an uneven, bumpy
texture to the forest floor. Compare that to the more uniform, smooth,
flat look of a second-growth woodland, which probably was tilled farmland not
long ago. An abundance of stone walls in the woods is a sure sign the
land was in agricultural use in the last century or so, and isn't an old
growth forest (yet)</span>. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">If the terrain is not too steep, the accumulating duff</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">on the forest floor builds up, and you'll notice a soft, spongy feel to the ground as you walk on it. Moss may be visible everywhere, and there may be a variety of wildflowers, ferns, and other plant life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Large tracts of old growth forest tend to produce the purest water runoff too, due to the deep soil's ability to filter so effectively. We would be wise to keep that in mind for our reservoir watersheds. </span></div>
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In Conclusion</h4>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Maybe on your trek through an old forest you'll come upon a trophy tree you won't forget. For me, that happened when I first saw this incredible Black Cherry ... over 9 feet in circumference, nearly 100 feet tall.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Jc1z0_19m3hVjAGlyq5wAPR4u7LtsqKZdjnO1CZGhfaK7GSKu4DXjOydtHIxjxnYZQsdWxGgDE6mgST9n5p4keNPpg99gtIQJmSqSLp1l_MEgo9xKnWKvIeARMSpjBaDkm3IHQkw2a4/s1600/Bryant-+The+Black+Cherry-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Jc1z0_19m3hVjAGlyq5wAPR4u7LtsqKZdjnO1CZGhfaK7GSKu4DXjOydtHIxjxnYZQsdWxGgDE6mgST9n5p4keNPpg99gtIQJmSqSLp1l_MEgo9xKnWKvIeARMSpjBaDkm3IHQkw2a4/s400/Bryant-+The+Black+Cherry-1.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trophy Black Cherry Tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbkmWU9LL0KFdzIt1u9aE4Gz_NNX2Ln_JdexOgepLUxl-qjL4QpJc2IVj2NagPzlLHNCDOx2bhAeWI3i9as0wyNE1NirIl4m_PQe1vpVirRcTqzQnop8zCSaER6iikWUllhznivke7zc/s1600/Bryant-+The+Black+Cherry-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbkmWU9LL0KFdzIt1u9aE4Gz_NNX2Ln_JdexOgepLUxl-qjL4QpJc2IVj2NagPzlLHNCDOx2bhAeWI3i9as0wyNE1NirIl4m_PQe1vpVirRcTqzQnop8zCSaER6iikWUllhznivke7zc/s400/Bryant-+The+Black+Cherry-4.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking 100 feet up the Cherry</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">At the old growth trail's end, perhaps you'll pass through a wonderful hemlock grove such as this ...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievMtoQ6oYjS8GNtmezRmzU3LyUa1avbJPTR0VjCuZQHttuUaWlccBTD-j8XvjzXl1omSoJx7ZI5q_KfDaV_3_96mYeMRs6XfRbC6A5fKHKtFOBqc4sTjAD0_molT4U7BvLaVKG08iz_E/s1600/Bryant-+Hemlock+Grove-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievMtoQ6oYjS8GNtmezRmzU3LyUa1avbJPTR0VjCuZQHttuUaWlccBTD-j8XvjzXl1omSoJx7ZI5q_KfDaV_3_96mYeMRs6XfRbC6A5fKHKtFOBqc4sTjAD0_molT4U7BvLaVKG08iz_E/s640/Bryant-+Hemlock+Grove-2.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">You'll be hooked.</span><br />
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Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-18174593853276401552013-03-24T13:37:00.001-04:002013-06-05T07:36:20.744-04:00The Quest for the Oldest, Tallest Trees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Twenty-something years ago, I came to know Bob Leverett. I had been told he was searching for and documenting what remaining old growth forest there was in western Massachusetts. I immediately knew this was a fellow I had to meet and, hopefully, tag along with. <i>Old growth forest</i> in Massachusetts?? This I just had to see.<br />
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At that time, Bob and his son Rob spent virtually every weekend (and then some) scouring the Berkshire hill country, and other places up and down the eastern U.S., for signs of remnant old growth forests. What they found that fit that category in Massachusetts was relatively small, scattered patches that, while not necessarily "virgin" forest, had characteristics that distinguished them from the typical second growth forests that are quite extensive in the Bay State, and most of the northeast.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovzd7YeQD-SZrxco9InU5YLgbaBAPV8c-x5UvYE-BAQPKWreiIQnMjCO8YcA3guqZ99OxTTkzh_m4YkFRfYX1KM9z1Z1QmP-v5Y8wKNTSAkYiajmIpMCGXn5Bf39gACIor8mv-S5Vsio/s1600/P1080338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovzd7YeQD-SZrxco9InU5YLgbaBAPV8c-x5UvYE-BAQPKWreiIQnMjCO8YcA3guqZ99OxTTkzh_m4YkFRfYX1KM9z1Z1QmP-v5Y8wKNTSAkYiajmIpMCGXn5Bf39gACIor8mv-S5Vsio/s320/P1080338.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob propping up a respectable Black Cherry</td></tr>
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One of those characteristics, which I oh-so-quickly came to know, was that the bulk of these aged trees were rooted on land a mountain goat would be almost happy to negotiate regularly. Almost.<br />
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I vividly remember Rob, who was an energetic, athletically-built kid of maybe 18 years, scampering up, down, and across the heavily wooded near-vertical slopes like a deer, lacking the patience to slough along the trail at the bottom of the hill with his dad and me. Bob, you see, had a mission and usually a destination in mind, and would point his nose and toes in that direction, anxious to reach the goal. Rob had a mission of his own- to seek out "new"old trees to be measured and admired- but had no particular destination to constrict his trans-elevational travels. If you plotted our typical courses, the track that Bob and I took would be a fairly straight line, doubling back on itself on the return to the car at day's end; Rob's would be a dizzying zig-zag up and down the mountains on one or both sides of a ravine trail. <br />
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I'd pay good money right now to once again hear Rob's barely perceptible shout from way up there on the mountain, "Dad, you <i>gotta</i> come up here .... (muffled words) .... <b>ancient</b>, <b>ancient</b> trees... (muffle muffle muffle)..". And Dad would cast his gaze upsloap, in the hope of being able to actually see Rob somewhere up there; that failing, he'd yell back, "uhh, ok Rob, we'll come up...". Not that Bob lacked the energy or the desire to see what Rob had discovered this time, because Rob had a knack for finding great trees; no, I suspect it was just that the day's mission was being temporarily sidetracked.<br />
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And what was the mission? Bet your father's prized cigars on this: it was to measure (or re-measure) that lofty hemlock (or white pine, white ash, sugar maple, etc) up the brook a ways ("you remember- the one at 1109 feet in elevation on the side of the gorge, above the 122-foot tall pine with the witch's broom top..."). "Yes. Yes Bob, I remember the one. That was where we both stepped in that deep hole hidden under the ferns, right"?<br />
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Bob is the number one man of numbers I've ever known. He has a reverence for old growth forest, its timeless solitude, and its lack of human meddling, to put it simply; but I think his self-admitted obsession with discovering, cataloging, and (most of all) measuring the tallest, biggest trees he can locate is at least as strong a motivation for wearing out hiking boots and legs as any. He's been at it for decades now, and I dare say he can quote from memory each and every data point he's authored, and those of many others. Those of you who've had the pleasure of burning every last calorie from a hearty breakfast traipsing over the hills with Bob will back me up on that. We've all listened to him describing the variations in temperature, soil conditions, forest composition, windthrow history, etc, at each topographic contour line up a mountainside. He's a tad slower ascending the slopes now, but no less enthusiastic.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XwRyj7mC58FWHqbB4e8dc9-q0w5wLQY7zkNZATLhz8gbcyMx6ZVp87tSNYQeQiZHr5qkOUL33Xwr8TadqArQUve_HychQMnzWEW8QounxgZc2pDdn_n47qWDpngMTUjU63cOrF5Z57M/s1600/P1080346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XwRyj7mC58FWHqbB4e8dc9-q0w5wLQY7zkNZATLhz8gbcyMx6ZVp87tSNYQeQiZHr5qkOUL33Xwr8TadqArQUve_HychQMnzWEW8QounxgZc2pDdn_n47qWDpngMTUjU63cOrF5Z57M/s320/P1080346.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Measuring circumference of White Pine</td>
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Bob's toolkit of twenty-odd years ago consisted of a 100-foot tape measure, an inclinometer, calculator, pad and pencil. Determining a tree's height seemed a simple matter of basic trigonometry... measure a baseline along the ground perpendicular to the tree's base, find the angle of elevation to the tree's top, then calculate the height of the tree using trigonometry. Not much has changed, really, except for the addition of a shiny new laser rangefinder or two, which make the results much more accurate. And that's truly what it's all about for Bob. If you tell him you
measured a maple's height and found it to be133, he'd likely look at you
expectantly for a moment, waiting to hear the decimal positions-- one
thirty-three point four seven. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DmZOWJe1SPc/UU8JdZTeXpI/AAAAAAAAApg/s47H_x1EMZI/s1600/P1080244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DmZOWJe1SPc/UU8JdZTeXpI/AAAAAAAAApg/s47H_x1EMZI/s320/P1080244.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you find the very top ?</td></tr>
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Actually, arriving at the magic number of a tree's height is seldom as simple a matter as I've described. In theory it is, but in practice, it's more frustrating. The procedure works fine if the tree is standing arrow-straight (ie, perfectly vertical) in an open field, on flat ground, where you can run your tape 100 feet or so from the tree to a point in the field, and from there get an unobstructed view of the very top of the tree.<br />
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But since the subjects are in-forest trees growing on mountainous terrain, things get more complicated. Just trying to get a clear baseline to the tree is an effort. Other trees obscure the view of the treetop; even if it's visible, it's not that easy to pick out which leafy twig up there is actually the highest point of the tree from well over a hundred feet away. Then, if the tree has any lean to it (and it usually does have some), that affects the height measurement too. Imagine the time commitment involved in measuring all the significant trees in a forest stand. It can easily take a half-hour, often much longer, to deal with all the problems, and arrive at a precise calculation of the height of one tree.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2sTuLx4O0fBJaxP5sW6tzANo7xJPnBtmeU9wiIV2WySCf3O-IDCs-Oop2jvOnkO0s15hK8NIkFSwEiKfmwpfDka6d9ONXHVhQ5TrD9MnwBMszcIH2Q2krHBxTlzDvahbWz4Bsyj0O6c/s1600/P1080352-tinted.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2sTuLx4O0fBJaxP5sW6tzANo7xJPnBtmeU9wiIV2WySCf3O-IDCs-Oop2jvOnkO0s15hK8NIkFSwEiKfmwpfDka6d9ONXHVhQ5TrD9MnwBMszcIH2Q2krHBxTlzDvahbWz4Bsyj0O6c/s320/P1080352-tinted.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Odd, zig-zag bark on old white pine</td></tr>
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A forester would probably be happy guesstimating a tree's height,
with accuracy to within a few feet. With Bob's mathematics and
engineering background applying pressure, he wouldn't be getting much
sleep at night if he worked to that paltry precision. And that's part of
what's given Bob his ever-growing national (even international)
reputation as the go-to guy for information about old and big trees. A
very quiet personality belies the zeal that burns within. Few that I'm
aware of can, or will, devote the time and energy Bob allocates to documenting and advocating for the largest cellulose-based living things on the planet. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Y-wTPuzIJIpVBlnmstVYZEJv8WLUSBJSjIM7IImNMkpXtPVY7W06Kq6J2AxphhPepf9ZOdH1sprG2v9uyDfp3foDNWEbPgYCDl72yiKKPvLsXI0g533VkJqH7DUiS-5EialX3WmlnIs/s1600/P1080316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Y-wTPuzIJIpVBlnmstVYZEJv8WLUSBJSjIM7IImNMkpXtPVY7W06Kq6J2AxphhPepf9ZOdH1sprG2v9uyDfp3foDNWEbPgYCDl72yiKKPvLsXI0g533VkJqH7DUiS-5EialX3WmlnIs/s320/P1080316.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow Birch on captive boulder</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHudCeDPtijqfWaLoQKq7_YuEGI6cN8ars6uBRtRhYy_TmR068hF6EWNUrAVFUvM56lxFp-gqvEnX63C-vr_VnrtHF7zoaYdo9yhNTC4vZlLwG1Axrm7fFZ-DNPtObstR0SV7Hkm0V7Xk/s1600/P1080331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHudCeDPtijqfWaLoQKq7_YuEGI6cN8ars6uBRtRhYy_TmR068hF6EWNUrAVFUvM56lxFp-gqvEnX63C-vr_VnrtHF7zoaYdo9yhNTC4vZlLwG1Axrm7fFZ-DNPtObstR0SV7Hkm0V7Xk/s320/P1080331.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Sugar Maple</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFch9Ubje4bvYExfqiqdl-p3boiXEND0VePobzJgfs_cPVjV7pnO_TY7pUz5Xrp_USoLZCsQCeFf0lb64kV1VHbnPXRXkHZU4IJpTU1mgil4WBbOao3c60g6mtZMFpMkzIgh8651raVE/s1600/P1080336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFch9Ubje4bvYExfqiqdl-p3boiXEND0VePobzJgfs_cPVjV7pnO_TY7pUz5Xrp_USoLZCsQCeFf0lb64kV1VHbnPXRXkHZU4IJpTU1mgil4WBbOao3c60g6mtZMFpMkzIgh8651raVE/s320/P1080336.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Root tunnel</td></tr>
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I think, for Bob, this all stemmed from a love of big, aged trees, and the sense of awe, timelessness, and even spirituality that you feel when immersed in the mountainous virgin forest haunts Bob frequents. It's quiet in those places, save for the wind in lofty boughs, or the sshhhhhhh of rocky brook cascades. You feel removed from the insanity of the world while you're among grizzled forest giants, their antiquity somehow encompassing you and making civilization irrelevant.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdby0xxpvqeAdIe0DJSzYZ4NJ5Ch-bWeS8mYrbNmCXVJO54afT8Wlteq_sEkDsSpoEVpLCjSaYO8yKGP8JnlNU_nzju6JZMCDIMrghi1inrArntHWC2ADnwBUwO9NTA9-AHM57PLFkHg/s1600/P1080318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdby0xxpvqeAdIe0DJSzYZ4NJ5Ch-bWeS8mYrbNmCXVJO54afT8Wlteq_sEkDsSpoEVpLCjSaYO8yKGP8JnlNU_nzju6JZMCDIMrghi1inrArntHWC2ADnwBUwO9NTA9-AHM57PLFkHg/s320/P1080318.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moss everywhere</td></tr>
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It's peaceful, soothing, and hugely therapeutic to backpedal in time in such a place... gnarly yellow birches with talons gripping boulders sheathed in velvet moss... ferns... rotting hulks of windthrown giants... glacial boulder fields half-buried in the leaf litter of thousands of years... spongy earth compressing under your feet... new life emerging from remains of yesteryear...<br />
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Here you know the cycle keeps going 'round, with no regard for time or the vagaries of men's purposes. Rocks, through eons, are gradually weathered down to soil; trees spring from it, have their days of glory, then crumble back into the soil that gave them life. On and on. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eventually to be soil ...</td></tr>
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But there are other motivations that draw Bob and others to these forests too. Scientists are very interested these days in how much carbon a growing tree can lock up in its tissues. A towering white pine that a commercially oriented observer might categorize as "overmature" (and in need of harvesting) might appear to have stopped putting on new wood at its base. However, Bob and others have found that these trees are often adding huge amounts of new growth at their upper reaches, more so than in their basal circumference.<br />
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Bob is recording white pine heights of over 170 feet, an impressive feat for New England trees. To be fair, such heights are attained mostly in coves of steep, high mountains, where protection from wind is provided, and there's plenty of soil moisture. These coves are growing some really impressive specimens, including species such as maples, hemlock, white ash, oaks, yellow birch, and others. But so far, white pines are the New England kings when it comes to height. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcHz6kC8rKLZyziXCsLdpDrdz4on9ro7FqWLWjCUE328oT-6vmPNAfjG0xcZoZxKca-uHtpAThyphenhyphenfRP2XjuThO3Q_tu3Hyo8SeUZch63lVSGE1mrMvi5tx3F-MH8iAnhFAjuQgI5N-BMI/s1600/P1080221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcHz6kC8rKLZyziXCsLdpDrdz4on9ro7FqWLWjCUE328oT-6vmPNAfjG0xcZoZxKca-uHtpAThyphenhyphenfRP2XjuThO3Q_tu3Hyo8SeUZch63lVSGE1mrMvi5tx3F-MH8iAnhFAjuQgI5N-BMI/s320/P1080221.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob (left) teaching tree measurement class</td></tr>
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An ongoing mission for Bob is to spread the word about the trees he cherishes to as many people as will listen. And listen they do. His encyclopedic knowledge and his enthusiasm are infectious. In his own words, "I'm obsessed". Many have had the good fortune of acquiring his obsession too. A day in the company of Bob and the big trees leaves you hungry for more.<br />
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Thanks largely to Bob's efforts, and those of other enthusiasts he's fired up, many stands of now-cherished big and old trees have been cataloged, and are being protected. <br />
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I look forward to a lot more opportunities to slog along mountain streams, to lose my breath clambering up rock ledges, and to learn much more about the old growth woods of western Massachusetts from Bob Leverett, the "Guru of eastern old growth forests". Oh-- and to the perennial chuckles we share quoting Monty Python lines on the way back to the car... <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow Birch, streamside</td></tr>
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<br />Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-62973266094300771382012-11-19T14:15:00.002-05:002013-04-02T12:33:05.927-04:00What's New at Bowlwood.com<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc28QAyyBGMAB2cOB6JgTgx5V_HWKM83gJP9cLUViPXlyWVsdmoJeSoOh-_tWWn2Y00AjLYokDtiAptE_GheTN0SsNDMv_zuCB8_Sdq05ribz_WTHo9SqXC1GWeFgnaol6tZ__OK64OtU/s1600/Y184-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc28QAyyBGMAB2cOB6JgTgx5V_HWKM83gJP9cLUViPXlyWVsdmoJeSoOh-_tWWn2Y00AjLYokDtiAptE_GheTN0SsNDMv_zuCB8_Sdq05ribz_WTHo9SqXC1GWeFgnaol6tZ__OK64OtU/s320/Y184-1.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tall Yew Weedpot Vase</td></tr>
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A new gallery of wooden vases has been added to the <a href="http://www.bowlwood.com/" target="_blank">Bowlwood</a> site. These vases are handcrafted on a woodturning lathe from the most interesting and beautiful hardwoods I can find. The vases are intended to hold dry materials, such as weeds, dried flowers, feathers, seed heads, etc; for that reason, they have traditionally been referred to as "weedpots" by woodturners.<br />
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The very first item I made when starting to learn the craft of woodturning was a weedpot. I was proud of my first accomplishment on the lathe, and showed it to family and friends; they all seemed to like it, and so an obsession was born. I turned many hundreds of weedpots in the subsequent years, experimenting with every variation of form I could imagine. A major interest of mine was discovering what was inside as many different species of wood as I could find locally, and so turning weedpots filled a need to create with my hands, as well as the desire to learn.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis-dHeuYozEeZrwxJ1HWUzzHM1JqO-_6_YJ-d2uTMYC_0rTRz1BBVz7vKi4Hj625TozKOkx34dLIsFofB8TRgNIU2R-V9KiHM90A-T5Xn2hEefL02KIzTu6t2viY6tlja3-reOQsZtaXc/s1600/BSW101-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis-dHeuYozEeZrwxJ1HWUzzHM1JqO-_6_YJ-d2uTMYC_0rTRz1BBVz7vKi4Hj625TozKOkx34dLIsFofB8TRgNIU2R-V9KiHM90A-T5Xn2hEefL02KIzTu6t2viY6tlja3-reOQsZtaXc/s320/BSW101-1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bittersweet Vine Vase</td></tr>
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Eventually, I realized that making only weedpots was stunting the development of my turning skills, so I finally "branched" out (pardon the pun) to turning bowls. They had initially held no interest for me, since my impression was that "everyone turns bowls". But turn them I did, by the hundreds. Just like the weedpots.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31braV5SJafmKN9hjhHC_unCKc8pm7nPbvhLBINHf5_Um2_t4f4DIRV6eGlnTIXRqHdXVIOmGP-bLnhFwp3J83G73FhxBI1n0qjOKVe-mHVH72SNrmWUA593fkQjeIW7h_Iqu5Xi8BAY/s1600/BN46-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31braV5SJafmKN9hjhHC_unCKc8pm7nPbvhLBINHf5_Um2_t4f4DIRV6eGlnTIXRqHdXVIOmGP-bLnhFwp3J83G73FhxBI1n0qjOKVe-mHVH72SNrmWUA593fkQjeIW7h_Iqu5Xi8BAY/s320/BN46-2.jpg" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butternut Vase</td></tr>
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Somewhere along the way, lamps, keepsake boxes, music boxes, candlesticks, and scads of other things snuck into the mix as well. Today, after having taken a break from turning vases, I find I have a renewed interest in them, and that's why you'll now find a "Vases" link on the <a href="http://www.bowlwood.com/" target="_blank">Bowlwood</a> site. The latest addition is the tall Yew weedpot pictured above. <br />
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There are many more weedpots available on the <a href="http://www.timberturner.com/" target="_blank">Timberturner</a> website too, some of which can be seen in the photos along the right margin of this page.<br />
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<br />Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-91711475034398352962012-10-25T15:32:00.000-04:002012-10-25T15:32:19.806-04:00Keeping Keepsakes Safe (Say That Three Times!)<br /> <br />
A lot of my woodturning time lately has been spent turning lidded "keepsake" (or jewelry) boxes. I like to call them "treasure boxes" too, since they're so often used to protect those special little treasures we accumulate.<br />
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As is true with most of my turning, I like to experiment with as many different species of wood as I can, since I get as much enjoyment from that aspect of the work as I do from the turning itself.<br />
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This first jewelry box is made from Apple wood. It features a shallow lift-out tray for the "smalls", and deeper space beneath it. The lid is capped with a handmade pull that's (what else?) a miniature apple. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bowlwood.com/Boxes_2.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMbzVxHOLki0PZpPQaz4VYT6HvxgE7QTohR-bqmgCaGnoeZyXA1Td_2WhlA_53istXj0yNS3w6ARK1HoOM-Quwnkf9CQeuZASk98isVAoWxsebFONOlsPAgB0Foq9ealGmbPQ5GNFsbs/s320/BX90-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Jewelry Box w/ Lift-Out Tray</td></tr>
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Woodturners who make lidded boxes often take great pride in their ability to make the lid so carefully that it goes onto the box very snugly, and, when it's removed, it creates a little vacuum that makes a slight "pop". That's a testament to their skills, but it's also a frustration to someone using the box, since it requires two hands to take the lid off.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9lhaxRgchzFJ2IqMrze1OJMV1k18bbjE3D8Me9NDjLr_73MM8rwNaqPblQGvPCfvvrLg82j6ST327l_HcgZ8IAGsUJTmQ9dNl46yvG6Jgc_rU29xB3bJVdqkb6G1wdRBThKTVx3n2Gw/s1600/BX90-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9lhaxRgchzFJ2IqMrze1OJMV1k18bbjE3D8Me9NDjLr_73MM8rwNaqPblQGvPCfvvrLg82j6ST327l_HcgZ8IAGsUJTmQ9dNl46yvG6Jgc_rU29xB3bJVdqkb6G1wdRBThKTVx3n2Gw/s200/BX90-4.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lift-out tray on right</td></tr>
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I prefer to not make the lid fit so tightly; it's much more pleasant to be able to remove the lid by grasping the pull with just a couple fingers. It's a little thing, but it makes a difference when you use the box frequently. Both the lid and tray of this 7<span style="font-size: x-small;">1/4</span>" box can be plucked with one hand.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJK5ws0Ggmq0TTjLNiB7_HL1hyphenhyphenVhGyVsRoxej9fLhnZZlZqgL-NpjgDXIgmcl0HJ2xSHxUkrIYLJn9mPQJaJ425Q87a2_D8SqUH4WCFNpEMmFUsKjT3fCURiyyX9HWYZNeGhXEk-gmWf8/s1600/BX93-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJK5ws0Ggmq0TTjLNiB7_HL1hyphenhyphenVhGyVsRoxej9fLhnZZlZqgL-NpjgDXIgmcl0HJ2xSHxUkrIYLJn9mPQJaJ425Q87a2_D8SqUH4WCFNpEMmFUsKjT3fCURiyyX9HWYZNeGhXEk-gmWf8/s320/BX93-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Claro Walnut Burl (Desert Ironwood Pull)</td></tr>
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Walnut Burl has probably always been considered the "king" of American hardwoods. Here's a 7<span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span>" keepsake box of California Claro Walnut Burl, a very earthy, rich-looking wood. Its pull is made from Desert Ironwood, a fairly rare and expensive wood (but it's worth it!). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_WcMKfyDTrrG1hyhtz05QCL93KuTHeaNRWy_YnWD0ybHxpPi88MK1WGJueMx-NCvqoZhXOr1DVwLNRAFLYbIXCqi3hzLiw2BYikPkcUtUNU8Q59Fo0UHfMgZp7XRKbGBye_Mb5RG_HU/s1600/BX91-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_WcMKfyDTrrG1hyhtz05QCL93KuTHeaNRWy_YnWD0ybHxpPi88MK1WGJueMx-NCvqoZhXOr1DVwLNRAFLYbIXCqi3hzLiw2BYikPkcUtUNU8Q59Fo0UHfMgZp7XRKbGBye_Mb5RG_HU/s320/BX91-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pistachio Wood Box</td></tr>
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Staying with the "nut tree" theme, the next example is a treasure box fashioned from Pistachio wood. This wood's variegated tones and swirly grain lines make it one of my favorites. It's a hard, yet fairly easily worked material, and results in a very pleasing product. While debating what the lid's pull should be, I decided to carve a pistachio nut, so that's what graces the lid. <br />
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There are some burl woods on this planet that are highly valued, and
constantly sought after. One such wood is Amboyna burl. It commands a
respectable price, and is simply beautiful. It may be familiar to you if
you've ever had the opportunity to peer into a classic luxury
automobile that was fitted with a wooden dashboard (I'm assuming you haven't actually <i>owned</i> such a vehicle!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwczuT4T435MrY43Nuiy7hLDxY8JsWxE6mggrDTsCXjOulBWpJUTL9o3e1Wsl18_oQcZt3sTrgTqXFbLHlpq7weY5a2lAfrHumVDnQ4GKqFAs8VZnnwm2UvK117VTURUsz_rveyP9VmuA/s1600/BX92-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwczuT4T435MrY43Nuiy7hLDxY8JsWxE6mggrDTsCXjOulBWpJUTL9o3e1Wsl18_oQcZt3sTrgTqXFbLHlpq7weY5a2lAfrHumVDnQ4GKqFAs8VZnnwm2UvK117VTURUsz_rveyP9VmuA/s320/BX92-3.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amboyna Burl Box</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQJDzlCg5sku5alVZF2l0zHkZIjJNRJgAQpKwGwdG7A-KZAHGLZvqkXXGkMhcbU1eHDYGV-2K2wV8wf8wQW7LxB1QKlhnJYN8n6rTdk0YqI-JcAnqKfKpO353BMjY7TcrY3aqjCt2bgE/s1600/BX92-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQJDzlCg5sku5alVZF2l0zHkZIjJNRJgAQpKwGwdG7A-KZAHGLZvqkXXGkMhcbU1eHDYGV-2K2wV8wf8wQW7LxB1QKlhnJYN8n6rTdk0YqI-JcAnqKfKpO353BMjY7TcrY3aqjCt2bgE/s320/BX92-2.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malachite Inlay</td></tr>
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The cover atop this keepsake box is highlighted with a malachite stone inlay, and has a genuine Ebony pull.<br />
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An eclectic mix of wood species was brought together to form the next piece, a turned and carved treasure box. Appreciating trees as I do, I wanted to carve tree silhouettes into this box. That was accomplished by turning a thin tube of Slippery Elm, then piercing it to form the silhouettes. A liner of lighter colored Gingko was turned and inserted into the Elm tube. Finally, the lid was turned from Slippery Elm, and fitted with a pull of Black Palm.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxc6T3710lvHILO_5gRJIy5en1ssMQnbrtuYlLnl2n1NdrzBw2LhcCndiC3BxAUPcv7qLcZ87KinrQG-GuFZAUIU56qASKJuZR2Jk0vnFry05KY6pCg_eXBRr9MbJkJDG9hBHxPV9V8w/s1600/BX81-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxc6T3710lvHILO_5gRJIy5en1ssMQnbrtuYlLnl2n1NdrzBw2LhcCndiC3BxAUPcv7qLcZ87KinrQG-GuFZAUIU56qASKJuZR2Jk0vnFry05KY6pCg_eXBRr9MbJkJDG9hBHxPV9V8w/s200/BX81-3.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcu2CwAKhNtuXhMNZvPXkC87OM6oH7VM0ynlkIAxZV1qxdL9V_Zv6Kg6lMHwCrwLiNkbDiqYbU9yk03AHWQ4mPTy1szwAOYS5UL9RVa8POkqS5nHOPilJWWn-kEDJm9AAupT68doKzIIk/s1600/BX81-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcu2CwAKhNtuXhMNZvPXkC87OM6oH7VM0ynlkIAxZV1qxdL9V_Zv6Kg6lMHwCrwLiNkbDiqYbU9yk03AHWQ4mPTy1szwAOYS5UL9RVa8POkqS5nHOPilJWWn-kEDJm9AAupT68doKzIIk/s320/BX81-1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slippery Elm, Gingko, Black Palm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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From Australia comes a wood that's rarely obtainable in America, known as Mulga. The contrast between its deep, rich, reddish-brown heartwood and its creamy sapwood is an eye-catching treat. The wood is hard, dense, and heavy. For this jewelry box, a lift-out tray of Apple was turned, and the pull is of the same Apple.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKsOr3Azri3g5ZfPmwsJjwiqdFENq3dNlcg2usUXSMjZoTCA2jnltblIbVfUwSjGdEk1UfEhYCIUfpkBR05mJZgRupsQiiLDlbh_GQe_yTdvrl6zdfqMf-bdoC8Iu7FiTJbEgTlhGWRY/s1600/BX83-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKsOr3Azri3g5ZfPmwsJjwiqdFENq3dNlcg2usUXSMjZoTCA2jnltblIbVfUwSjGdEk1UfEhYCIUfpkBR05mJZgRupsQiiLDlbh_GQe_yTdvrl6zdfqMf-bdoC8Iu7FiTJbEgTlhGWRY/s320/BX83-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Australian Mulga Jewelry Box</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOVlhyGJU6pnlNJM-0PB-vWwFwkBAdEidAwag5IMxZvn4FClxNsAIfciXHh-zknsNS8Hb84JZTc5_JxHVinVvDbLA6b4zBLJRUKSEWvM-3CknN1ERGogsnvoX8ATrB9tRrberkKSk9bw/s1600/BX83-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOVlhyGJU6pnlNJM-0PB-vWwFwkBAdEidAwag5IMxZvn4FClxNsAIfciXHh-zknsNS8Hb84JZTc5_JxHVinVvDbLA6b4zBLJRUKSEWvM-3CknN1ERGogsnvoX8ATrB9tRrberkKSk9bw/s200/BX83-3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mulga w/ Apple Tray</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Another rare Australian beauty (there are so many!) is Jarrah Burl. Look at its depth of color and its figure in this next keepsake box. To further enhance it, the natural cracks and voids in the wood were filled with turquoise inlay; the pull was turned from a turquoise-colored piece of specially treated and dyed Boxelder Burl.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LsT6RkLXwy6ZM0uimMzyUejU1wewLRku7KxJrUaYO07QFP1JpHyKpJcK-hO_mQ9Qqye3kUxOHHgw_hsu-5VXcYSet1wjOhI8_QiyDtNI2iV88HR9zz3l3ipuOj1yQMIG7iffXKf09y4/s1600/BX89-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LsT6RkLXwy6ZM0uimMzyUejU1wewLRku7KxJrUaYO07QFP1JpHyKpJcK-hO_mQ9Qqye3kUxOHHgw_hsu-5VXcYSet1wjOhI8_QiyDtNI2iV88HR9zz3l3ipuOj1yQMIG7iffXKf09y4/s320/BX89-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jarrah Burl</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PwYcJpeyP3-m7qCU89YSkue2Hp9lxCmQCtCLTmtvNVCuTkR00jQr_WrzGJSzq51QwOpjc-REVrkcjz2f2DhVoM2DCyAhJZYMaVrn2coihSrB2a2b07M5quD_OtTVYzvz4JinStzLtHg/s1600/BX89-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PwYcJpeyP3-m7qCU89YSkue2Hp9lxCmQCtCLTmtvNVCuTkR00jQr_WrzGJSzq51QwOpjc-REVrkcjz2f2DhVoM2DCyAhJZYMaVrn2coihSrB2a2b07M5quD_OtTVYzvz4JinStzLtHg/s200/BX89-3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turquoise Inlay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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These and many other boxes are available in the "Boxes" gallery at <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.bowlwood.com/" target="_blank"><b>Bowlwood</b></a><span style="color: black;">.</span></span><br />
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<br />Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-2119750864691624062012-09-17T12:30:00.000-04:002014-09-12T16:14:56.176-04:00Wolf Trees of New England<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngKiZpVFNjDmZuWs85_YAb5-Bl2Eo0tGg6b5602ZYqbJjm0v8ZtiXV4j0lwVGezho0eB9C4-OX_B1w3KFYLlAij9j3i6tHfyXyBUvMDqVR5kT-z_Ic1mKFn69ka8vOIEgX2PXzjFTzgw/s1600/White+Oak-HighLedges-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngKiZpVFNjDmZuWs85_YAb5-Bl2Eo0tGg6b5602ZYqbJjm0v8ZtiXV4j0lwVGezho0eB9C4-OX_B1w3KFYLlAij9j3i6tHfyXyBUvMDqVR5kT-z_Ic1mKFn69ka8vOIEgX2PXzjFTzgw/s640/White+Oak-HighLedges-20.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Oak Wolf Tree Beckons</td></tr>
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Why do many of us have a fascination with "wolf" trees, those gnarly, hulking, silent, lone forest sentinels that seem to reach out to us with timber arms as we approach?<br />
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If you've spent much time at all wandering through the hardwoods of New England, chances are more than good you've come upon at least one of these remnant giants. They seem entirely out of place among the much smaller surrounding trees, trees that have little individual character of their own.<br />
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Maybe that's the answer to the question: a typical second-growth forest just tends to have a consistent look, all too often rather boring, where every tree has slim, vertical structure with most of its limbs high out of reach. There's little distinction among hundreds of trees that are a study in tall, parallel growth. Until, that is, you come upon a wolf tree, a tree with character.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Vz2EaLYdbBWTEpVeBabaN8oUMh7EBtYk-oFe141FyTgTlZruMV8PxjyKmiZq-XnZarPqiA2kFPWy82zFHX3KgY_V5x15MAbbHSTk3yTeC4v4wyqh_LSVMpeqSmFZVw2F-H0P5QTQt98/s1600/White+Oak+-+Fountain+Park-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Vz2EaLYdbBWTEpVeBabaN8oUMh7EBtYk-oFe141FyTgTlZruMV8PxjyKmiZq-XnZarPqiA2kFPWy82zFHX3KgY_V5x15MAbbHSTk3yTeC4v4wyqh_LSVMpeqSmFZVw2F-H0P5QTQt98/s320/White+Oak+-+Fountain+Park-1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grown in the open... a future forest wolf tree ?</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD1i0F4aB-Aze0DDPiff2d5fNDwwNcf_mBzIlghVTDXbqnPl8zvX-vXyhNeBwX2EPzJPYADBOz2coE4HjyYwIrT6qTgPL3B7htEihSUCZKvuW0w2yA6vcXCtAtff-WONQgH7iacNUhkBY/s1600/White+Oak+-+Mt+Tom-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD1i0F4aB-Aze0DDPiff2d5fNDwwNcf_mBzIlghVTDXbqnPl8zvX-vXyhNeBwX2EPzJPYADBOz2coE4HjyYwIrT6qTgPL3B7htEihSUCZKvuW0w2yA6vcXCtAtff-WONQgH7iacNUhkBY/s320/White+Oak+-+Mt+Tom-5.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A "New" Wolf </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Fds6y_YYbaugUcctYVz-9xJeYp0KXePItCtbjRUqSoDYc-uhXvqibfukBVJO4L8B5DhWBEnH2FULDwutAaku5VpSeq4bncOiVEHOdBL3bUgJ5bcRq9J4Pap1XsXKL6WQegZvzGsYbS8/s1600/White+Oak+-+Mt+Tom-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Fds6y_YYbaugUcctYVz-9xJeYp0KXePItCtbjRUqSoDYc-uhXvqibfukBVJO4L8B5DhWBEnH2FULDwutAaku5VpSeq4bncOiVEHOdBL3bUgJ5bcRq9J4Pap1XsXKL6WQegZvzGsYbS8/s320/White+Oak+-+Mt+Tom-3.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Oak Wolf among "pups"</td></tr>
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A wolf tree, which could be most any species, is one that stands out in the crowd because it grew in open conditions (likely in a pasture), where there was little or no competition for light. In such a situation, a tree will develop low, spreading limbs to maximize its crown and leaf surface area, thereby optimizing its ability to photosynthesize.<br />
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When the forces that perpetuated the open space are gone (eg, the pasture is no longer maintained), New England quickly responds by growing a forest in its place.<br />
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The once-lone tree soon finds itself in a crowd-- its outstretched limbs are shaded by fast rising neighbors, and enter a period of decline. Low shade tolerance causes leaf-bearing twigs to die back; smaller branches drop; eventually only the bony remains of grand limbs remain. In time, those will go too. Any food-producing leaves that can be sustained by the tree are now pretty much to be found on the upper branches, which are now directed skyward, where sunlight can still be captured.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycm1Hqlpau9_P8Hr6ABaXpKVxt90j2u8CPu9EaiVWDc7qUs0ZVggMfcRxu8Wy-KSieO9lOwqLyUvZJn9KESOLBjqEUE3koK-nOvpubOZ3nAnC9zjH9JY9PhAXspJewe1ToPMgBR2Yhrs/s1600/White+Oak-Piper+Farm-7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycm1Hqlpau9_P8Hr6ABaXpKVxt90j2u8CPu9EaiVWDc7qUs0ZVggMfcRxu8Wy-KSieO9lOwqLyUvZJn9KESOLBjqEUE3koK-nOvpubOZ3nAnC9zjH9JY9PhAXspJewe1ToPMgBR2Yhrs/s400/White+Oak-Piper+Farm-7.JPG" height="365" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gnarly Giant Among the young</td></tr>
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If the tree had attained much girth before its new neighbors moved in and crowded it, it now has the qualities that give it stature the young don't have: a much larger diameter, and low, spreading limbs (at least for a while). You can't help but notice it. Its presence defines a scale and shape that separates it from the poles that engulf it.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FuOWgCQ6ycHYodtauvhyErSQ7BZW4QfBaR1iHm2xv6RlnCP3roaXh7utMTVDkCX5EXPM7H-3Qsre0id6RXW5BoCcqwkSuOUCkZiuJi8JxVovwtq1_cDnzjn1_QyTDOMHCej5M6fuevs/s1600/White+Oak+-+Mt+Tom-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FuOWgCQ6ycHYodtauvhyErSQ7BZW4QfBaR1iHm2xv6RlnCP3roaXh7utMTVDkCX5EXPM7H-3Qsre0id6RXW5BoCcqwkSuOUCkZiuJi8JxVovwtq1_cDnzjn1_QyTDOMHCej5M6fuevs/s400/White+Oak+-+Mt+Tom-2.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Oak Wolf with green toes</td></tr>
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And that stature tends to speak of longevity and endurance. A wolf tree has dignity, even in its decline. It beckons.<br />
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And we long to hear its story. Just as our elders have earned our respect through their long years and wisdom gained, an old wolf tree similarly gains our admiration just for still being there. It's of a generation that's passing, rapidly being overrun by the new. But it has seen a lot in its day; if only it could tell us its tales.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF33jXCaPMM1VasnIZLXwKhXYtlR3odsZTM67ufD6_EWaNmMCMYXiqhzDriz7OqPHPMxw1HJSqiA-AJLt4OQ6evu42GKspc_xCpoAFxmczEZqXefYE_jieS5krvmUToyptXpfx0wy38kA/s1600/Dead+Ash+-+Hampden-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Large White Ash Wolf Tree" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF33jXCaPMM1VasnIZLXwKhXYtlR3odsZTM67ufD6_EWaNmMCMYXiqhzDriz7OqPHPMxw1HJSqiA-AJLt4OQ6evu42GKspc_xCpoAFxmczEZqXefYE_jieS5krvmUToyptXpfx0wy38kA/s320/Dead+Ash+-+Hampden-3.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Ash Wolf Tree</td></tr>
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In the Connecticut River Valley area where I live, the wolf tree species
I encounter most are White Oak (by far), Sugar Maple, Red Oak, and White Ash. New England forests are often stitched with stone walls that puzzle the newcomer. Very often, the trees will be found along those old rock fences, or along
other boundary lines. The fences were themselves originally out in the open, they weren't built in the forest. An awful lot of sore backs must have been endured by folks working the bony New England soil, assembling rock after rock into fencerows to pen in sheep.<br />
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Pasture trees were often left uncut to provide shade for
livestock; and there's an old unwritten rule that you don't cut down trees along
your property boundaries. With the wholesale abandonment of New England
farms in the 1800's, those trees became old giants in a new forest.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKBDQTww3sG_Q5nSnf3ZaueizXCWYz1jdkp3EESDJSPNRXmEKpYwin_VBsoICYLBfKDQpUtXH3JPmQc80C_XqQjpcJmiZYb15nTKgBV0i7IExJd32qWH90_G_rv_QvP6F4tEvhKVw0u8/s1600/P1110912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKBDQTww3sG_Q5nSnf3ZaueizXCWYz1jdkp3EESDJSPNRXmEKpYwin_VBsoICYLBfKDQpUtXH3JPmQc80C_XqQjpcJmiZYb15nTKgBV0i7IExJd32qWH90_G_rv_QvP6F4tEvhKVw0u8/s1600/P1110912.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Granville, MA, White Oak in stone wall. Nearly 18' circumference!</td></tr>
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Some of my fellow woodturners and I have been exploring the forests around us, in an effort to learn more about trees and the wood they supply. On each hike, we're sure to spend some time admiring the grandeur of at least one wolf.<br />
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In the photo below, Arnie Paye, Bill Leclerc, and Frank White take a few moments to rest on a warm September day... what better place than at a grand White Ash alongside the Deerfield River? Although this tree has already lost its lowest limbs (and a Black Birch has popped up next to it), it's still a welcomed sight, and at more than 4 feet in diameter, it's just grand.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNNTHsqFPh5Df8bnTIg8GQflDysw8656YTQAsGBM3Amy8ZrT576ernTakvOdvQL15dAS6Zww6Abm_G9Go72UbKUCntogaEVnOqDhwRR03fIAqCvquDnn9_VXumC2fJwhhLfo7jcWlHx4/s1600/White+Ash+-+MTSF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNNTHsqFPh5Df8bnTIg8GQflDysw8656YTQAsGBM3Amy8ZrT576ernTakvOdvQL15dAS6Zww6Abm_G9Go72UbKUCntogaEVnOqDhwRR03fIAqCvquDnn9_VXumC2fJwhhLfo7jcWlHx4/s400/White+Ash+-+MTSF.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Ash, over 4-ft diameter</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8r-XcjW55ODHAnSYgvIfg2hwP4re-aDWFYjCWgkg4PCxEQJ7XMPL0B2gnULmExLve8Nb6RyT3QVEJz95_GOu9qSnS7qbpEGsoyjWb85v3f1ZNNdaFhNbdAuTm4hHjRZKs4w0Fh5a4tqw/s1600/Split+Sugar+Maple-+High+Ledges-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8r-XcjW55ODHAnSYgvIfg2hwP4re-aDWFYjCWgkg4PCxEQJ7XMPL0B2gnULmExLve8Nb6RyT3QVEJz95_GOu9qSnS7qbpEGsoyjWb85v3f1ZNNdaFhNbdAuTm4hHjRZKs4w0Fh5a4tqw/s640/Split+Sugar+Maple-+High+Ledges-2.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill Leclerc admires giant split Sugar Maple Wolf Tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Smid5-q0IESYfcy2L0joWyTXllXW8P8JgUJC8KiOFfFC9_6N5fBR-Dw6YyD8S5DFJuvIa0JjI1iI2g4Md6Fu9lOaWZg4-Srl79aBakoq_hX06Vnk4FShPVt-sViHsN8OgygeyFkQQV8/s1600/Split+Sugar+Maple-+High+Ledges-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Smid5-q0IESYfcy2L0joWyTXllXW8P8JgUJC8KiOFfFC9_6N5fBR-Dw6YyD8S5DFJuvIa0JjI1iI2g4Md6Fu9lOaWZg4-Srl79aBakoq_hX06Vnk4FShPVt-sViHsN8OgygeyFkQQV8/s640/Split+Sugar+Maple-+High+Ledges-1.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob Labrecque just <i>has</i> to climb it !</td></tr>
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Michael Gaige, a conservation biologist in New York, studied the use of wolf trees by wildlife, and found that the trees are well used, and favored over more typical forest trees. Twenty-two species of foraging birds were drawn to them, compared to only seven species using typical forest trees. Birds also spent much more time singing from wolf tree perches than from non-wolf trees.<br />
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A number of mammal species were also found to be frequently using wolf trees. Gaige "concluded unequivocally that wolf trees are a boon to wildlife". You can read about his findings at <a href="http://northernwoodlands.org/articles/article/a-place-for-wolf-trees/" target="_blank">Northern Woodlands </a>magazine.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdR3sfGcCFDglUDnUWDb8Kzs5CaxJhj-ePMaLGTPHLCeBCaWCWR2FF-nvyn_7n0Ra3wQXffiTRXU2PGt19sE60_J7CskQNZoI_xG4PxriNvyVglSBeZG7IrioSzgkqaaNX3k3OGGaAukE/s1600/Sugar+Maple+Champ-MTSF-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdR3sfGcCFDglUDnUWDb8Kzs5CaxJhj-ePMaLGTPHLCeBCaWCWR2FF-nvyn_7n0Ra3wQXffiTRXU2PGt19sE60_J7CskQNZoI_xG4PxriNvyVglSBeZG7IrioSzgkqaaNX3k3OGGaAukE/s640/Sugar+Maple+Champ-MTSF-1.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">National Champion Sugar Maple, 18.7' circumference</td></tr>
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For many of us, coming upon a wolf tree during a hike in the woods is a very satisfying part of the trek. We're immediately drawn to it. We feel compelled to run our hands over it, as if stroking a gentle old dog who's happy to see us.<br />
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Following old stone walls in the woods is a good way to locate wolf trees. People of the past relied on Sugar Maples to provide them with their year's supply of sugar. It's not uncommon to find the trees along walls.<br />
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It was a simple process to tap the trees in late winter, and boil the drawn sap down into syrup and candy, but it was back-breaking work nevertheless. <br />
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You can still find rows of these trees here and there. When you do, you can contemplate how valued these trees were.<br />
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This western Massachusetts Sugar Maple is the national champion at 18.7 feet in circumference, well over 100 feet tall, and an average crown spread of nearly 100 feet; it's found in a line of maples along a typical old stone wall.<br />
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Some species may develop thick and deeply furrowed bark as they age. Those are my personal favorites. The oaks and ashes, among others, come to mind.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbcYEvewT6aHB9wYT6qD_yVVa4zgzh0d7s20q2yk6wsZBP0_eVK6Zbd8WKAlDfotXBkrAOnM4WWeLWMMLRUfW5dmmIiQ8wikA3J1U1THB9jS7QR7xQaovNnORDeywft_fzYoyZBaomzI/s1600/Chestnut+Oak+-Hampden-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbcYEvewT6aHB9wYT6qD_yVVa4zgzh0d7s20q2yk6wsZBP0_eVK6Zbd8WKAlDfotXBkrAOnM4WWeLWMMLRUfW5dmmIiQ8wikA3J1U1THB9jS7QR7xQaovNnORDeywft_fzYoyZBaomzI/s320/Chestnut+Oak+-Hampden-3.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deb Silva finds a Chestnut Oak Wolf</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6sqm5Bjhg3CvOowy9EZG4U7va19dCsQWiaAEBU6kjK59La5ptvdB4IqgztXlYqWGMsEdQ2luFcUf4ZF5GOqgjAIgleljvPTnhZVtc3f84zTR9DE451SUgsBVZEzsJkPaqW5PMpLkYSM/s1600/Chestnut+Oak+-Hampden-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6sqm5Bjhg3CvOowy9EZG4U7va19dCsQWiaAEBU6kjK59La5ptvdB4IqgztXlYqWGMsEdQ2luFcUf4ZF5GOqgjAIgleljvPTnhZVtc3f84zTR9DE451SUgsBVZEzsJkPaqW5PMpLkYSM/s320/Chestnut+Oak+-Hampden-2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deeply Furrowed Bark</td></tr>
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But if the best days of the old hulk have slipped away, it begins its
slow decline. A lightning strike may have seared a scar down the bole
to the roots, blowing a strip of bark off in a steam explosion, and
opening up a wound. Maybe a fire did it in. Or, it just may not be able
to thrive any longer among its competitors.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUHPBasLY1yRmHP7fwUCa05MSunMtF9s12Z4IqBn3abEV1iDwLjhqNjaIeumxQmjoSpiMoHdrqQgdLxLvUTpOqoPdMuvz4RxkRf95_V_AsfEUyuy-1GjGzIwxq-QKi-n5AKS3eJQCJuLw/s1600/Sugar+Maple+-+Mt+Tom-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUHPBasLY1yRmHP7fwUCa05MSunMtF9s12Z4IqBn3abEV1iDwLjhqNjaIeumxQmjoSpiMoHdrqQgdLxLvUTpOqoPdMuvz4RxkRf95_V_AsfEUyuy-1GjGzIwxq-QKi-n5AKS3eJQCJuLw/s320/Sugar+Maple+-+Mt+Tom-2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best days are long gone </td></tr>
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It may be tottering now, relying on a neighbor to keep it propped up for a few more years.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPi7sFmmVPL-ia_W_Rgdk-Tvs5TJpf2h7vfRpeVy06R4_37OUcQt7TwE7ahNnIeyQyOfe_oWBnxj4KlbM4kf5FpmItiV9UHB3biE7P8z-44Emv1RPoHMYyp6pltjbBNDKmJ_s6F-7f8pk/s1600/Sugar+Maple+-+Mt+Tom-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPi7sFmmVPL-ia_W_Rgdk-Tvs5TJpf2h7vfRpeVy06R4_37OUcQt7TwE7ahNnIeyQyOfe_oWBnxj4KlbM4kf5FpmItiV9UHB3biE7P8z-44Emv1RPoHMYyp6pltjbBNDKmJ_s6F-7f8pk/s320/Sugar+Maple+-+Mt+Tom-1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Wolf on its last legs - - literally!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmzgZxOVL5zwAx-U_NS-Ft1B7nnDPlnoBEPlMDFKgz0EskEaAUrHGnyRSlHlJmTEkO5T-EShMNdHRwmCH1dkHZGI9NENrKsN7u8bQqOpJKvm87eIkiNDSij5IjoTm6O0T_VPM_f1muDI/s1600/Downed+Oak+-+Hampden-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmzgZxOVL5zwAx-U_NS-Ft1B7nnDPlnoBEPlMDFKgz0EskEaAUrHGnyRSlHlJmTEkO5T-EShMNdHRwmCH1dkHZGI9NENrKsN7u8bQqOpJKvm87eIkiNDSij5IjoTm6O0T_VPM_f1muDI/s320/Downed+Oak+-+Hampden-7.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downed Wolf Tree</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Come a windy day, the wolf will go down with a final "whump !". But even then,
it will be a great attraction for me, an opportunity to examine its
massive trunk and limbs more closely. The texture of weathered wood can be some of nature's finest art, something we simply couldn't artificially duplicate. The closeup of a weathered limb below is the area in the forks of the downed Oak just above Deb's right hand (below). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCRELOv9HP0auH_mf4vRyElfpgKTZo4qZGwBifCUAgnl2Om5pEf4HUX4zaji7K6JaiLnSzeiYLAFPzy9hyphenhyphenuZBPyl1lpApsJb9Z6Ryz0sx-vFCHNJq0_OGi2i0VWXmxv5hYabXYLfGUYCA/s1600/Downed+Oak+-+Hampden-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCRELOv9HP0auH_mf4vRyElfpgKTZo4qZGwBifCUAgnl2Om5pEf4HUX4zaji7K6JaiLnSzeiYLAFPzy9hyphenhyphenuZBPyl1lpApsJb9Z6Ryz0sx-vFCHNJq0_OGi2i0VWXmxv5hYabXYLfGUYCA/s400/Downed+Oak+-+Hampden-4.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weathered Limb of downed tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKeZSAMcPkkjiyQSuHq7Ekjd1mbN4gHjKuw2MfXwbLJkSkIH-IzKmOsHZ0UzencOIRyhTsxzlUgycsEEheAl7nE90ot5_pQv7pT_Ipk19Ys-ok8XuUAhznEQKDu7XxSmR2V9Q4j6uCH0/s1600/Downed+Oak+-+Hampden-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKeZSAMcPkkjiyQSuHq7Ekjd1mbN4gHjKuw2MfXwbLJkSkIH-IzKmOsHZ0UzencOIRyhTsxzlUgycsEEheAl7nE90ot5_pQv7pT_Ipk19Ys-ok8XuUAhznEQKDu7XxSmR2V9Q4j6uCH0/s400/Downed+Oak+-+Hampden-3.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A happy Deb, in the arms of a downed Oak Wolf</td></tr>
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When you're enjoying your time in our New England forests, and you spy a lone wolf tree reaching out to you, do take a few minutes to get to know it. You'll not regret it.<br />
<br />Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8326866199342369856.post-17089277689063921102012-08-21T15:22:00.000-04:002014-12-01T20:57:32.910-05:00America's Long Lost Trees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We Americans, speaking generally, are a clever collection of people. We've accomplished so much. Yet wisdom, unlike ingenuity, seems to be a bit harder to come by. There aren't many things we can't do when we set our collective minds to the task. But sometimes, frustratingly, we tend to make the same kinds of mistakes repeatedly.<br />
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When it comes to stewardship of our natural environment, we often mean well, yet we can't seem to put the brakes on our tendency to "manage" it to the point where "the operation was a success, but the patient died." Like Charlie Swindell, the mythical financial advisor who "helps people with their money till there's none left", we keep trying to undo one biological disaster by introducing another potential one in the hope that it will fix the problem. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiinyC4Wy0yZ7YpmBaVvHtwW0Pl7PwjizbucCfbRpV-AWmWhVzQn_1HMkpMVDFgGvjlVYiAQQNYuvm-ibY18732puHIffoDG37aXytYij1BYPeXbhY1t5-QEGIlhotvW5wbhlgzVAA_pE8/s1600/Chestnut-6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiinyC4Wy0yZ7YpmBaVvHtwW0Pl7PwjizbucCfbRpV-AWmWhVzQn_1HMkpMVDFgGvjlVYiAQQNYuvm-ibY18732puHIffoDG37aXytYij1BYPeXbhY1t5-QEGIlhotvW5wbhlgzVAA_pE8/s320/Chestnut-6.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1 - American Chestnut Leaves</td></tr>
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What am I referring to? Well, what I have in mind is the fact that we purposely or inadvertently introduce non-native species and pathogens into our surroundings that have an unexpected devastating effect on species that do "belong here." Or, we alter an environment to our advantage, only to learn that our actions were a mistake; sometimes the cure is worse than the ill, and we must make greater and greater efforts to undo the cascade of harm.<br />
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This scenario is all too common. We introduce a plant or animal to control or eradicate another. Or we import a species for its benefits, often to discover, to our dismay, that it has pernicious characteristics.<br />
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But there's an effort underway now that does show promise, and hopefully will have a happy ending in reversing previous damage, without causing any further harm. Specifically, I'm talking in this instance about the American Chestnut tree, and the attempt to bring it back from virtual mass extinction.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">What happened:</span> </h2>
More than a century ago, around 1900, we unknowingly imported a fungus from China or Japan. It arrived here on Chestnut lumber or trees, and was discovered on Long Island. The Asian Chestnut trees were resistant to the fungus, having evolved with it, but our American Chestnut was not; it was completely and utterly vulnerable. In a mere three decades or so, the tree that had comprised up to 25% of our eastern hardwood forests was essentially gone! What had been an unimaginable population of some 4 billion trees was almost entirely devastated by the quickly spreading disease. Above-ground growth is killed, but the root systems persist (luckily), at least for a while.<br />
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The American Chestnut had been the predominant hardwood tree species in the eastern forest, particularly in the Appalachians. It reportedly attained trunk diameters in the 12-foot range and beyond, and heights of 150 feet; typical diameters and heights were well below those numbers. It has been largely replaced over time by various oak species (which may now be facing a threat of their own... Sudden Oak Death disease). Nut crops were huge, providing food for man and animal. The lumber it supplied was legendary in the building of America; for hundreds of years, house and barn frames were typically built of chestnut timbers. So were railroads.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqBO0r2XusFSTxBhOLOLjWiNZJ3zfkrEnmVij4jUVtN_lsp4hvefnsb2H8tOCAQAm25-1-pRPjEYVBSVnvA_9hMPVBfrbu2t3vtlO6qSfjpsSTo9AGT7knV1LTMrcQ-wNJyWGaYWTD-t0/s1600/Chestnut+Blight-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqBO0r2XusFSTxBhOLOLjWiNZJ3zfkrEnmVij4jUVtN_lsp4hvefnsb2H8tOCAQAm25-1-pRPjEYVBSVnvA_9hMPVBfrbu2t3vtlO6qSfjpsSTo9AGT7knV1LTMrcQ-wNJyWGaYWTD-t0/s320/Chestnut+Blight-1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 - Chestnut Blight Blisters</td></tr>
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The fungus enters the bark through wounds or other openings, and grows into the cambium layer, which finally kills the tree's above-ground tissues. A canker infection can be seen on the bark of infected trees; the first visible signs will be orange-colored blisters (photo 2).<br />
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The root system often has a little more resistance to the fungus, so it repeatedly sends up new shoots around the stump. However, those quickly die off as well. Sometimes they grow long enough to produce a few nuts, but that's rare. The root systems gradually lose vigor due to the lack of above-ground growth (which, through photosynthesis, produces food for the tree's growth), and eventually die off.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0QRXU4JxPcVAUwpqNciCT_WuRDez-SQjIbwt2SHa-4_HzKRkmhpvPtJrooiDA_cNR5HUBSyvWAw9BtEiva2Ogh8lNE4ZUuB3O2b8_79VW2rbinnw-yN5XZbY3QlW1Lcs0kD0Ygr_RQ8s/s1600/Chestnut-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0QRXU4JxPcVAUwpqNciCT_WuRDez-SQjIbwt2SHa-4_HzKRkmhpvPtJrooiDA_cNR5HUBSyvWAw9BtEiva2Ogh8lNE4ZUuB3O2b8_79VW2rbinnw-yN5XZbY3QlW1Lcs0kD0Ygr_RQ8s/s320/Chestnut-3.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 - Dead Chestnut Stem w/ New Sprout</td></tr>
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</h3>
<h3>
The Chestnut in Today's Forests: </h3>
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</h3>
A walk in the forest where Chestnuts historically occurred will very often reveal clumps of Chestnut struggling to hang on. Typically, at least here in New England, you will see a small diameter, short, dead trunk, surrounded by several whips of new root sprouts. The dead trunk will usually be about 1 to 4 inches in diameter (occasionally up to 7 inches), perhaps 12 feet tall. It will be a silvery gray color, without bark.<br />
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Photo 4 shows a typical Chestnut clump of today; a dead main shoot or two, with one or more new young ones sprouting from the rootstock. Chestnut wood is very rot resistant, so the dead snags persist for many years. The new shoots will have typical Chestnut foliage, which usually stays attached to the stem through the winter; that's probably the easiest time of year to locate Chestnuts... just look for the brown leaves still on the twigs (they can be confused with American Beech trees, which also retain some of their leaves in winter).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMe74p7FsYRchhhapbqkyLrFNhIZX3yZOjIo2Hs_f7cPOcRlQR1IEhhXHUemoxO0p2Sq-mXV0kfRBogVNQazaZjGgcoGdMMw7Y4dwfGsyasNJhU43UghnATjmKfxXX7IemGx5hKTQ873g/s1600/Chestnut-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMe74p7FsYRchhhapbqkyLrFNhIZX3yZOjIo2Hs_f7cPOcRlQR1IEhhXHUemoxO0p2Sq-mXV0kfRBogVNQazaZjGgcoGdMMw7Y4dwfGsyasNJhU43UghnATjmKfxXX7IemGx5hKTQ873g/s320/Chestnut-1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4 - Typical Chestnut of Today</td></tr>
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Because of Chestnut's highly rot resistant wood, dead giants of the past stood for a long time. When they did eventually fall over, they persisted on the forest floor for decades, very slowly fading to dust. Today, I still find their remnant hulks on the forest floor. Although they died nearly a century ago, to the experienced eye they can often be immediately recognizable. The wood weathers in a particular way, leaving long, parallel fissures along the length of the silver-gray trunk and limbs. Sections that are still elevated off the ground are especially long lasting. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPU7z9u_4prgu8wKqrPc3UMibw1mHxovwcfTXW1JUNygP1Fle2YDQTYudj2KkW3pBnJvZVRHpZjtm1npm4jpdcmnNou-pDiwk9pWA3IW_T7n9wRUvNQVbKN__Pf4bjFskx2ASgjNSnJY/s1600/Chestnut+-+Mt+Tom-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPU7z9u_4prgu8wKqrPc3UMibw1mHxovwcfTXW1JUNygP1Fle2YDQTYudj2KkW3pBnJvZVRHpZjtm1npm4jpdcmnNou-pDiwk9pWA3IW_T7n9wRUvNQVbKN__Pf4bjFskx2ASgjNSnJY/s400/Chestnut+-+Mt+Tom-1.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5 - Rotting Chestnut Log</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGA73QEOk5T48p36QyimgcPD0cdBweNYdvXa89cPveW-4tOqTwZivjQjGM32_OhTgVcEqe60eDmZ-oUaNkExlDQOQKDJUWa0_Q_xkjAuqBj4QFnNhTdxhjCWUk1SCvP71HFoaq_NiNj_U/s1600/Chestnut+-+Mt+Tom-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGA73QEOk5T48p36QyimgcPD0cdBweNYdvXa89cPveW-4tOqTwZivjQjGM32_OhTgVcEqe60eDmZ-oUaNkExlDQOQKDJUWa0_Q_xkjAuqBj4QFnNhTdxhjCWUk1SCvP71HFoaq_NiNj_U/s320/Chestnut+-+Mt+Tom-8.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6 - Chestnut Upper Trunk</td></tr>
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Photo 5 shows such a log, looking from the butt end toward the upper branches. That long mound of brown material is what's left of the rotted trunk. But notice that at the far end, some limbs remain, because they've not been in contact with the soil as long; while the trunk was still intact, it kept them elevated. Now that it's gone, the limbs are on the ground and will rot more quickly. <br />
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Here in western Massachusetts, these old relics tend to be found on drier hillsides and ridges. I'm sure most people pass by them totally unaware of what they are.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaobU-R6AyrHmiCKRprKPDkrn7Efrrje1fXAsenrM7I2-273kDRWGsg6MxHvWTVRFaev0zmu_KRA-K8N9iy6BXHYmV48SLKs8gjbMZTlaEHHNE_RdNIu7hTv925WPWFH0usMdoWYBK_-o/s1600/Chestnut+-+Mt+Tom-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaobU-R6AyrHmiCKRprKPDkrn7Efrrje1fXAsenrM7I2-273kDRWGsg6MxHvWTVRFaev0zmu_KRA-K8N9iy6BXHYmV48SLKs8gjbMZTlaEHHNE_RdNIu7hTv925WPWFH0usMdoWYBK_-o/s320/Chestnut+-+Mt+Tom-4.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8 - Parallel Weathered Furrows</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7D401EonT1myquBT0xoFSNJ6JDsyR4z6CrJmxrBGimMnv4C5jsr-EiD75XFHdBt3Uwzxb-PZL9uIaOBB8mGpfWIsxLX5U2-nnGpst9gXhI7AJqDR3EV6hOW1QoQvR-oQgMg7Ws7AUn4/s1600/Chestnut+-+Mt+Tom-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7D401EonT1myquBT0xoFSNJ6JDsyR4z6CrJmxrBGimMnv4C5jsr-EiD75XFHdBt3Uwzxb-PZL9uIaOBB8mGpfWIsxLX5U2-nnGpst9gXhI7AJqDR3EV6hOW1QoQvR-oQgMg7Ws7AUn4/s320/Chestnut+-+Mt+Tom-10.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">9 - Limb Crotch Section</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFOv7BDoMYJztuQdiz8Jlj0wHKm7S3bJE6oGPu12mGxLjgSGcOhorz14uP6jTuxCtBLDeikB3MiK0zgC8dzHt_8d0AZqrzHwEA6JniwbEp0Iy9oyuKRWZPdtkpMYsDnKd0vw6thefhKiY/s1600/Chestnut+-+Mt+Tom-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFOv7BDoMYJztuQdiz8Jlj0wHKm7S3bJE6oGPu12mGxLjgSGcOhorz14uP6jTuxCtBLDeikB3MiK0zgC8dzHt_8d0AZqrzHwEA6JniwbEp0Iy9oyuKRWZPdtkpMYsDnKd0vw6thefhKiY/s400/Chestnut+-+Mt+Tom-11.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10 - Trunk, Branch and Collar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnWICNQxmd1oQQlv21ZlC3vh6fbqeeYVmKadsalyl1n6td-iuxKRDLBGy6Frj7-_GzgUa8_727A4mqGCmDi21cIYWw4t4gNZc4kpEiEk0cmRvtJ3I-tLHJlDecfyShXA_K3jnyqI1n-8/s1600/Chestnut+-+Mt+Tom-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnWICNQxmd1oQQlv21ZlC3vh6fbqeeYVmKadsalyl1n6td-iuxKRDLBGy6Frj7-_GzgUa8_727A4mqGCmDi21cIYWw4t4gNZc4kpEiEk0cmRvtJ3I-tLHJlDecfyShXA_K3jnyqI1n-8/s320/Chestnut+-+Mt+Tom-2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7 - Limb and Trunk Intersection</td></tr>
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<h3>
Still Graceful and Beautiful:</h3>
Click on the photos to enlarge.<br />
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While the small, resprouting shoots are very commonly found, the resting remains of larger fallen specimens are not all that easy to find in New England.<br />
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Photos 6 through 10 are what to look for if you'd like to find some Chestnut. Notice in particular how the weathered wood is deeply eroded longitudinally, leaving parallel ridges of gray wood. That's very characteristic of Chestnut.<br />
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Usually, these remains are hollow, so there's no significant amount of usable wood left (at least in the acidic New England forests), just thin shells of trunk and limb. On occasion though, I've found pieces large enough to make rustic vases. Since these trees were killed off some 80 or more years ago, their remains have persisted that long. Quite often, only a small amount of limb material is left, and may not earn a second glance. But sometimes you'll find a long section of trunk, invariably hollowed, and typically collapsed down on itself.<br />
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I find many of these hulks to be quite beautiful in their final glory, seemingly pleading with eloquence and grace to be remembered...<br />
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<h3>
The Chestnut is Not Forgotten:</h3>
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</h3>
Fortunately, there are a lot of Americans who feel as strongly about the loss of Chestnuts as I do, and they're actually doing something about it.<br />
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The American Chestnut Foundation (<a href="http://www.acf.org/" target="_blank">TACF</a>) is an organization that is working to restore the American Chestnut to its former status in our forests.<br />
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Through a program of hybridization, volunteers across the country are succeeding in breeding blight resistance into the trees. The time-consuming process begins by crossing blight resistant Chinese Chestnuts with American Chestnuts. The goal is to introduce the blight resistance genes of the Chinese trees into the American. But they also don't want to lose the genetic makeup that defines the American version, so they back-cross generations of resultant trees to remove Chinese traits, except the blight resistance. It's a very time-consuming process, taking years to produce a resistant tree that's almost entirely American Chestnut.<br />
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After 28 years of effort, TACF now has some potentially blight-resistant Chestnut seeds that you can buy (with membership in <a href="http://www.acf.org/" target="_blank">TACF</a>) and plant, to become part of the experiment.<br />
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Once you find some of these beautiful old relics in the woods, and you take the time to give them a close look to appreciate their lasting beauty, you may be moved to plant one of your own. <br />
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<h3>
In Conclusion: </h3>
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This story is not over. It remains to be seen whether or not the American Chestnut will be restored. Probably no one reading this today will live long enough to see a mature specimen. But there's hope, and things look promising. A lot of dedicated and knowledgeable people are working hard on the project. Thank you to all who are.<br />
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What's still disturbing is that so many of our tree species (not to mention animal and other plant species) are facing the same possible and actual decline.<br />
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Elms are falling rapidly to Dutch Elm disease, and are largely gone.<br />
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Hemlocks are disappearing due to the Wooly Adelgid insect.<br />
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Ash trees are facing the Emerald Ash borer disaster.<br />
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The Asian longhorned beetle is causing massive problems (the city of Worcester, MA, had to cut down and destroy thousands of trees to try to contain the spread of the beetle).<br />
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Oak species (and a long list of other plants, including rhododendrons, azaleas, maples, Sequoia, blueberry, beech, etc, etc, etc) are susceptible to Sudden Oak Death. First found in California, it's already been trucked to the east coast. Northern Red Oak, a hugely important species that largely replaced Chestnut, is potentially threatened.<br />
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That's just a partial list, a very shortened list. Many municipalities have banned the transport of wood into their jurisdictions, in an attempt to prevent the spread of destructive organisms. In some areas, boaters must wash their boats before putting them in certain bodies of water, to remove insidious organisms. We keep hearing of biological pests being introduced to this country from cargo ships, pallets, etc.<br />
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So, while we've become much more aware of these problems, they continue. Our globalized commerce is accelerating the spread of exotic organisms, and is already having major ecological effects. Pythons in the Everglades. Zebra mussels in the Great Lakes. Killer bees in the South. Kudzu vine. And so much more.<br />
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My hope is that the efforts to restore the American Chestnut tree will be a success. Not just in the sense that the trees will be out there again, but also in the sense that there won't be unintended ill effects.<br />
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I wish I could live long enough to take a snooze on a glorious autumn day, in a western Massachusetts forest, under the wide canopy of a grand American Chestnut.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zmKJK7rweDbnrBnzv_DmsqWBP_9Rw2rXS4QQK5aFpuqUhEB0L9shSH1aUh0jqipoUAFAoOq3p2wicnZfSfCKzIh_954tL-OAGMhrG7r24_gKDdhW8I0s75GywHQulQBU3oI0eK49900/s1600/CH9-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zmKJK7rweDbnrBnzv_DmsqWBP_9Rw2rXS4QQK5aFpuqUhEB0L9shSH1aUh0jqipoUAFAoOq3p2wicnZfSfCKzIh_954tL-OAGMhrG7r24_gKDdhW8I0s75GywHQulQBU3oI0eK49900/s320/CH9-2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">~~~ ** ~~~</td></tr>
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Ray Asselinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956976821719026463noreply@blogger.com0