Earth Magic

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Wednesday, May 30, 2007

A Shot From the Highway

There is about three acres to mow here, which takes a little over two hours. The hill I'm standing on has to be weed-eated, too. The high stuff on the left is ours, too- almost three acres of it. A small creek borders our property, which could conceivably irrigate this bottomland or feed a pond. We... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Put THIS in Your Pipe and Smoke It...

This is wooly mullein ( Verbascum thapsus ). It grows alongside ditches and on steep banks in this area. A stalk grows out of the center when mature, reaching 6 feet or more with stark yellow flowers along its head. Mullein is one of the best anti-tussives there is. Smoking mullein leaf not only has... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, May 28, 2007

A Pic of My Dad From His Secret Days in the Air Force

This was taken in the late 40's or early 50's. My apologies for the blurriness. My dad is on the far left. Now, Dad did some time in the Pentagon in the late 50's. He also worked at a highly secure area at Barksdale AFB, LA, in '55 or '56. He never told any of us what he did during those years- not... Sign in to see full entry.

A Dapper Young Lady

When clearing the property in 2001, I let a sapling stand, not knowing exactly what it was. Six years later, this same tree has grown twenty feet tall and is bursting with life. It is a Prunus serotina (black cherry). Many locals here call these trees "wild cherries." This tree is a female, which... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

A View of the Property

Sometimes, I forget how beautiful it is around here, especially early in the morning. We have nearly 6 acres- 3 of which is untouched. I'm thinking of growing either grapes or muscadines. Dream big, right? Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, May 25, 2007

A Bird's Eye View

It is surmised that there are 100 black bears roaming the forests of Patrick County. This is a shot of Kibler Valley, which itself is home to a plethora of wildlife and scenic wonder. Here I stand on the precipitous slopes of the Eastern edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which ascends more than 1500... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Cornus United

For the better part of the year, this union of two trees appears as one. At first glance, the two trunks intertwined aren't immediately apparent. Yet, as they effloresce, a striking scene of beauty unfolds. Cornus florida (American dogwood), and Cornus kousa (kousa dogwood) are seen here. The inner... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Handsome and Well-Built!

Gosh! He's pretty enough to do modeling, isn't he? Who said pit-bulls weren't pretty? Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

To The Park We Go....

I promised the boys I would take them to the park this morning, if they behaved last evening. I had to wash the vehicles and work on my stump grinder. Cameron told me that they were perfect little angels. Slowly but surely, I am learning the secrets to getting what you want with kids. This picture... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Forgiveness

My wife Cameron came down with this stomach virus earlier in the week. Sometime around Monday, I began watching the kids round the clock, while she laid in bed moaning and having embarrassing bouts of uncontrollable GI distress. I decided to go to work on Wednesday, leaving her here to manage as... Sign in to see full entry.

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