Random Hits

It was great to see Dad back in the woods this weekend as we checked on and made repairs to our tree stands.  It has been about two months since Dad had his stroke.  He is a little slow but getting ready for hunting season is good therapy for him.

Last post I had a tree oddity on our property with a huge burl.  This post I have included another on our property.  Are these two trees joined by a root or a limb? Click on the picture to see it better.

I just finished teaching another hunter safety course with the Alabama Game and Fish.  Officer Rowell is seen here teaching part of the course.

About two weeks ago we had fifth graders out on our property for 2012 Classroom in the Forest.  They were good students and really paid close attention to what we had to say about the forest.  Mattie, our granddaughter loved sharing her forest with the boys and girls.

She is only two but she thought she was as big as the fifth graders. 

Thanks to all the volunteers that made this day a success! 

Alabama Forestry Commission and the Clay County Forestry Planning Committee

Random Shots

One of the trees on the property with a huge burl.  I found another strange tree growth last week and I am going to make a picture of it and add the picture soon.

Power line right-of-way bush-hogged and planted for wildlife.  Not all the right-of-way is cut in order to give wild coveys of quail cover.

This is the results of a summer planting of Lab-Lab under the power line.  The deer constantly are eating the leaves off the plants only leaving the stems.

My grandson and I found this pick on our property where the old railroad bed is that goes through our property,  There was no wooded handle left but the metal pick still survived.  This railroad was built close to 120 years ago.

Field Days

You could have a field day here on Dewberry Lands but this was not the type of field day I am referring to.

Felicia and I attend the field day on Mr. Bobby Jennings property.  It was well attended and very informative.  It was sponsored by the Natural Resource Outreach Committee of which I am apart of.

The next day we were at the Treasure Forest Association State Meeting in Centre.  We stayed at the Chattokee Plantation owned by Harlan Starr.  Harlan serves on the Board of Directors for the Wild Turkey Federation.  This is a beautiful place Harlan has put together.

At the ATFA banquet that night one of our own from Clay County received an award, Nic Jordan with the Alabama Forestry Commission.  Nic was well deserving of this award.  He is the best of the Alabama Forestry Commission, we are lucky to have such a fine young man in our county.

Some of our speakers at the meeting spoke about quail habitat.  On this stand of five year old longleaf pines we saw two coveys while finishing up planting green fields.  It is amazing how quick changing the habitat can bring back the quail. 

Fall Work

 We have been busy preparing our fall wildlife openings.  Jay and Abby have really helped me out this year with food plots and in firelanes.  This lane is next to forty acres of longleaf pines that are one year planted and fire will be run over them this winter.  We are seen some good bucks in areas that are planted in longleaf pines.  

Happiness is riding the four wheeler and playing in the branch while mom and dad are working. 

The sawtooth oaks and mountain chestnut oaks are dropping acorns now and the wildlife are really enjoying this.

The ground is covered with acorns.

There are lots of caps on the ground where the acorns have been eaten by the deer and turkeys.

Saturday we found this tree that a buck had worn out.  He had pushed the tree over and had rubbed it all over.  You can tell he has a sticker rack because his antlers really chewed the tree up.  Good one!

This is another sighting I found.  This buck had already made a scrape and broke the limb off above it.  This is really early.  I first thought it was turkey scratching but with further observation and looking at the limb above it confirmed it was a scrape.  It looks like a good season coming up!

Random Shots

Doe this morning at the lodge watching us unload supplies.  I also saw two large bucks this afternoon while checking on property.  They are enjoying the hint of fall in the air

Pawpaw pulling a cedar log out for use in the lodge construction.

The kitchen in the lodge where some of the cedar off of  Dewberry Lands has been used.

A castle I built out of wood for Selah.  She and Mattie really enjoyed playing with it.

Some baby turtles we rescued from dirt at the lodge where we were working on landscaping.

They were released at a small stream just below the lodge on Dewberry Lands. 

The top of the cell tower being installed on the land.  This is the light that will be on top.

It was finished today, 320 feet.

Surprised!

I was surprised yesterday when I checked the mail.  I had this publication in the mailbox that goes out to all Tree Farm owners in the U.S. and I always open it up and see what articles are in it and read many of them. I hastily flipped through it and there next to the last page was an article about "Keeping the Forest in the Family".........

and there was a family of five generations pictured in this publication that I knew.  There was not any mention  of our names just the article.  I thought this was so neat that we were the family they used to stress the need for our government to do what it can to help "Keep the Forest in the Family".

Busy, Busy, Busy!

It has been a busy time this summer.  There are random pictures on this post of some of the things we have been doing.  A few weeks ago we were in Nashville for the Farmers Federation Presidents Conference.  We stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and got to attend the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night.  This will be my last presidents conference because I am about to complete my five year term.  This will take some of the pressure off of me for a while!  

Last weekend we were in Mobile for the Farmers Federation Commodity Conference.  We were on the forestry tour and visited Weeks Bay Estuary.  This was very interesting seeing how important this bay is to sea life.  It was amazing to me that the bay averages only 4 feet, this was brought out in the presentation when we were out on the bay in a boat.  I recommend anyone that can visit this educational site to go there and see what weeks bay has to offer for young and old.  

We learned more about cogongrass and the trouble with it.  I hope it stays in south Alabama.  There was a fire tower at the the Baldwin County Forestry Commission Office that I had to make a picture of because these are fast becoming a thing of the past.

At the conference Lisa did a tablescape promoting the Wildlife. 

This is a picture I made the other day as three planes flew over Dewberry Lands.  There was a tanker refueling two C-130's.  They changed places over the land from one being fueled to the other.  It was neat seeing this actually happening.

This is why I am behind on updating the blog.  We are building a lodge where we can spend time and have family, groups, or just a place to relax.  My goal is to add educational exhibits in the lodge to teach about nature.  We are so excited about this project.

One final note.  While working on the lodge we were able to buy SFI wood.  What is SFI certified wood?  It is the certification of the wood we grow and most all the wood in Alabama that is certified is SFI.  When you buy wood or paper look for the SFI logo that is in the picture below.  Certified Tree Farms are SFI certified.

During this busy time I was able to get a peaceful picture in our backyard after a summer shower.  I am so thankful for our forest.