Road Work For Thinning

We are getting started on road work for the thinning of sixteen year old loblolly pines.

Fun in the Forest

We had a great time in the forest this weekend exploring a new parcel of property

we have been blessed to purchase.  The Grandchildren had fun hiking, climbing trees, catching salamanders and frogs. 

Our youngest granddaughter is a daredevil.  "Who needs an amusement park when you have a forest?"

No better way to spend an early spring day than hiking in the woods!

Tree Planting for the Future

Today we finished planting our newest parcel in Mountain Longleaf Pines.  I may not see these trees to poles but someone one day will enjoy walking through this forest and hear the breeze blowing through the needles.  In longleaf pines you can hear a special noise that comes from the breeze in a mature stand of mountain longleaf pines.

Split Fence From Trees on Property

Landscaping entrance to our property

Lots more work to do but this past Saturday my wife and I worked on our fence.  We had an old dead red cedar on this place that came down when we did a prescribed burn here preparing for longleaf pines to be planted.  The tree was almost all heart and it was a good size.  I cut the pieces about 10 to 11 feet long then used two wedges and a maul to split the logs.  It took lots of work but it was refreshing to get out on a warm February day and work hard.

130 Wildflowers On Dewberry Lands

130 different wildflowers have been identified, photographed, and added to the "Wildflower" tab on this page.  All of the pictures of these flowers have been taken on Dewberry Lands.  When I set out to document the wildflowers on our property I had no idea I would find this many flowers there. This picture of a Red Morning Glory was the last one I added to "Wildflowers".  I took the photograph in early November.  

Cool Weekend

                          

This weekend everything was frozen over on Dewberry Lands.  Temperature was in the single degrees and before the cold, was freezing rain.  Thank goodness the rain changed to sleet before the trees started to snap.  The weather made for a beautiful picture but the driving required a four-wheel drive to travel.

Our Bear

Saturday I was working on tree-stands and saw our bear was back on our property.  This is the second time in three years we have been able to document the bear on our property, and a possible third time a few years back when I walked up on something in the dark one morning that could have been a bear but I still can't identify what that was that morning.  

I noticed a large rock rolled over into the firebreak/food-plot under a tree that was dropping acorns.  I thought, bear, when  I saw the rock had been moved. I finished work on the stand and started out the firebreak several steps from where the rock was moved and I looked down in the dry soil and saw the track.

I hope I can see the bear this winter and get a picture of it.