Mushrooms

Mushrooms sprouting in the pine straw.  This looks great after the fall drought that stressed the trees and caused so many to die.  On Dewberry Lands we fared fairly well, just loosing a few in the fall and these late spring rains are great before summer.  We hope it continues to rain through summer and fall.

Women's Walk in the Forest 2017

 Yesterday, Dewberry Lands welcomed women of all ages to the property for a fun and educational day.  It started with a welcome to the ladies followed by a trip to the "Woods" for a short walk.  Some of the history of the property was shared by Lamar and Felicia.

Ekan Duts Ke, what does it mean? 

This was followed by a short talk by Leigh Peters, a forester and director of the Alabama Tree Farm Program. 

Memorie  English a representative with the American Forest Foundation was in attendance for the walk. 

New friends interested in forestry were made.

After the walk Gloria Neilsen with the U.S. Forest Service over the Talladega National Forest in our area and also a forester spoke about the National Forest and her roll as the ladies looked over the view of the forest from Dewberry Lands.

After returning to the lodge a nice meal was shared by all the participants.  

This event was made possible by a grant from the Alabama Forest Forever Foundation, help from the Alabama (Clay County) Forestry Commission and the Clay County Forestry Planning Committee.  

Camping 2017

We arrived at our campsite and the youngest grandchild is checking out the area.

 Food is just better when you are  camping.

These girls are enjoying the outdoors.

The two tents are near the stream for natural music and a great place to play,

The boys like roughing it in the outdoors,

And when night comes it is so peaceful listening to all the night sounds as the fire flickers.

North Entrance

We are in the process of landscaping the north-side entrance to our property.  Nathan, our son who is a landscape designer for R & R Landscape, chose the plants for planting.  Our daughter Abby, also a horticulture graduate, helped with the plantings.  We used rock from the property, split cedar for the rail, and of course pine straw for mulch.  

Spring Work

It is Eastern Blue Bird nesting time!  My grandson and I worked last weekend installing eight bluebird houses on our property.  I am thankful for this little man who's out helping me with the improvement of non-game animals habitat.  

And then there is  other work:

Last week I started painting and repainting boundary lines on our property.  That day I walked 12 miles but it was not all painting but most of it was.

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!