Flu 2011 style

So we return to a snowy cold Ohio from the first mini vacation of 2011 and
I get sick. I mean really flat on your back for 3 days sick.I got a flu shot last year and Steve got the flu while I didn't. This year Steve got a flu shot and I didn't. So far he has avoided getting sick but maybe that is because he avoided me for the last week. Says something about how grouchy I have been.

Pretty much back on track now and starting to focus on the new routine of regularly working out again. This time of year is great because there are so few distractions.

I took my second tree walk this week and the second tree I encounter from the back yard is a Bradford Pear tree. Here is everything you ever needed to know about this tree.


Bradford pears are a variety of a pear native to Korea and China, but it wasn't until 1963 that the USDA introduced the variety commercially. Pyrus calleryiana, "Bradford"


The tree was supposed to be the perfect street tree, with profuse early bloom, a restricted pyramidal shape, and good fall color. So many landscapers, urban planners, and homeowners agreed that today it can be found almost everywhere.

 The tree can grow to be 30-40 feet tall. It is covered with beautiful white blossoms in the spring, and in the fall can have many splendid colors from red to orange and dark maroon. The fruits are not edible by humans but are a favorite of birds and squirrels.



A Bradford pear tree will grow well in almost any type of soil and generally is not bothered by pollutants or pests that affect many other trees. It likes to grow in full sun and is not bothered by either drought or too wet soil. In part because of their branch structure, however, the trees start to have problems with wind and snow damage as they age. This can cause them to break apart when they start to be in the range of twenty years old.

 Unlike most other pear trees this form is grown mainly for its ornamental features. The showy, white flowers appear during spring growth, often before the leaves. In contrast to their appearance, however, the flowers have an unpleasant odor. In autumn the leaves turn bright red to dark red before falling. The fruits are small and round, less than 1 inch in diameter, hardly resembling the traditional pear in appearance. While on a tree they are hardly visible, being hidden by leaves.But the relatively short life span (about 25 to 30 years) makes it necessary to replace individuals more frequently than with most other street or screen trees.

First short vacation of 2011

Steve and I had the pleasure of visiting our friends the Purewals in Scottsdale, AZ. last weekend for a little golf and sunshine. When the idea originally started we were planning on watching Ohio State play in the BCS National championship. Of course by mid-season  we knew that we wouldn't have to worry about trying to find reasonably priced tickets for the game but going to Arizona in January for a little golf still made sense. The only mistake we made was planning the return trip the day after the game. The airport was filled with Oregon Ducks and Auburn Tigers. We also flew into a major winter snowstorm in Detroit. The drive home was dicey with several cars in the median of Interstate 275 and 75,

Safely home now and getting back into the new years resolutions. Shovelling snow really works the shoulders and triceps. Next week we pick out a new tree to study and hope I get a new bird to learn about. Everyday now is closer to golf season and the days are getting longer. I sure wish they would get a little warmer.

Happy New Year from the students at Brandeis

Here's a look at some of the students that Jessica is studying with at the Brandeis International Business School. And yes that is Jessica at the end. I am sure she is not the only USA student but she may be the best looking one!
Just got this in the email today, so since she did not mention it I didn't know it was coming. Very cool!

http://vimeo.com/18380337

January 2, 2011

What a disappointment watching football yesterday. The big 10 really looked awful! Last chance hopefuls will be the Buckeyes on Tuesday night. I am not holding my breathe after the display from the big ten yesterday. Unfortunately it dropped me into the middle of the pack standing on the bowl pool. I guess I won't be staying up late watching unknown collegiate teams play bowl games anymore this season.

I got a bird house for Christmas this year and also a suet feeder from a friend, along with a bird identification book. My bird house will not go out until spring but I hung the suet feeder up this week. My first bird was a female Downy woodpecker. Here she is. I'll have to practice getting closer to take better bird pictures. The male of this species has the traditional red woodpecker colorings.

Happy New Year 2011

Happy New Year. We celebrated at midnight with good friends and hope to continue life with good friends and good health throughout 2011. I wish the same to all.

Trees! I am going to start the year learning local tree identification so that when AJ and I walk around the golf course I can show him different trees and show him how to identify them. I think I know, and can identify many myself, but we will see. I am starting out my back door to the golf course and will be walking the holes and picturing trees throughout the next month. Of course I may need some computer help with the pictures of leaves this time of year but that is pretty easy.

First tree out the back door is a Pin Oak. Very prevalent in Ohio.

Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)

A deciduous tree from the Beech Family 

Pin Oak,  is very similar to the  Scarlet Oak, in many characteristics, including the shape of its leaves. However, it is known as the Oak with leaves that have U-shaped "open" and spreading sinuses between the lobes, as compared to the "closed" C-shaped sinuses of Scarlet Oak. Unfortunately, variation as well as hybridization occurs, so identification by leaves alone is not sufficient.

This is a picture of the Pin Oak Leaf

This is a picture of the Pin Oak Bark
The bark is relatively thin and does not have deep furrows like burr oak, or black oak. Sometimes it almost looks like a pin oak is growing right out of its bark.

A feature of Pin oak (shared by a few other oak species, and also some beeches and hornbeams) is the retention of leaves through the winter. Young trees under 20 ft will often be covered with leaves year-round, though the leaves die in the fall, remaining attached to the shoots until the new leaves appear in the spring. As with many other oak species, dead Pin oak branches will stay on the tree for many years.

The acorns, develop in a shallow, thin cap, are hemispherical, 1 inch long and 3/4 inches broad, green maturing pale brown about 18 months after pollination. The acorn is unpalatable because the kernel is very bitter.

The name comes from the practice years ago of "pinning together" the timbers of a barn. The tough and resilient branches of this tree worked nicely for this task.

The wood of this oak tree is reddish in color and very strong. It will provide very nice firewood when dried. Because it has so many branches that hang on, even when dead, there are a lot of knots in the wood. This sometimes makes it a challenge to split.

It is not a long-lived tree, usually living only 90 to 120 years. It is naturally a wetland tree, and develops a shallow, fibrous root system, unlike many oaks, which have a strong, deep taproot when young. It is confined to acidic soils, and does not tolerate limestone, and grows at low altitudes from sea level up to 350 m. The specific name palustris means "of swamps".

December 31, 2010

Tomorrrow we start the new year. I love fresh starts and I am especially looking forward to this one. Many resolutions are rolling around and of course the wording of them is what is important. Not the standard I am going to lose weight this year. But rather I am going to eat healthier and get more exercise. I started running again last year and I would like to get back into non competitive racing as a way to motivate the  run training. I am looking at some of the race calendars and would like to pick out a charity race to run every month starting in April...maybe March if I can find one in Florida. I would also like to read more. This past year I have only read a handful of books. Probably because more (read that too much) time has been spent on the computer. I got caught up in the facebook gaming and while it is fun and I have enjoyed it, it has become too much of a non productive pastime. Sorry facebook friends but I won't be checking in nearly as often...another resolution.

And blogging... I have a couple of ideas to keep in more regular touch. Self improvement and fun I hope. Trees, plants, birds and fish. I recently read that most 10 year olds can name more action heroes than tree species. My first blog series is going to address that issue so I might be able to insure when AJ is 10 he will know his trees. Stay tuned.

Happy New Year!