OUTSIDE
Choosing Healthy Nursery Trees
Submitted by Steve Roark on Tue, 03/17/2020 - 00:25Looking at Lichens
Submitted by Steve Roark on Tue, 03/10/2020 - 02:05The above high rainfall we’ve had past couple of years seems to have caused a boost in lichens. Lichens are those flat light green blotches or hair-like tufts you see growing on tree bark and rocks. Like all life on Earth, lichens have found a niche where they can grow without much competition. Most older trees in our area have at least a small colony growing somewhere.
Arbor Day tree wisdom
Submitted by Steve Roark on Sun, 03/01/2020 - 23:15Arbor Day is approaching for our local states (Tennessee March 6, Kentucky April 3, Virginia April 24), and it’s a worthy recognition of the importance of trees in our lives. Here in the mountains they are omnipresent, with every scenic vista tree laden. Every home is full of tree stuff, from bananas to the roof trusses, and every breathe we take has some tree air in it. What follows is some quotes and a little poetry spoken by wise people on the importance of trees.
Crazy Cold
Submitted by Steve Roark on Tue, 02/25/2020 - 00:58Feel the Wild Side with Barred Owls
Submitted by Steve Roark on Wed, 02/19/2020 - 00:08The most common owl that I run across locally is the Barred Owl (Strix varia) but have only seen them a handful of times. But I know they visit my woods regularly by their easy to recognize 8 or 9 note call that is remembered by the phrase “who cooks for you, who cooks for you-all”. When I hear the Barred or any owl call out, it gives me a shiver of wildness that is very satisfying.
'Browse' important to winter wildlife cuisine
Submitted by Steve Roark on Mon, 02/03/2020 - 01:43“Browse” as a wildlife term is used as a noun and refers to food in the form of woody twigs and buds found on trees, shrubs and vines. Since more nutritious and palatable food is available during the growing season, browse is usually only consumed during the leaner winter months, which makes it critical in maintaining a wildlife population. Animals that utilize browse in our area include deer, elk, beaver, rabbit, mice and others.
Cold Love
Submitted by Steve Roark on Tue, 01/28/2020 - 01:42With winter weather there are two distinct camps of people: those that love it and those that do not. You may have picked up in past articles that I am in the love winter camp, and cold/snow fans have actually been labeled. We are chionophiles (ki-own-a-files), those who thrive in cold winter conditions, especially in snow. It’s a Greek word that literally means “snow lover”.
Winter Green
Submitted by Steve Roark on Tue, 01/21/2020 - 01:43Snow Stuff
Submitted by Steve Roark on Tue, 01/14/2020 - 00:02I have never outgrown my love of a fresh snowfall, which takes a bleak winter scene and transforms it into a wonderland. The quiet a snow brings is both eerie and wonderful, and a walk in the snow on a moonlit night is something you simply must experience.
A lot of folks think that snow begins as rain that freezes on its way down and turns into snow. It's usually the other way around, with rain beginning as snow, which melts as it falls.
Reduce stress In 2020 by going natural: Be still and know
Submitted by Steve Roark on Tue, 01/07/2020 - 15:08I don’t know the stats for our area, but on a national level, Americans are overstressed, and everyone knows this is unhealthy. The causes are familiar: fast pace of life, multi-tasking … you know the sound bites.
I’ve written in the past about studies that show that immersing yourself in natural settings can reduce stress, so I revisited the topic and found some new twists on natural stress reduction. Here are some recommendations that surfaced.
Wise Men Wisdom
Submitted by Steve Roark on Tue, 12/31/2019 - 20:36Decoding the 12 Days of Christmas
Submitted by Steve Roark on Tue, 12/24/2019 - 13:22The Christmas Stocking Tradition
Submitted by Steve Roark on Tue, 12/17/2019 - 12:14Christmas is probably the most tradition packed holiday there is, and over the years I’ve enjoyed chasing some of them down to find their origin. One I’ve gone after is the Christmas stocking, which in present day has become a large, usually ornate sock shaped bag that is hung up on Christmas Eve so Santa can fill it with small toys, candy, fruit, and such.
The Christmas Tradition of Advent
Submitted by Steve Roark on Tue, 12/10/2019 - 09:21My church celebrated the beginning of Advent December 1st by carrying out the “hanging of the green” tradition of decorating the church sanctuary for the Christmas season. Our pastor explained the meaning of the Advent tradition, which was good because while I had heard of it, I didn’t really know what it about. I’m all about old traditions, and so it sparked my own research on the subject, which I thought I would share.
Christmas tree care tips
Submitted by Steve Roark on Tue, 12/03/2019 - 00:35Those that hold to the tradition of using a real tree enjoy the smell and feel of a natural product that comes from a renewable resource. Buying one can also help support small family farms, so it has many positives. On the downside, a Christmas tree is a living thing that requires some extra care to be sure it doesn’t dry out and pose a fire hazard. Here are some tips from the National Christmas Tree Association on keeping your Christmas tree fresh and green as long as possible.
- When you get the tree home place it in water as soon as possible.
The Roots of Thanksgiving
Submitted by Steve Roark on Tue, 11/26/2019 - 00:14Thanksgiving is one of the high holidays of the US, involving traditions of being with family, eating a bountiful meal of traditional foods, and hopefully taking time to give thanks for what we have been given. You know the traditional story of the first Thanksgiving involving Pilgrims, Native Americans, feasting and all that, but history is always good to review occasionally, as you often learn something new.
More Mountain Speech
Submitted by Steve Roark on Mon, 11/18/2019 - 23:47I’m still studying a book called Smoky Mountain English, which is a dictionary of mountain dialect. I was blessed to be around my grandparents quite a bit growing up and heard a lot of phrases and word pronunciations that aren’t used much today. But some of it is still hanging around and I find myself using it without thinking about it, which my granddaughters find puzzling. So what follows is my latest list of words in the book that I personally have heard used sometime in my lifetime. I’m sure you will find many familiar as well if you’re from around here.
Top Wildlife Plants
Submitted by Steve Roark on Tue, 11/12/2019 - 18:47Persimmons are ripening in East Tennessee
Submitted by Steve Roark on Mon, 11/04/2019 - 23:52Folks who would like a taste of some wild food ought to get out and hunt persimmons this time of year. They are abundant in our area and easy to find in fencerows and woodland edges.
There are many varieties of persimmon trees in tropical areas of the world, but only two in the United States. The one growing in our area is called "common persimmon" (Diospyros Virginiana), or "possum tree" by some.