Black Walnut Planting

With a break in the weather again today and some errands to run, we decided to drive up and look at the black walnut trees that we planted 2 years ago. We hadn't seen them since early spring when we planted a couple replacements. We were pleasantly surprised at the growth they had made, even the replacements. Of the 25 there is need for another replacement next spring but the rest look great. I still have 2-3 heeled in our back yard and will plan to plant the replacement early next spring. Elaine and I did the planting and a lot of watering the first year. The city has done a good job keeping the area mowed and other maintenance. Other volunteers also helped with the watering initially. There is a similar plot of hardy Pecan trees that Chuck planted the same spring across the way. They too looked like they made very good growth. This is on City land adjacent to the Plum Creek walking-biking trail and adds to the interest of that much used component of the City Park system. We certainly need to be planting more hardy trees as many of our pines are being destroyed by the pine bark beetle. 

Flowers, Rain & the National Debt

This has not been a good spring for annual flowers but our perennials have come through with their normal great colors. We do not expect to get to 90 degrees today which will break a 15 consecutive day run of temperatures over 90 and the heat index well over 100. We have only run our lawn sprinklers twice so far this summer, and we're very fortunate in receiving 0.40" of rain early yesterday morning and another 1.50" during last night. That amount of rain will help the farm crops considerably as well as our lawns and gardens in town. There was wind along with the rain last night which blew over the top half of a 45-year old Spruce tree at the golf course. There was also a trampoline blown on to the course from the adjoining residential area. We have had a busy day with playing golf, doing "Home Delivered Meals", visiting Carolyn to see her room redecorating, and attending the Potato Bake at the Senior Center. The mail brought the bi-monthly ARSCE (Association of Retired Soil Conservation Employees) newsletter which took over an hour to get through. A few minutes ago I had a call with an opportunity to join a discussion underway with Senator Johanns and Representative Fortenberry. After listening for a short while, I decided to write this blog sheet and not raise my stress level by "helping" them solve the national debt problem. That's what they're getting paid to do; to make decisions "For the Good of the Country".  

Bag Worms on our Blue Spruce

This picture was taken in our backyard 20 years ago. Granddaughter Julie and the Blue Spruce tree have both grown since then. Julie and her mother gave me the tree for Father's day when she was 3 years old and about the same height as the tree setting in it's pot. It continues to be a stalwart among the plantings in our back yard. The Red Dogwood that is visible behind the tree has long since been removed. I did plant a Japanese Maple to the right and its bright red leaves provide an attractive color contrast. The tree is now between 25-30 feet in height and the home of many nesting pairs of birds. Two years ago we noticed that some of the lower branches were missing needles and further inspection led us to Bag worms. It was September when we first noticed them and proceeded to pick off all that we could find. Last year we found only 4 or 5 which we picked off and thought we were rid of them. Now we find many more out there and have picked off 20-25. I learned this morning that they live in a 2-year cycle and are in the "bag" during the day and come out at night to feed. It may be necessary to spray for them but will plan to continue picking them off for a while to see if we can control them. I would appreciate hearing of any ones experience with them.  

Keystone XL Pipeline

During my days  with the Nebraska Natural Resources Commission in the 1980's we did a study on the Nebraska sandhills. We focused on Garfield and Wheeler Counties. Elaine was able to accompany me on some of our sojourns into the area. Our study was prompted partially by the conversion of the native vegetation to cultivated cropland. The area now faces the threat of the Keystone XL pipeline traversing the eastern region which would include the area of this picture. As a member of the Seward, NE City Council, we were very concerned a few years ago when Trans Canada laid a 30'' Keystone pipeline within the 5-year zone of influence of some of our city wells. We negotiated an agreement that provided the city as much protection as possible but were unable to change it's location even from it passing under some of our main water lines between our wells and the city. It did appear that Trans Canada did a "good construction job" in laying the pipeline through our area. As concerned as I, and many others would be, if an alternative route of the Keystone XL being placed parallel to and within the same easement of the existing line, I believe it to be less environmentally threatening to the State of Nebraska than the proposed sandhills route.

New Potatoes

    

It takes very little space to grow a bucket of potatoes. When we took some shrubs out from the south side of our house a couple years ago and found it was difficult to get grass growing, we went to potatoes. Elaine and I both grew up in the country and it was taken for granted that you raised your own potatoes, as well as much of the rest of your food. As a kid during the "hard times" a meal of new potatoes, creamed peas and fried chicken with home made bread, was a pretty standard meal. I just didn't realize how special it was; even though I had turned the "Daisy churn" to make the butter for the bread. We would put as much as 30-40 bushel of potatoes in the cave during the fall of the year, and they would last our family of 7 throughout the year. The difference between the self reliance of people in those days compared to today is frightening. I hope a resolution to the debt ceiling can be reached.

A tree from a Mustard Seed??

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Rev. Doug used the parable of the mustard seed scripture reading for his sermon this morning. The point of the parable being the contrast between small beginnings and great endings.  I didn't find the Church service as a whole particularly inspiring, partially because of the songs being unfamiliar though their words fit the message. As we were preparing to tee off for our 12:00pm tee time, I learned that Charlie didn't get to Church this morning. Since I wasn't especially excited about what I learned in Church, I asked Dale to tell Charlie what he missed. His response was similar to what mine would have been. He said, "I didn't realize that mustard grew to being a tree". We both agreed to do some research and see what we could learn. If Jesus said the shrub pictured above is a "tree", who are we to question it. Incidentally, I needed a mulligan on my tee shot.

Classic Car & Classy Family

We moved to our "big house" in Seward during the spring of 1955. It was a great 5 bedroom bungalow and a real step-up from our first little 2-bedroom house. At the time, we didn't realize how much we accomplished in our first 6 years of marriage. We had 4 kids, a '52 Chevy that we bought new and I was well established in my job as a USDA SCS Conservation Technician. Elaine was working part-time at the local movie theater which provided us with free passes and I was selling and planting landscaping material for Nebraska Nurseries on a part time basis. We were doing well enough financially that I bought this 1936 Ford Victoria as a 2nd car. It had belonged to a lady here in Seward and was in excellent condition. We always left it parked on          the street and was handy to jump into rather than getting the other car out of the garage. One morning, Elaine, Verlon, Tim & Carolyn got in the car and rushed off to Sunday School with Tim in the back seat. As they went around the corner on 5th street, Tim's door flew open and he went rolling out onto the street. Ironically, I was in the living room with Jon and saw the whole thing unfold. I ran out in my pajamas and picked him up off the street. Fortunately he was not hurt but a little shook up. We "dusted him off" and sent them on their way. Elaine doesn't remember much about her lesson that morning but can be sure that it included some "Thanks" for Tim's well-being and might have even included some request for me to get rid of the car. 

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