Natural History Notes



Wednesday, December 01, 2010

winter, but sunny

I had a nice fire last night as temps went down into the thirties. 8 smallish logs (most 3-4”, one 6” or more) lasted about 4 hours. Agate was happy in my lap for much of the time; Alabaster was off somewhere else. I missed Tut, curled up sleepily watchful on the futon couch.

This morning, clear and sunny, it was just under freezing at 7:30, so I didn’t bother to go look for frost-flower sculptures. The forecast was 27°, and I had the herb bed all covered up again. The rest of the week is just supposed to be in the low to middle thirties, so I will uncover it and water and let it get acclimated to winter.

With the sun shining it’s up to 40° by just after 9:00am.

10:30 - 50° - went on walk. First down to persimmons to nail down ID of second one. Got a twig off it and the one I found with fruit, and the leaf-scars and buds are identical. Need to bring binoculars to see if that is a last persimmon up high in the larger one.

Walked from tank down through path in woods and then back on the lane. Tried to go through the old broken white gate, but it has shifted so that its chain is too tight to open.

Something is happening at the gas-well site. Couldn’t make out if they had a folded-up crane, ar if maybe they have brought back a derrick that’s still on the truck. Later - looks like they are putting up a derrick again. Hmmmm.

Found several persimmon seeds in the lane sand near the house, where I have evidently driven over a seed-laden scat.

Bee notes: By 10:30 it was fifty; by noon a bit over sixty. Bees coming and going, bringing in a good bit of orange and dirty-white pollen. I assume this is from the eleagnus, still perfuming the air and buzzing with bees, and the remnant of scarlet sage in the corner of the yard under the hackberry, which seem to have been protected from outer-space cold so far and still have quite a few scattered blooms. A few days ago these pollens were in the minority as about five out of six loads seemed to be golden yellow, the last of the broomweed and maybe other comps. They are about all gone now.

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