That Hurt!

In December we had a heavy wet snowfall that dropped a huge section of a Boxelder across part of the summer pasture electric fence. 

I have my woodland pastures fenced off in rotating sections so I needed to get most of the wood off the fence or at least cut so I could fence around it.

First, I put up a temporary hot wire to keep my critters from wandering down into the area I haven't pulled burdock from. It would drive my hubby crazy to see how I made the zig zag fence through the upper woods. He is a straight line fencing type of guy. Not me!

Crappy photo of a small portion of upper fencing. I had to go around some multiflora rose bushes I intend to cut down yet and some of last year's burdock.

The red line is my one line hot wire.
Thankfully, the mules are very cautious about the hot wire and will not go near it.

There is a perimeter fence way down in the woods, so if they did go through this, they'd still remain within our fenced land.

I also need to replace a lot of insulators way back in the woods. Over the winter, the deer are pretty hard on them. 
Once upon a time, our old pony mule would scoot under any hot wire fence and go where he wanted to. He also went to the line fence and jump the 4 strand barbed wire to graze on the neighbor's land. When he was satisfied, he'd jump back over to our side and join his buddies.

Here is an example of Opal who was our other champion jumping mule taking a short cut from our neighbor's land over our line fence. This was in 2007. She was State Champion Jumping Mule for mules under 14 hands in 2002.

She was an incredible animal.

Annnyyywaayyyy, back to my self induced painful wreck. I take full credit for it.

This large section of tree was down on the fence. So I took my machete and my reciprocating saw and got to work on clearing the small branches and piling them. 

I did a great job and eventually I was down to the large pieces.

I cut a V shape into the largest limb and thought I should leave it for another day. However it was just one piece. If I tugged on it this way and that, surely it would crack and break.

So I set to tugging. In the back of my head, I thought: If this lets go with all the pressure I have on it...

It didn't, so I gave it another go and really pulled backwards with my teeth gritted and a cuss word on my lips. I didn't want to walk away without the job done.

Crack!

And suddenly I realized that I was going backwards down a small incline. I guess I really figured it out when the world suddenly went upside down. I guess I tucked and rolled. 

After I landed, I didn't move. 

Hmmm. Since no one was looking I decided to assess the damages. The appendages moved without pain. So I considered how stupid my move was for a few moments. I stood up and picked up the offending limb and tossed it on the brush pile.

By the time I walked back to the house with my tools, my upper back ached and I was getting a very light headache. 

I learned a lesson. Next time, barter for some chainsaw work from one of the neighbors.

However...the fence is now free of branches!

Friday was a day of NO hand sawing and no hard labor. 

PS- I checked out okay.

Trees trees trees...

In years past, I've always concentrated on what is below the trees. For some reason this past year, I've been looking at trees with more interest.
I still adore fungi, moss, and bugs but right now there are none of those things available to look at under the snow.

The skies have been overcast and dull or it has been bright as all get out! 

Birch Trees 

edited to look artsy

Boxelder
seriously...
I wasn't smoking anything!

I found myself looking for objects that lend themselves to almost an abstract and artistic flair.

If nothing else, it is fun to hike our deep woods to find something interesting. I need to figure out what these trees are. They hang on to little orange leaves. They catch my eye while walking on the deer trails.

I used a ribbon that was attached to a deflated Mylar balloon I found to one of these trees so I can try and ID this tree type in the spring.

Snow storm!

The view across the neighbor's meadow to the east. 

Super duper zoom in

on a crooked tree branch

A friend of mine said it looked like neural brain synapses...
Hmmm, my brain was just enjoying the snowfall.

Another view of the same 

branch...
Amazing how a different shot and color edits

can make it look:

I thought of Aurora when I found this tree---> pointing down. 

Sorry it is such a poor photo, with the snow fall I had a hard time getting any proper exposure against the snowy sky.

However it is one awesome -cool -bizarre -wild cherry tree. I know last summer I never saw what it looked like up in the branches.

This bizarro tree lives near my favorite boxelder and the smushed face tree I spotted last June:

That makes 4 favorite odd and strange trees in one small area.

Winter is a good time to examine branches and shapes. I found some other wicked and strange trees on my walk around the meadow in yesterday's snowfall. 

Man Eating Tree?

*Edit 3 10 2022: Old Hawthorn Tree*

I'm enjoying the bare bones of the trees in the forest around me...but I would be lying if I said I didn't miss the forest and all of its glorious colors.

After all, trees rule the land around us.

Crazy on Trees

Twisted Sister Tree.
she dances to her

own desires...

I was walking along the run off ditch that was created many years ago on the west side of our place. The farm west of us and our place used to be one.

At some point in time, someone dug a 'ditch' for water to run from off the hillsides. That way it didn't wash out portions of the pasture. Neat twisted and odd looking boxelders stand on each side of the ditch as if they were watching over it.

I was looking to see if I could find the same exact spot I'd taken a photo of last March on a spooky foggy day. 

I have no idea why, except I thought it would be fun to tromp through the snow early in the morning and see if I could find where that exact spot was. 

I did find the spot and in the bright snow and early sunlight, it was rather unimpressive.

Instead I looked around and found another interesting tree.

I am assuming that this tree is what is we locals call a scrub apple tree. Thorny and nasty, the trunks are generally gnarled and bizarre. Somehow they survive and blossom each spring.

Embracing One's

inner elf

is harmonious

The Ditch Guardian
wise, old,

gnarled, yet still

alive.

The trail in the middle of the photo runs alongside the ditch and all year there is a worn trail from each animal that inhabits these woods. The cattle in the summer and everything else in the winter. I'm fairly sure that the Guardian Tree is a boxelder also. The dead parts hang over the trail, the live parts twist and grow to the west.

I wonder, if this tree could talk, what would it tell me about the floods it has seen, the animals it has observed, and does it laugh at the humans who try to control nature's whims?

Be Like A Tree

Stay grounded and true

to yourself...

This is the same tree from last year! Just seen on a foggy morning. It still looks like it is dancing to me. ~~~ The Twisted Sister

My all time favorite tree.

Comfort tree

rest under my

branches or

climb them...

and find a 

secret place...

Another view of this tree 

I think I'm going to spend some more time looking just for interesting tree shapes before spring arrives and changes everything.