Chicory

July in the midwest brings welcome friends along country roadsides - chicory, Queen Anne's Lace, and a little later, Joe Pye Weed and Ironweed. Chicory has a captivating indigo blue tone and seems to thrive in apparently scrub soil. It's in full bloom now, along with Queen Anne's Lace, by the road that abuts Bittersweet Woods.


Along Glendale road next to Bittersweet Woods.

For many years, I did not realize that the beautiful flower was called chicory. I remember chicory as something added to Luzianne coffee to give it a less bitter taste. I figured it came from some lush rain forest. Wrong. It grows in otherwise ugly waste areas in the U.S. and Europe. The root has been used for centuries as an herb and as flavoring of coffees or a coffee/tea substitute. Civil war soldiers made a type of tea from it when they ran out of tea or coffee.

Tess and Gabbie - babes in the woods

Our two old english sheepdogs, Tessie, and Gabbie, are right at home in Bittersweet Woods. They are officially indoor dogs - at night and during the day while we are work. But otherwise, they love the outdoors. And they do almost everything together. Tessie is the youthful one, just approaching 3 years old. She is smaller at about 65 pounds and slimmer than your average old english sheepdog. When running she reminds me of a cheetah running full bore on the Serengeti. The puppy energy and playfullness is still there but starting to fade a bit. She has a gentle spirit but is a little less affectionate around other people.



Gabbie is the big sister at 5 years old still very active but a little more calm, protective when needed, and a disciplinarian. She scolds Tess when youthful one returns after bounding off to chase a deer or visit an unsuspecting neighbor. She is also larger in stature and weight. Her coloration includes black fur around her eyes, resembling a raccoon mask. Gabbie loves everyone and can quickly become a pest by demanding too much attention from visitors. She also has developed an odd vocalization, resembling what I call a loud purr, when she greets us in the morning or when we return home. Grandson Connor is her favorite person of all time. She is relentless in her attention, purring,licking, nuzzling, and herding him in true sheepdog fashion. He is barely tolerant of the hubbub.

Every day we walk Tessie and Gabbie on the trail in Bittersweet Woods. Mention the word trail and they are alert, lunging toward the door and skidding on the tile. Or they look at us expectantly if we're outside. Yesterday on the trail was a typical day for them. They each grab a tennis ball without fail on the way out, having failed again to realize there is no ball throwing on the trail. We start down the trail. Tess scouted the lower perimeter along the creek looking for deer and squirrels. Gabbie nosed around a known chipmunk hideout, then strolled nonchalantly into the brush to uh,well,leave a solid waste deposit.

Waiting for Mom


Near the waterfall, Tess abruptly zoomed up the hill and disappeared. She probably saw a deer. She acts predatory in the chase, but if a deer ever turned around on her, she would run away just as fast. Five minutes later Tess returns. Gabbie scolds her for leaving the pack - barking and chasing after her. Tess pretends to ignore the provocation but quietly enjoys the attention. Together they run breakneck down the trail to the house.

So ends a loop on the trail - one of several each day. They are a joy to watch. There are complications once in a while. Their feet often have to be cleaned when there is mud around. There are unauthorized visits to adjacent neighbors yards. The worst is when they roll in some noxious fecal matter and return stinking to high heaven.

Busted by the hazmat team


But we love them. They bring us more enjoyment and love than aggravation. HEY! TESS AND GABBIE, GET OVER HERE. NOW! Yeah, right.

What's that on the tree?

Last Sunday was unusually perfect weather for July in the midwest: 70's, low, humidity, clear air rather than the summer haze. The sun shone laser-like through the tree leaves. We took Gabbie and Tess for their daily walk down the trail. There were the usual wildlife sightings: spider webs in our faces, chipmunks, and a white tail deer that led the dogs on a spirited diversion. A towhee and wood thrush sang tentatively, as though mindful that birds stop singing in July. A mosquito buzzed around my left ear.

The waterfall toward the southern end of the trail was merely a trickle. We often stop to do trail maintenance along the way. Yesterday we rearranged some rocks in the stream below the waterfall to restore the main channel after a flooding rain in June. The roaring flood dislodged huge rip rap logs that we had carefully placed to protect an eroding stream bank. They were whisked away like paper cups and piled up in a literal log jam about 200 yards downstream, just above the falls. Mother Nature does have the final say despite our imaginings to the contrary.

We puffed up the steep trail from the stream and headed back to the house. The view of the creek and opposite hillsides are always beautiful, always different depending on time of day, season, weather - and my attitude at the time. We approached the end of the trail, walking along stepping stones, passing near some large trees. My thoughts drifted to remaining chores to be done.

And then...I saw it. It's on the tree. I called out to Suz, a few steps in front of me and an arm's length from the tree in question. "Stop!" I motioned furiously and barked "Step back this way," so she wouldn't be frightened. She looked curiously at me, and I pointed. A four foot long black rat snake was draped vertically on a maple tree trunk. The head was down toward the ground, staring expressionless at us. The body was clinging somehow (with the scales as grippers, presumably) to the tree. We gawked. The snake froze. The dogs looked at us quizzically, expecting us to continue on; they did not notice the snake. Suz ran to get the camera.
(click to enlarge)

When she returned the snake was still in the same place, posing as it were for a picture. I snapped several pictures, still in disbelief because we'd never seen a snake climbing up or down a tree! We left and came back a few minutes later with the dogs, who were once again oblivious. The snake was slithering down the tree and into the brush. Once glance later it was on its way. We went our way, grateful and amazed at another close encounter with mother nature - in Bittersweet Woods.


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What's the buzz and who are these critters?

Living in the woods has its benefits, but there are a few drawbacks - after all, we are living in the woods. Occasionally there are unwanted visitors. Sparrows fly into the garage and gawk at us nervously from atop the garage door opener track. Confused birds try to invade by pecking (and leaving unwanted excrement) on the windows, apparently misguided by the reflection. A few fly full force into said windows and drop stunned, or worse, on the patio.

Ants invade the entryway and pretend to admire the blooming Chistmas cactus. Lady bugs appear in our bedroom on warm fall days and remind us as we see them through the winter that spring is not far away. And there are the ubiquitous tent caterpillars who emerge from their clusters in cherry trees and plant their cocoons in door tracks, outdoor furniture covers, and many other places.

Then there are more insidious invaders - honey bees. That has been the buzz for the last two years. We first noticed "a few" (little did we know what an understatement that was) bees hovering around the chimney July a year ago. An exterminator tried to repel them, unsuccessfully. We later learned that killing honey bees is illegal. We asked our John, our homebuilder and go-to guy of last resort, to have a look. He did and returned with Gary the bee guy and Jimmy the roofer. They took apart the roof cricket - do you know what that is - I did not? They discovered a large hive of honey bees. Gary removed the bees, honey, honey comb, and then Jimmy put the roof back together. What a relief, having those critters removed, especially with visiting grandchildren around.

Fast forward to May of 2009. We glance reflexively at the chimney area for bees, as we have ever since they were taken away last year. One day....are those bees flying around up there, honey? Yes. They are back. Our friends Jimmy and Gary returned one July Saturday. The boys did their work efficiently. Pix are below.

It's nice to think of our roof as a habitat. Honey bees have been in decline, too. What a noble role for such a humble structure. But they are unwanted in a roof or home. We learned that honey bees can build an extensive presence in a short time. They will return to a former nest if the odor of honey remains. Trying to kill bees without removing the community and hive/honey/honeycomb is a bad idea. The decaying material will at best remain to attract bees and at worst become a festering time bomb requiring more extensive clean up in the areas where they are situated - walls, porches, and aforementioned roof.

So, beeware of unwanted pests in your woods. Get professional help if needed. But don't let occasional critter problems distract you from the natural beauty in your version of Bittersweet Woods.

Gary the Garter - our critter of the week

It's already July - warm, mostly sunny, long days, and prime time for critters in Bittersweet Woods. Gary the garter snake has moved into the local habitat, residing under the concrete steps at our entryway. You will excuse me if I assign this dude a male identity. I came up with the name mostly because of a fixation on alliterative sounds - Gary, Garter - you get the idea. Here he is just outside his den near our front porch.

We have seen snakes off and on over the years, but mostly off. This year, there have been several - mostly the benign garter snake and the wily black rat snake. Suz has been the snake observer; most of the sightings have been hers. She is pretty casual about seeing them compared to most other humanoids - she even brushed her hand against one while weeding.

Gary the Garter has been a very laid back resident. He suns outside his den. And usually just sits there when we pass by to observe. Even Gabbie and Tess, the curious old english sheepdogs, don't seem to phase him. Our grandchildren are here for the week - Connor is 11, Emily 7, and Catrina 3. They check up on Gary often. On the second day of their visit, Gary molted (shed his skin) and left his former skin near the den. He seemed proud of his deeper, brighter color of the "new" skin and ventured farther from his den.

We enjoy the critters that inhabit Bittersweet Woods, except for the occasional troublemakers - or the ones that want to come inside the house. More about one of those "insiders" in a future message. Come back to Bittersweet Woods - enjoy the serenity and marvel at the obscure goings on - often hiding in plain sight.