Another Tenacious Tree

I have many pictures of these tenacious trees. When I have a chance I will look back and find some of the "best of" tenacious trees. I would love to see examples of what you find out there.

I am just always amazed at how well a forest can regenerate itself. Sometimes trees germinate on rocks and will send roots down around the rock searching for food.
I have been learning about Yellow birch and have come to understand they regenerate by dropping seeds on old rotten stumps. The tree grows and stumps rots, in some cases the rots suspend the tree off the ground with the many roots looking like legs holding up the tree.
The next time I see a good one I will get a picture of it. Here in Timmins we are at the northern edge of the range of Yellow birch.
This balsam fir tree growing on this rock looks very healthy right now. I think the rock is too big for the little guy to make it possible for the roots to reach the ground.

Please do not feed the bears

I did not get a chance to walk about at all, work got in the way. Sometimes that happens.

I thought I would reach into the past and post a picture I took a couple of years ago.

A black bear was working the highway 144. Every day he would hang around the side of the road waiting for people to feed him. Feed him they did. Within a couple of weeks just pulling over to see the pretty bear on the side of the road was an invitation for him to lumber on up to your window to see what you had.

I was parked on a side road about to enter the highway when I watched this little bear cross the road. I got out my camera and wondered how close he would come.

He would have climbed in I am sure if I did not close my window.

Bears and highway do not mix well, the bear was killed by a truck a few days after I took these pictures.

Fairy slipper

Talking about orchids reminded me of the orchid discovered just south of Timmins. The Fairy slipper is another orchid that can be found in the area, but it takes a keen eye to not step on them.

This is the Calypso bulbosa (Fairy Slipper) and grows in wet areas. This one was hiding is a cedar and black spruce stand.

July and August are the best times to walk in the bush, if the bugs do not bother you. Some say you do not just want to go walking in the bush because of the bears, but I never get to see them in the bush. I did see one 3 days ago about 2 minutes from the office running out of a backyard, being chased by a black dog. At first I thought 2 bears but the barking gave away the second one.

Where is this orchid :

View Larger Map

Ooooohhh I like that. Any comments? is just the link good or do you like to see the map. If I had zoomed out more you would see Timmins.

Sunshine on a nice purple mushroom

The sun was out today and so were the little blackflies. I guess they are trying to get in one last attack before the weather turns cool.

This little mushroom which I think is a Hygrocybe subviolacea more commonly called the Violet Waxcap. Please let me know if you think it may be something else.

The picture turned out much better then the yesterdays picture of the orchid. I played with the adjustments more today.

If you want to see the exact location of this little forest wonder follow the google maps link : http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=48.1681297+-81.5991986&ie=UTF8&ll=48.168475,-81.599193&spn=0.006655,0.013733&t=h&z=16&iwloc=addr

Large Round-Leaved Orchid

Large Round-Leaved Orchid (Platanthera Orbiculata)

On August 6th the Orchids were in full bloom (picture on the right). Today I found one with bursting seed pods and leaves beginning to rot.

there are so many colours in the forest right now.

Trees everywhere in the forest

Today was the first day I was able to again walk in the woods. I have been layed up for the last 3 weeks. It was a wonderful warm day. I saw flocks of horned larks along the road.

The orchid I found in the area a month ago has faded away. I have pictures and will post them this weekend.

I also hugged a large Yellow birch, which is at the northern part of it's range.

Day 01 - The Setup

It just is not enough, I NEED more.

First MSN and video calls, the ever additive Facebook, Google everthing - maps, documents, calendar, picasa, gmail, and now blogger. Do I really have time for this?

I will find time, it is an important topic.

Join me on my journey as I discover everything about how oxyen grows on trees and how our carbon footprint effects the earth.