The grandpa tree, the pig tree, and all the dead saplings (+ the woodpecker update)

Since we had the grandpa tree taken down on Friday, I thought I'd give you an update on the woodpeckers and give you an overview of our tree situation in general.

Pileated woodpecker on sycamore tree.

So yes, grandpa tree is no longer an eye-sore (and didn't appear to be home to the pileated woodpeckers after all.) Our neighbor Jack tells us that for the previous four years, the peckers have roosted in one of his dead trees and he even learned a woodpecker call which successfully brings them out for viewing. In addition, the day after we took down the tree, we saw one of the pecker pair ravaging our sycamore. (I wish they would peck on the tulip trees rather than our lone sycamore, but I am happy they are not afraid of our property after two days of chainsaws.)

So while I'm talking about trees, we also have a tree that we've dubbed the pig tree, due to the knots on it's trunk that distinctly resemble a pig snout. It's a fun feature in an otherwise boring tree.

The maples. Our 2-acre property is littered with maples, but only one oak. So Hubby asked me yesterday to research maple syrup harvesting. Ya never know; we might have a delicious treat come the fall.

Pig tree. Obviously.

And finally, the dead saplings. I am an Arbor Day member and whenever you donate or renew they send you ten free trees. So in the fall I received the flowering tree grab bag, two of each of the following: white dogwood, pink crabapple, redbud, crape myrtle, and golden rain tree. I wanted to get a jump start on the growing (the free trees come about 10-inches tall), so I potted them all and kept them indoors all winter.) This was terribly annoying, because with the trees/potting soil came the gnats. Apparently gnats feed off of organic material in moist soil, so we were infested all winter. I covered the pots in sticky fly traps and killed millions. Really, yes, I think it was millions. But they just kept on coming. But we dealt with it because our trees were growing. Until about a month ago, when all but one decided to die. Why? Don't know. That sucked. Gnats for nothing.

Similarly, I received ten baby blue spruce trees about a month ago, and I potted them and put them outside. They're dead. All the needles turned brown and fell off. My gardening thumb seems not apply to trees. But Arbor Day has a "guaranteed to grow" disclaimer. But I don't want two more batches of twiglets. I am going to call them up tomorrow, explain the situation, and maybe they'll send me two of their three-foot dogwoods (a $22 value) instead. I'd even be happy with just one more mature tree. Seems like it would be harder to kill and more instantly appealing in my landscape.

Grandpa tree. RIP.

Here are a few of my favorite things (tree frogs and WOODPECKERS!) + a couple things I could do without

Daddy and Cavan hard at work!

Our first couple warm days have brought the return of a few of my favorite things.

1) Getting home from work and enjoying outdoor time until 8 PM! All three of us arrived home by 5:00, took the dog for a walk together, and then worked in the garden/yard. Hubby build my raised veggie beds, Cavan dug in the dirt and practiced walking on the balance beams (the pine boards Hubby laid out on the ground, before screwing them together), and I just sat, watched and listened. Which brings me to my next point.

2) The peaceful sounds of spring: the tree frogs singing, the crickets chirping, and the woodpeckers drilling. As I sat outside this evening watching my family and taking pictures, I got to enjoy them all. Even sitting here now, at 11 PM, with the windows open, the frogs are serenading me with their rural music (the only thing that rivals this are the cicadas in the summer). So relaxing.

And even more impressive than just listening, we got to see the woodpeckers this evening—the pair of pileated woodpeckers, which are the largest woodpeckers in North America. As I looked them up on the internet to find an image, I read a little about them and am now a bit worried. Apparently, these are relatively rare birds that nest in large dead trees. Well, the tree we saw them in this evening is what we call the grandpa tree—a HUGE dead maple! A huge dead eye-sore that is slated to be taken down tomorrow! Now is the time that they drill out their nests and I am concerned about taking down their home. We live in a wooded area, and there shouldn't be a shortage of nesting places, but I would prefer to keep them on our property. I may have to call our tree guy in the morning to put the project on hold until we can research further. 

But now onto my not-so-favorite things. Of course, there is always a ying to the yang, and to balance out my pleasure with discomfort were my allergies and the mosquitos—both out in full force this evening. I probably sneezed a hundred times tonight and Cavan and suffered our first skeeter bites of the year. And I HATE bug spray, but the swarms were ruthless! But I'd rather bug spray and allergens than snow and sinus infections any time!

Standing in my new raised beds. Now all we need is some soil!