A Mystery ~ Solved

The dogs and I take a nature hike most every day. For me (and 2 of the three dogs), it’s supposed to be a walk for health and weight loss, but who am I kidding?

My Pack.

I always get sidetracked by an empty eggshell (what kind of little birdie was that?) or …

Look at the pretty flower! (one of the few wildflowers during drought)...

or…

Squirrel! (this normally distracts my canine pack)

…or some interesting blueberry-ish looking fruit lying on the ground. What?!?! We’re in a drought, for Pete’s Sake.

I took my phone pic of the mystery tree (which bore the ripened fruit above) and posted it to facebook to see if anyone could identify it for me.

The answers poured in – from PawPaw (I wish!) to Damson Plum to some kind of Damson Berry.

I decided to delve further and I sent the phone picture to Missouri Conservation Ombudsman. He was perplexed by this phone pic also. So Mr. W and I trekked back to the spot and took some better pictures for the Ombudsman. Notice how tiny the fruit is in Mr. W’s hand. Sadly, that fact alone would rule out Paw Paws! Well, and of course, Paw Paws are not normally blueberry colored…

Mr. W and I had taken our little Missouri Tree Field Guide with us and tentatively identified the tree as a Nannyberry. However, Mr. Conservation Ombudsman has officially identified it as a…

wait for it…

…

…

Black Haw.

Per MDC site:  Decades ago, when more Americans led rural lives and walked more, the fruits were nibbled on by many. The root bark has been used medicinally. Ecosystem connections: Many species of birds eat the berries, including the cardinal, cedar waxwing, robin, ruffed grouse and wild turkey. Mammals that relish the berries include deer, rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, skunks and mice. Deer and beaver eat the twigs, bark and leaves. Many animals use this shrub for cover.

The fruit tastes somewhat like raisins, but there will be no Black Haw pies here. Saving these little morsels for our wildlife neighbors. They’ll surely need them this year.

Thank you, Tim, Missouri Department of Conservation Ombudsman, for your help!

Find ways to Explore and Enjoy in your neck of the woods. You never know what you might find!

We’re off to the Missouri State Fair this weekend. Hope to share some lovely long-eared and other photos with you soon!

Thursday Walkabout ~ Simple Beauty

The neighbors started harvesting their corn this week. This is the first year we’ve had a cornfield next to us, so the whole process has been very new and interesting to me.

We’ve had some really beautiful weather this week – until Wednesday, when things turned sharply colder. We enjoyed some nice outdoor walks early in the week.

On Monday, the blue sky reflections in the ponds were gorgeous. Here, you’ll also see one of my little blue hydrangeas (oh yes, again!), still blue and beautiful with only a slight amount of frost damage. And the almost-full daytime moon…

Winter berries and greenery, and birds nibbling seeds off the tall fountain grass in the yard. Bottom right - some deer (and people) tracks…

The dogs enjoyed our walks immensely. “What’s that critter in there??”

Banjo, with after-effects of digging in the clay…

Oh, and Banjo turned 8 years old this week! Happy Birthday, our sweet Jack Russell Terrier girl! She’s also known around here as “Human Dog.” I’m tellin’ ya, she is just too smart.

Dear Bloggy Friends, I hope this week is going well for each of you. Please stay tuned for our first Flat Creek Farm Giveaway. Soon, very soon :)

Fall Foliage Kaleidoscope

The dogs and I just returned from a wonderful walk around the farm. I started in the yard and worked my way around our acreage, soaking up the most beautiful Fall color and scenery I could find. After a few days of not feeling up to par, I think this is just the medicine I was waiting for.

Are you ready? Off we go on our walk.

Here is a peek at a portion of our tractor and walking path. Banjo always stays a few steps ahead ~ just in case anything exciting pops up.

I took a thousand pictures (really, I think I did). Here is the remainder of our walk in mosaic form.

Thanks for sharing our walkabout today! We don’t seem to be at our peak Fall foliage just yet, but it’s off to a lovely start. 

How’s Fall shaping up in your neck of the woods?

Thursday Walkabout: Between Showers

Caught between rain showers tonight ~

Autumn Joy Sedum with deepening hues,
Black Futsu Heirloom Squash,
Miss Harley Spooky Cat,
Fallen Walnuts,
Beginnings of the Winter Woodpile,
Ornamental Grass Seed Head,
Baby Pumpkin,
Freshly Painted Old Chair,
Wood Fungus (hey! fungus can be pretty too),
Rusty Old Hinge on Blacksmith Shop.

Autumn is off to a beautiful start.
Hope your week is going well!

Winter Walk