Friday Clearing Trail

I took saw to the NE Gate this Friday afternoon. Cool, clear, still, pleasant afternoon (58F). I cleared the ash snag log broken across southwest end of EW Fence Line trail and half a dozen other logs sinking lower and blocking the trail. I repainted the pink blazes on the SE trails down to the Service Rd. and back to Barney Jct.
At Fence Corner, I met Clay and Faith from Rybz's class out working on their project. Two deer down by the SW corner of the Woods. Wednesday the 2nd was a very windy day with gusts over 40 mph. I expected to see more debris.. but the strong winds were from the north and the Woods are sheltered by the escarpment. I saw a few small oak branches with green leaves torn from the big bur oak #100 (one of the two friends). Everything else that was down, seemed like old small branches that had died previously and only now were being knocked down. I should check the exposed upper Ravine Trail.
Lots of pretty, light butter-yellow ash leaves coming down now. The Woods' floor is alive with color and light. I had the tune "The Ash Grove" in my head. I stopped and listened to the still-green, full canopy of leaves on the grandfather cottonwood, rustling in the wind.
Pile of fresh dove? feathers on the ground beneath Buzzard Roost looked like a predator had caught a bird. Crossing over the Dune 50 feet south there was a single dove flying south with me and I wondered if this was the mate of the bird that had been killed and eaten. I wonder if Ligustrum privet will act like exotic gorse in NZ - as a nurse plant allowing other spp. (green ash etc..) to grow up under it; or if it will exclude others and take over area exclusively via competition for light water etc or allelopathy. Some water in the Western Wash but none flowing. The Elm Bridge area is dry. The red pit-fall dish by the base of the big pecan snag SW of Tall Stump had been dug up by animal and left. Curious who owns this? No sign or sound or track of dogs - good.