Old leaves and tools

Brief break from reading and office work, to go the Woods. I took my old swing blade, thinking I could clear the trail through the knee high Polygonum knot weed west of dragonfly corner.
Through the SW Gate, under the closed canopy of  the big trees, leaf fall has begun to pick up. Now the yellow rounded leaves of the green ash are beginning to join the early elm leaves on the forest floor. No great leaf fall yet. The canopy is still largely there, green but getting old.

The swing blade worked well for the task and was less annoying than loud finicky weed whips. Something natural about the cutting swish-swish of the blade, echoes centuries use of a scyth.

The Woods were quiet. Two whitetailed deer down by the dam. It was surprisingly warm.. mid low 80's.
The Woods are dry. They've had a few autumn rains but are waiting for a good long autumn drench and a deep drink before winter comes.

Friday I visited the NE tree loop with Bruce and got a lot of new trees. Added soapberries, cottonwood, green ash, beautyberry and others to the list, with some good examples. I returned on Saturday and carefully flagged all the new trees joining the tutorial list.. and noted the 15-20 trees that had died of the original 95. Walnuts and some of the others that had been stressed and defoliated by this second consecutive hot, dry summer.. were reflushing fresh green leaves in their crowns and along their stems. Some of these trees will likely not survive through 2013.. but there are good young recruits in the understory and enough to keep the tutorial trail well filled.