Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Gathering Nuts with Mayrl

We took a Thanksgiving weekend trip to southern BC. It was great to get away and see some new sights. Of all we saw and did this is one of the spots that made my husband, Mike Mayrl, the happiest.

We had to wait for the ferry across Upper Arrow Lakes for about a half-hour. A waiting area with picnic tables and benches was set up and it had been seeded to oak trees. Red oak trees, maybe even scarlet oaks.



To a man with degrees in forestry and botany such as my husband this is a little slice of heaven on Earth.
He collected about nine lb. of the fallen acorns, and a few curious onlookers.
Most wondered if he was going to roast them. No. They are for planting.

Here's a look up through the branches at one of the oaks.


And here's a red (or scarlet) oak in full colour.

It was a magnificent spot to wait, and one of the best times of year to do it.

Please click on the pics to get the full, glorious effect.

18 comments:

the Bag Lady said...

Oh, what a gorgeous spot!! And I'm so glad Mike found something to make him happy....
(you will notice, won't you, that I resisted all kinds of "nuts" jokes and jabs???) :)

Leah J. Utas said...

Yes, I took note of that and applaud your willpower.

It is gorgeous there, and so very peaceful.

The Fifth Sparrow said...

Ooooohhhhh!
We were just lamenting the lack of red in our autumnal colors the other day.
This more than makes up for it!

Leah J. Utas said...

Fifth, I hear your lament. There's hardly any red here. Glad the pics took care of it for you.

Clare2e said...

I heard our wet spring and cool nights in late summer will make for great color here, too. Not that it stunk last year. We have such a mix of trees around here that it's really a fun, explosive-looking time a year. Thanks for the beauteemous pix.

Reb said...

Those are lovely shots Leah. Looks like Mike was happy.

messymimi said...

We have the spreading oaks and pin/water oaks here, but because we don't get cold enough weather, probably even if I could plant some of your acorns here, it wouldn't translate into those lovely colours this time of year.

Thanks for sharing his obvious joy and the beautiful pics!

Leah J. Utas said...

Clare, a good mix of trees makes for a wonderful show in the fall.
Glad you like the pics.

Reb, happy is an understatement. Thanks.

Messymimi, the cold has it's good points. Thanks, I'm happy to share.

Nancy said...

You will have these magnificient trees sometime in the future. Love that he is planting them.

Leah J. Utas said...

Yes, we will. We're looking forward to it.

Barbara Martin said...

Oak trees are my favourites after the evergreens. They provide a quiet strength wherever they have been planted. Hopefully the acorns will grow into lovely trees. Are they a hardy variety, Leah?

Leah J. Utas said...

Barbara, I agree about the quiet strength. I think that's the peace I felt among them.
Mike anticipates they are hardy, but we'll know for sure in a few years.

Thomma Lyn said...

Oh, lovely! Especially the scarlet oak. We had lots of reds here last year, but this year, we have more orange, yellow, and gold. All quite beautiful -- I love fall. :)

Leah J. Utas said...

Thanks, TL. Glad you like it. We had hardly any reds locally. I was so pleased to find these.

Frank Baron said...

Have to admit I'm a bit of a tree whore. I love 'em all but my favourites are cedars and willows. Oaks are definitely in the Top 10, though. Lovely pics, Leah. Hope many of those acorns find fertile ground.

Leah J. Utas said...

Hi, Frank. I love the smell of cedar. It is so refreshing and relaxing. I'm transported to the wilderness with every sniff.

Thanks, Frank. They are safely tucked in for the winter.

Hilary said...

Sounds like a perfect day.. with the promise of new growth. ;)

Leah J. Utas said...

It was one of the best ever, Hilary.