Many bald cypress trees (Taxodium distichum) along the shore. These are not really lakeshore trees – they prefer swamps – so we suspect that these were seeded here.
Beaver lodge. We saw at least 4 such lodges around this relatively small lake. Because beavers are quite territorial, we guessed that these lodges are used by an extended family. Beavers don’t use their lodges during the warmer months, so probably no one home here.
I’ve always called this the “poison ivy tree” because its leaves look so much like PI. I think it’s actually a boxelder (Acer negundo), a type of maple.
Now waiting on the hibiscus and aster… (Due to social distancing, I never did bother going out to get our usual replenishment of geraniums, begonias and fuchsia)
Saw this a couple days ago. It’s thorny and, though I’m certain it’s not Toxicodendron, I wouldn’t want to touch it. But I did notice the blooms and wonder what it is (field guide didn’t help).
Hmmm… possibly this one? Seemed more of a vine than a shrub. EDIT: This seems closer. If it’s introduced then that might be why it’s not in the field guide (of wildflowers).
The passively-aggressive annoying neighbours have been at it all week, with surprise sand-blasting of the new concrete with great clouds of dust (luckily the wind was blowing the other way), tossing puny bags of soil and sprinkling grass seed as apparent repair of the huge gouges the equipment made in the lawn. (The seed isn’t going do a damned thing unless someone rakes it in and waters it.) Gravel between the houses that’s clearly over the line, which is going to force me to survey it and run a string down the property line. And I’m still wondering about the drainage of their entire concrete backyard down between our houses…
Tonight, I was outside and heard noises, went and got my flashlight: A cute juv racoon in a new trap cage. Okay, fair enough, they can be extremely destructive pests, but these are people who put out all their damned garbage, including kitchen, the evening before next day’s pickup! (Tomorrow)
The next time, it’ll probably be one of the skunks, come to the buffet, that’s trapped, and won’t that be a joy? (I’d think of a way to move the skunk-occupied trap to their front door, but at least one of the other neighbours has a Ring doorbell camera.)
Excuse me, I have to figure out the volume of that pool, and how many boxes of jello that would need.
