More Spring Blooms

More evidence that you don't have to walk very far to take-in more of Ma Nature's work just take a stroll around the yard to take it in.  

We planted this tree in the front yard twenty-two years ago.  It was one year-old bare root stock; a pencil-size twig.  And for the longest time we never thought it would amount to anything.

It's grown into a handsome young oak tree. The species is Northern Pin Oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis) commonly known as a Hill's oak.

Only a few weeks ago I noticed that the tree had large numbers of catkins hanging from the branches as the leaves of 2026 emerged from their buds.

Yes, oak trees have blossoms too.  These are one of the flowers that are produced by a tree – the male flower to be certain.  This species is monoecious – meaning that it produces both male and female flowers.  Each male flower typically has six stamens (ranges from two to twelve) which have long spreading white filaments when the flower fully opens.  The female flowers are more reddish-green and appear as small slender spikes in the axils of new growth.  

I gave this tree a thorough examination and could find no flowers of the female persuasion. Not surprising inasmuch as they are not visible to the naked eye.  Doh!

Anyway, last week there was this...

click on image for a closer look

The male catkin flowers are still there and If you look carefully you can see itty-bitty immature acorns beginning to develop from the female flowers. 

Those acorns will mature by the close of summer and the critters will hoover them up. 

On This Day In History - Chapter 3

Since it's the 82nd anniversary of the D-Day invasion here's a true story about the Peninsula's connection to the invasion.

If you're familiar with Door and Kewaunee County's rich maritime history you probably already know that northeast Wisconsin ship builders supplied the war effort with anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ships, submarines and cargo vessels.

The very first Allied vessel that was sunk on the morning of D-Day was a submarine chaser, Patrol Craft-1261.

PC-1261 was laid down on November 20, 1942 by the Leathem D. Smith Shipbuilding Company in Sturgeon Bay, WI.  Launched on February 28, 1943 she was commissioned in May 1943 and sailed to Europe to participate in the Normandy landings.

4:30 AM, June 6th 1944 found PC-1261 and PC-1176 guiding the first waves of landing craft. As they approached within range of German shore gun batteries PC-1261 quickly became a primary target.  Several shells struck the water bracketing the ship.  

It was apparent to Navigation Officer Lieutenant Halsey Barrett that the situation was perilous. However, maneuvering out of fire would threaten the entire landing operation, so the order was given to hold position.  Moments later, the ship was rocked with an explosion as a 5-inch shell had landed amidships, tearing a hole straight through into the engine room, killing an estimated half the crew and crippling the vessel in an instant. 

“That’s it! Tell the Admiral we’re sinking…” was Captain Rency Sewell’s response. 

After several minutes attempting to rescue those they could from within the flooding compartments, the order was given to abandon ship with survivors picked up from the water by returning landing craft.  

The crew of PC-1176 had to watch in horror as their sister ship sank, unable to come to her aid. The remaining Sub chaser spent the next five hours guiding the combined forces to shore.  PC-1176 dodged enemy artillery while returning fire from her own 3-inch, 50 Caliber deck gun.  

Utah Beach would ultimately be secured with relatively little loss of life, thanks in no small part to the service of two small sub chasers built in Sturgeon Bay, WI.  

Learn more about the story here. 

On This Day In History - Chapter 2

Private John Marvin Steele was the American paratrooper who landed on the pinnacle of the church tower in Sainte-Mère-Église, the first village to be liberated by the United States Army during Operation Overlord on June 6, 1944.

In the third photo that is him second from the right.... 

 

photo - US Army

On This Day In History - Chapter 1

On this day, 82 years ago, on June 6, 1944, First Lieutenant Jimmie W. Monteith Jr., age 26, landed with Company L, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, in the first assault wave on Omaha Beach near Colleville-sur-Mer, France.

As Monteith hit the beach, German machine guns, mortars, and artillery opened fire from reinforced positions on the cliffs. The landing zone was a killing field. Units were disorganized. Casualties were heavy. Officers were down. Men were scattered and pinned along the waterline. Monteith got up, walked into the fire, and started pulling soldiers together. He moved from cover to cover, rallying men, forming them into assault teams, and giving orders to push forward.

He led one of the first small groups off the beach. They advanced over a narrow ledge and crossed an open area under constant enemy fire. He guided them to the base of a cliff where they found partial cover. That action allowed more men to follow and regroup away from the kill zone.

Monteith then turned back. He crossed the open beach alone to reach two Sherman tanks that had landed but were stuck and unable to locate enemy targets. He climbed onto the tanks under fire. He pounded on the hatches and gave directions. On foot, he led the tanks through a live minefield to get them into position. Under his guidance, the tanks opened fire on German pillboxes, machine gun nests, and strong points, taking out several fortified enemy emplacements.

After helping the tanks, Monteith rejoined his company. He led them in an assault on WN 60, one of the key German resistance nests on the bluffs. He ordered Bangalore torpedoes placed to cut through the barbed wire. He led the charge through the opening, across mines and direct gunfire, and into close combat. They cleared the position and secured it.

Monteith stayed on the line. He helped organize the defense of the captured ground as the Germans launched multiple counterattacks. He moved across 200 to 300 yards of open terrain more than once to maintain communication between separated elements of the line.

Later in the day, German forces closed in on his position. They surrounded it. Monteith tried to lead his men in a breakout. As he moved through enemy fire again, he was shot and killed.

For his actions on June 6, 1944, First Lieutenant Jimmie W. Monteith Jr. was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Friday Music

It is said that Grateful Dead artist Robert Hunter wrote the lyrics to this song in London, 1970, after consuming half a bottle of retsina in the process.  Jerry Garcia wrote the music to accompany the lyrics.  The song had its debut in August 18, 1970 at Fillmore West in San Francisco. It was released as the B-side to the single Truckin'.

In 2024, Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 334 in their updated list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

This is a really nice Playing For Change cover of Ripple.

I guess you can't get enough Grateful Dead....

Future Enforcer?

The law that created the Director of National Intelligence position stipulates that the officeholder should “have extensive national security expertise.” 

Bill Pulte clearly fails that test. 

Although, his obeisance and fealty to Donald Trump is unimpeachable. 

Nevertheless, Mr. Trump has appointed him in an acting role, which means that the Senate does not need to confirm him. Unless the president formally nominates him, he can serve in the job for only 210 days. 

That appears to be long enough to act on the president's orders for the midterm elections.

Think about it.

Consider The Larch

AKA - Hackmatack, Eastern larch or American larch - Larix laricina – the Tamarack is one of my most favorite trees.

The tamarack is one of only three native North American larch species and is the most common.  Unlike other conifers the larch sheds its needles in the fall like bald cypress.  It turns a radiant golden yellow just prior to shedding its needles and with the arrival of spring grows a complete new set.  

It's spring time here and the rosy-hued structures shown in the photo are new female cones that appear in the spring and will eventually mature into woody, brown cones.

Tamarack is the most cold-hardy of any native tree and has the strongest wood of all the conifers. Tamarack also has the widest range of all the North American conifers.

While this species will grow exceedingly well in upland locations the tamarack prefers full sun and thrives in bogs, swamps and wet acidic soil.  It is often found in association with black spruce, balsam fir and northern white cedar.

Because it grows slowly in cold, wet environments the wood is surprisingly dense, heavy, hard and very durable in contact with soil. This natural rot resistance without chemical treatment makes it prized for fence posts, railroad ties, poles and boat building. 

Native Americans used the flexible and stringy roots, called watap, to sew-together sheets of birch bark for the assembly of canoes.  

There wasn't a tamarack to be found anywhere in the neighborhood when this property was acquired; although government land office surveyor notes identified it as a common tree on the peninsula before European settlement.  Large trees are very rare rare as most old specimens were killed years ago by the larch sawfly. And most certainly most found their way into fence posts and shingles as old growth forest was cleared for agriculture.

Tamarack grows so well here and being less suitable as deer browse has resulted in it becoming one of the top naturally regenerated species on our landscape.

Consider the larch....