Velvet Bucks

Antlers are unique among mammalian structures because they are the fastest-growing bone in the animal kingdom. While growing, they’re covered in a fuzzy skin called velvet, which contains blood vessels, nerves, and nutrients that fuel rapid growth.

Scientists study velvet antlers because they are a rare example of a mammal regenerating a large, complex organ each year—making them a model for regenerative medicine and bone growth research.

From the trail camera trap line there are velvet bucks....

 

Including this dandy boy...  

 

Does It Glow In The Dark?

Unremarkably, as society embraced the atomic age, in 1950, A.C. Gilbert released a toy laboratory set that contained actual uranium. 

Some of you reading this may have grown-up with an A.C. Gilbert Erector Set - a fantastic toy that could keep you occupied for an entire day. 

The Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab was an actual children's science kit that contained small samples of radioactive materials, including uranium ore.  The kit was marketed as an educational tool to teach kids about nuclear physics and radiation. 

It included four small uranium ore samples (labeled with actual isotopes like U-238), a Geiger counter, a cloud chamber to see particle trails, a spinthariscope to observe alpha particles, an electroscope to measure radiation and a couple of manuals - "Prospecting for Uranium" and "The Atomic Energy Manual".

Pretty cool stuff and probably not precisely life-threatening.  The radiation levels were low, and the samples were sealed.  Nevertheless, even though the US Atomic Energy Commission approved the kit, by today's safety standards, it would never be allowed as a children's toy.

Regrettably, and for all the novelty, the product failed to catch-hold.  Selling for $49.50 (more than $600 in today's dollars) it was too expensive for most families.  It was too complex for most youngsters and naturally parents were uneasy allowing their kids handle radioactive materials.

Of course, if you had one of these in your attic it would be highly collectible fetching thousands of dollars on E-Bay for a complete set.

Milestone

Some of you readers know that we've been hosting a Snapshot Wisconsin camera here at The Platz. 

This project utilizes volunteers to help identify and count the animals recorded on these trail cameras. 

Crowdsourcing the data of where and when each photo was taken will hopefully lend further understanding of wildlife population distributions across Wisconsin and how these distributions change over time. Snapshot Wisconsin is a consistent mechanism to monitor all types of wildlife throughout the year.   

Wisconsin started as a pilot program in only two counties in 2016 but expanded statewide in 2018. Today, there are 1,894 volunteers, monitoring over 2,069 trail cameras across the state. Furthermore, the Snapshot program receives approximately 45,000 photos per day from all these cameras. Just stop and think about how incredible that is!

The Bushnell Snapshot camera we host was deployed at the end of October 2018 and had to be replaced after a critter damaged its motion detector several years ago.  The location has not changed in eight years.  

Snapshot Wisconsin recently reached an important milestone - 

100 Million Photos Collected! 

100 million photos collected is no small feat, and the volunteer hours which made it all possible cannot be overstated. These photos have provided critical data to help inform countless wildlife management decisions, provided educational opportunities for students across the state and engaged thousands of volunteers in community science. To celebrate this achievement, the Snapshot Team put together a photo collection featuring one trail camera image from each county in Wisconsin. 

Go to this link to learn more as you scroll to explore our state, county by county, through the lens of the Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera project.  This story map you will be redirected-to is best viewed on a desktop browser or tablet. 

Fun Fact:  The photo featured for Door County was taken by the camera we host. 

Astronomy and Astrology Explained

Maybe you associate the word zodiac with astrology. But it has an honored place in astronomy, too. 

Anyone who spends any time gazing at the night sky is keenly aware of the zodiac constellations, because they contain what’s called the ecliptic, or sun’s path across our sky. 

Why is the sun’s path so important? Join night sky experts - Deborah Byrd and Bob King, aka AstroBob - to find out!

The Mysterious Egg Caper

 

 

From the trail camera is a curious couple of photos of a turkey hen with an egg in her mouth.

What gives?

So I sent-off an email to a certified wildlife biologist at the University. 

Hiya Jamie...   From the trail camera is a puzzler.  Why would a turkey hen be moving an egg?  I cannot imagine she could get her beak around an intact egg.  But I'm happy to be wrong on that. Or is this some sort of predatory behavior?  Thanks, as always, for any insights.  Tom 

To which she replied.

Hi Tom,  You always have the most interesting trail camera photos!  From my understanding, hen turkeys do not relocate viable eggs.  I believe that this is a hen removing an egg from the nest that was depredated to avoid attracting additional predators to the remaining eggs.  Predators like ground squirrels and crows may puncture an egg and consume the insides.  While turkey hunting this year, I came across a turkey egg right in the middle of a trail (see attached), this was probably a similar scenario, or a predator carried it this far.  This looks like a crow, or another bird used its beak to pierce the shell.  Starting to see quite a few broods of turkey poults, hopefully you are, too.    Cheers,  Jamie

The plot thickens.  Jamie forwarded the email chain to a colleague for further discussion.

Hi Chris,  I hope you are doing well!  Below is an email I received from a landowner as well as my reply.  It got me thinking and I'm curious if you have any other plausible explanations for the hen turkey with an egg in her mouth.  Have you documented any turkey nest predation by turkeys?   During my master's research, I did have a turkey depredate a grassland bird nest and I know of at least one grouse nest depredated by a turkey... all opportunistically, I'm sure.   I'd appreciate any thoughts you may have.  Have a great week!   Jamie 

And the response from Chris.

Hi Jamie,   Good to hear from you. Things are going well here. I hope you’re enjoying your summer thus far!   Well…this isn’t something you come across every day! I haven’t knowingly encountered an instance where a turkey has eaten an egg, although I have suspected it. I’m aware of colleagues in other states that have attributed egg loss to turkeys on occasion, but none to my knowledge have photos of a bird carrying an egg. I did come across one wildlife photographer who was able to document a similar occurrence and included it in a blog post (https://www.robertgroosphotography.com/home/the-egg-bandit).     Turkeys are very opportunistic. And while eggs are not part of their normal diet, they are eaten on (relatively) rare occasion. I think it most likely occurs when a bird comes across an abandoned nest; or in the case of a hen, if she is bumped off a nest and the eggs are partially eaten by a predator, she may return and consume the remaining egg(s) since they are highly nutritious – which could be especially valuable if she decided to renest. However, I don’t believe that turkeys are actively hunting for eggs, whether it be that of other turkeys or other ground-nesting birds (which comes up way too often in discussions on ruffed grouse). Hope this is helpful.   Cheers,  Chris

So there you have it.  A possibly opportunistic turkey keeping-up with housekeeping around the nest.

Never a dull moment around here and an opportunity to learn something new.

You Say Potato, I Say Potatoh

L to R: Yukon Gold, Superior and German Butterball

I've grown a lot of  potatoes in my life, but not likely as many species that you will find at the Midwest Area Vegetable Crops Research Unit where you will find the Potato Germplasm Station; AKA the United States Potato Genebank (USPG).  Yup, the Fort Knox of potatoes is found right here on the peninsula  just north of Sturgeon Bay.  

Before 1950 and the US national plant germplasm system was started, potato breeding was basically  ad hoc by various scientists and breeders.  Consequently they were not available to the whole grower community, and got infected with viruses or otherwise lost. Potato scientists (yes, there is such a thing) organized to lobby for a centralized program to import, classify, preserve, evaluate, and distribute potato germplasm. 

Because we grow a lot of potatoes in our fine state Wisconsin lobbied extensively for a genebank, and we got what we asked-for.  It seemed a good idea to have all of this genetic treasure situated a bit removed from the production area of the state, and the because the UW research farm - Peninsular Agricultural Research Station (PARS) has been located on the peninsula since 1922  Sturgeon Bay was chosen as the USPG home in 1948. 

Unbeknownst to just about everyone it is here that research is performed to facilitate improvements in the potato of the future by promoting the use of valuable exotic genes found in wild potato species.  Wild potato species contain a veritable treasure chest of genetic diversity for potentially useful traits that may be bred into new varieties. These new varieties must be able to overcome the challenges of pests and stresses with less dependence on chemical fertilizers, insecticides and fungicides. The USPG is doing this through a 5-fold approach: acquisition, classification, preservation, evaluation and distribution of potato genetics.  This collection is part of the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) - all 5927 potato specimens in the collection!

Check-out the Champion Spud to the left.

 

Potato scientists have a complete tissue culture lab and growth chamber facility to support a clonal collection of about 1000 tubers. In addition, there are 10 greenhouse compartments in which plants are grown to generate seeds and tubers for distribution to customers, as well as for cooperative and in-house research. Most of this work is performed in the winter.  Additionally, there are four large screenhouses for similar work in the summer. A seed lab is used to extract, dry and package the seeds. Freezers hold the seed collection, and a walk-in refrigerated storage holds research tubers.  

The purpose of USPG, like any genebank is to acquire, classify, preserve, evaluate and distribute germplasm, information and technology pursuant to improving the crop. Right under your nose this is the  only facility in the US with that mission specifically for the potato.  Researchers here also support potato improvement around the world. 

The potato has about 100 species and more wild relatives which are accessible to breeding than
any other crop. At least 70% of new cultivar releases have exotic germplasm from USPG in their family tree.  Indeed, it is here that you will find the grandparent of  the Yukon Gold. 

It all begins here so researchers think about consumers a lot, since potato needs to expand demand to stay profitable.  Here you will find researchers working on evaluating and developing unusual forms like the Colombian orange-fleshed egg-yolk specialty type.  Scientists keep abreast of nutritional news and trends, since any kind of nutritional improvement in potato could make it a more attractive choice to consumers. Since there is no expectation that people will eat more, attention is paid to how the potato could compete better with grains.  And they're on the lookout for totally new outlets for potato.

Finally, substantial attention is given to how Wisconsin germplasm can address the needs of growers in Latin America, since this is a way to say “thank you” to the people who originally donated it to the world.

Fast Fact:  The Honeycrisp Apple (Malus pumila) was developed by the University of Minnesota at their Horticultural Research Center.  Designated as MN1711 in 1974, patented in 1988, and released in 1991, the Honeycrisp, once slated to be discarded, has rapidly become a prized commercial apple.  So, when someone wants to defund government-paid research at major universities it might just have consequences.

Do Vaccines Cause Autism?

Reported cases of autism have been rising for several reasons, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that autism itself is becoming more common. There are a half-dozen key factors at play that explain the increase:

• Improved Awareness – More people, including parents, teachers, and doctors, recognize the signs of autism.  Consequently, better and more frequent diagnoses.

• Expanded Diagnostic Criteria – Over the years, the definition of autism has broadened to include a wider range of symptoms and severity.  This is referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD.

• Better Screening and Early Diagnosis – Many children are now screened for autism at an early age, allowing for earlier detection compared to past decades.

• Changes in Reporting Practices – Schools, healthcare providers, and government agencies track autism diagnoses more systematically than before.  Improved reporting results in more diagnoses. 
  

• Reduced Stigma – As society becomes more accepting of the manner an individual's brain works.  This results in more families and individuals seeking evaluations and support.

• Environmental and Genetic Factors – Some researchers have examined whether environmental influences such as parental age or prenatal factors may contribute to a genuine rise.  Causal relations are inconclusive.

Changes in diagnostic criteria have played a major role in the rising number of reported autism cases. The definition has been broadened.  Autism was first described in the 1940s, but its definition has evolved since. Previously, autism was diagnosed in individuals manifesting severe symptoms. Nowadays it includes a spectrum of behaviors ranging from mild to severe. 

The introduction of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the DSM-5 (2013) now includes several previous diagnoses, including Asperger’s Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), under one umbrella. This change meant that many people who wouldn’t have been diagnosed before were now considered autistic.

There has also been a shift from other diagnoses to autism. Before ASD was widely recognized, many children with mild social or communication difficulties were diagnosed with conditions like intellectual disability, ADHD, or speech and language disorders instead of autism. Individuals previously labeled with other conditions were reclassified as autistic.

Screening tools have improved with diagnoses being made as early as 18-24 months of age.  Before the 1990s many children with autism went undiagnosed or were diagnosed much later in life.

Finally, schools and medical institutions now have stronger incentives to diagnose autism, partly because children with ASD qualify for special education services and therapies. Better tracking and reporting of cases leaves the impression that autism is increasing dramatically.

As for the theory that vaccines are a causal factor of autism - they do not.

This misconception originated from a 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield, which was subsequently debunked and retracted due to serious flaws, unethical practices, and conflicts of interest. Since then, numerous large-scale scientific studies have found no link between vaccines and autism. Consider this:

Large studies of millions of children have confirmed that vaccines, including the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, do not increase autism risk.

A 2019 Danish study involving over 650,000 children found no difference in autism rates between vaccinated and unvaccinated children.

If anybody tell you that vaccines contain mercury, they're liars.  Concerns about thimerosal (a mercury-containing preservative) led to its removal from most vaccines in the early 2000s.  Autism rates continued to rise even after thimerosal was removed, proving it wasn’t a factor.

Lastly, avoid vaccines at your own peril.  The anti-vaccine movement led to outbreaks of measles, whooping cough, and other preventable diseases.  Vaccines protect children and communities from serious illnesses.

The truth of the matter is that there is no scientific evidence that vaccines cause autism. The idea has been thoroughly investigated and debunked. Vaccines are safe, effective, and essential for preventing deadly diseases.

Link to a Guest Editorial over at the New York Times.

Project Iceworm

As the Cold War began and the threat of nuclear attack became ever more real, the United States and the Kingdom of Denmark agreed that Greenland would host three American airbases to counter the nuclear threat from the Soviet Union. 

Along with these airbases came a plan to create a ballistic missile base beneath Greenland’s ice sheets. Powered by a portable nuclear generator Camp Century was built to host up to 200 soldiers, provide year round accommodation, and upon expansion would be capable of storing up to 600 ballistic missiles. 

The plans for the base were short lived. Built in 1959 Camp Century was abandoned in 1967 after 8 short years. When the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) abandoned the base little was done to dispose of waste materials. The ACE believed that accumulating snowfall and frigid temperatures would preserve the base and the waste left along with it. 

Upon its abandonment only the reaction chamber of the nuclear generator was taken. 9,200 tons of physical waste (building infrastructure), 200,000 liters of diesel fuel, 24,000,000 liters of biological waste, and 1,200,000,000 Bq (unit of radioactivity) of radioactive material were left at Camp Century. 

Aside from diesel fuel that was stored in rigid containers, which have most likely been compromised, liquid waste was stored in unlined sumps. Experts believe that the continued degradation of ice sheets will create conditions where this liquid waste will be able to permeate deeper into the ice, possibly into aquifers within the ice sheet, and even the sea.

Policy Implications

If the waste left at Camp Century were to permeate deeper into the ice shelf it could have grave environmental consequences. Not only would it contaminate a large swath of centuries old ice that holds a plethora of scientific data, it would also pose the risk of making its way out to sea and contaminating a diverse ecosystem. 

As the United States, Canada, and Denmark look to exploit the resources around Greenland, estimated to be worth tens if not hundreds of billions of dollars, any pollution coming from Camp Century could pose a risk to development. 

Camp Century is also a key example as to what we can expect to see as climate change causes ice sheets to shrink and ocean levels to rise. Rising ocean levels will engulf abandoned and derelict factories, refineries, waste dumps, and other industrial infrastructure close to the sea. 

The remobilization of waste at sites such as Camp Century is an occurrence that will become more widespread as a result of climate change. Policymakers will have to work at both a national and international level to shore up and remediate sites that pose a risk to the environment.

You can learn more about Camp Century and Project Iceworm here. 

Enjoy this short documentary.......

 

Don't Look Up!

Earth safe from 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4!

Hey, Space Fans!

Happy Monday and we're starting off the week with a big (think huge space rock wize) weight off our minds as astronomers just dramatically reduced the potential threat risk of the newfound asteroid 2024 YR4 down to miniscule odds. The asteroid briefly set a record for the highest threat level ever, at a 1-in-32 chance of hitting Earth in 2032.

"The NASA JPL Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) now lists the 2024 YR4 impact probability as 0.00005 (0.005%) or 1-in-20,000 for its passage by Earth in 2032," Richard Binzel, Professor of Planetary Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and creator of the Torino scale exclusively told Space.com. "That's impact probability zero folks!"

Whew!

Don't Look Up

In the unlikely event that you haven't got enough things on your mind to worry about; here is a tidbit that crossed my news feed recently.

Asteroid 2024 YR4 was discovered on December 27 of last year and is estimated to be 196 feet wide - about the size of the Statue of Liberty and 27 million miles distant. If it were to strike planet earth there is a high probability that it could result in significant damage; likely similar to the 1908 event which flattened a vast forested area in Tunguska Siberia.

Yesterday NASA announced that this chunk of galactic rock  had an estimated 3.1% chance of impacting earth on December 22, 2032 - a 1 in 42 chance of collision.

It is useful to note that the probability of an impact can change as additional data is collected.  Asteroid 99942 Apophis was initially considered at high risk of colliding with earth; and with continued monitoring these worries were ruled out. 

NASA and other space agencies are actively monitoring 2024 YR4 as the asteroid is currently rated as a 3 on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale ranking this as a close-enough encounter with a 1% or greater chance of impact capable of causing localized destruction.  Who knew?  As events unfold the asteroid's trajectory and probability of impact will be updated.

If the impact probability remains significant there are further options.  NASA could attempt to deflect the object by means of altering its trajectory.  NASA mounted a successful DART mission in 2022 to test the feasibility of this as a defense strategy. 

With a 3.1% probability of an impact this is worth paying attention.  Of course there is a much higher probability that Elon Musk will dismantle and defund NASA, furlough all of the agency's slothful and ungrateful workers, disappear the NASA.gov website, strike the name from all of the empty buildings and for good measure supplant it with his own company.

In which case I recommend you interview a contractor who can construct for you a sturdy bunker.  

You can learn more about the science of tracking a predicting all of these near-earth objects that keep you up at night. 

Don't Look Up

On this day in history thirteen years ago a meteor entered the atmosphere above Chelyabinsk Oblast in the southern Ural region of Russia.  It exploded with the force estimated to be more than thirty times that of the nuclear device used on Hiroshima.  

Likely originating from the asteroid belt located between Mars and Jupiter it was estimated to be approximately 60 feet in diameter and 9100 tons.  Its approach to earth was a shallow trajectory with an estimated speed of 43,000 miles per hour.  The blinding light was visible up to 60 miles distant and exploded in an air burst at an altitude of about 18 miles (97,000 feet).  Remarkably, nobody saw it coming as its radiant (direction of approach) was from the sun.  

Even more remarkable, there were no deaths; although, almost 1,500 individuals sought medical treatment for injuries mostly from indirect injuries (broken glass) as a consequence of the shock waves from the blast.  7,200 buildings in six cities across the region were damaged. 

In the aftermath of the air burst a significant number of small meteorites fell in areas west of Chelyabinsk; described as gravel falling from the sky. In 2013 Russian scientists identified a two foot sized chunk buried in the muddy bottom of Lake Chebarkul.  It was recovered, broke the scales used to weigh it and split into three pieces.  

This meteor event is the largest known object to have entered the atmosphere since the Tunguska event in 1908 which destroyed a large forested area in a remote part of Siberia. 

Noteable Quoteable

Some people think of God as an outsized, light skinned male with a long white beard, sitting on a throne somewhere up there in the sky. Baruch Spinoza and Albert Einstein considered God to be essentially the sum total of the physical laws which describe the universe. I do not know of any compelling evidence for anthropomorphic patriarchs controlling human destiny from some hidden celestial vantage point, but it would be madness to deny the existence of physical laws.

 Carl Sagan ; Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science

Polar Vortex

Polar vortex sunrise this morning.  -3F here, halfway between the equator and the North Pole.

This winter weather phenomena is not anything new.  Rather, the term polar vortex has been popularized in recent years bringing attention to weather that has always been there. While we feel the effects on the ground the action is taking place tens of thousands of feet higher in the upper atmosphere.

There is a large area of low pressure and frigid air that persists at both the earth's poles.  It is the counter-clockwise motion of this flow of air that lends its name to vortex.  It is always there and strengthens in the winter while weakening during the summer months. Periodically during winter this air mass will expand, sending cold air southward via the jet stream.  Not confined to North America these cold surges occur in Europe and Asia as well.

While wild critters are better adapted to extremes of weather the only danger to people and their families is prolonged exposure to extremes of cold.  Which is why you should find a spot to bask in the winter sunshine.

 

October Night Skies

The aurora borealis, AKA the northern lights are caused by solar activity that triggers magnetic storms.

Solar flares from activity on the surface of the sun and coronal mass ejections release electrically charged particles into space.

The solar wind carries these charged particles from the sun.

And when the particles are captured by the earth's magnetic field they collide with our atmosphere, heating-up the atoms and molecules which release energy in the form of photons, or light particles resulting in the aurora borealis.

And this happens.  

From last evening...

click on images to enlarge

Newton's Law

Newton's First Law of Motion, also known as the Law of Inertia, states that an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

 

The Big Fibroma

On July 7 I scored some photos of a whitetail with a pendulous tumor.

Looks gross, eh?

I emailed the pics to a biologist I know who heads-up the UW School of Wildlife Biology in Madison to see if she might shed some light on the subject. She shared them with the DNR’s Chief Veterinarian.  Here’s the response back:

 

Hi all-

 

While I can’t make a diagnosis from a picture, the image would be most consistent with a fibroma. They can vary greatly in size and shape. Usually they’ll eventually regress. Sometimes that can be irritated by injury or insect bites but again that is self-limiting most of the time. These fibromas are just a lesion of the skin and caused by a deer specific papillomavirus. 

 

More info can be found here: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/.../wildlif.../disease/Deerfibroma

 

Best

 

Lindsey

 

This showed-up on a trail camera last week.  Looks like it's improving all on its own... 

 

 

Early Warning System

The peninsula suffered a mild earthquake recently so it is timely to introduce you this guy.

This is the American toad (Bufo americanus).

Wisconsin is home to one solitary species of toad.

They're good to have around as they are an early warning system of sorts.

When it comes to predicting earthquakes, toads - warts and all - may be an asset.

British researchers said Wednesday that they observed a mass exodus of toads from a breeding site in Italy five days before a major tremor struck, suggesting the amphibians may be able to sense environmental changes, imperceptible to humans that foretell a coming quake.

Since ancient times, anecdotes and folklore have linked unusual animal behavior to cataclysmic events like earthquakes, but hard evidence has been scarce.

A new study by researchers from the Open University is one of the first to document animal behavior before, during and after an earthquake.

I'll let you know if I see an exodus of my toads.

But only after I beat it out of Dodge first.

You can learn more about it here. 

Diagnosis

 

Looks gross, eh?

These images showed-up on a trail camera recently showing what appears to be a pendulous tumor on an otherwise healthy-looking whitetail.  Curious, I forwarded them to a biologist I know who heads-up the UW School of Wildlife Biology in Madison.

She shared them with the DNR’s Chief Veterinarian.

Here’s the response back from the doctor:

Hi all-

While I can’t make a diagnosis from a picture, the image would be most consistent with a fibroma.  They can vary greatly in size and shape.  Usually they’ll eventually regress.  Sometimes that can be irritated by injury or insect bites but again that is self-limiting most of the time.   These fibromas are just a lesion of the skin and caused by a deer specific papillomavirus.  More info can be found here: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/wildlifehabitat/disease/Deerfibroma

Best
Lindsey

These are  deer fibroma, or warts, and generally disappear as the animal mounts an immune response and do not present a health risk to humans.  The meat is safe for consumption too. Michigan DNR also hosts a detailed webpage on the subject here: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/managing-resources/Wildlife/Wildlife-disease/WDM/deer-fibroma

 You learn something every day.....

Newtonian Physics

Newton's First Law of Motion - also known as the Law of Inertia - states that an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same directions unless acted-upon by an unbalanced force.

 

Dendroarchaeology

Wooden finds are essential in gaining insights into climatic and land use changes but also societal development during the Holocene era.  Dendroarchaeological investigations, using tree rings, wood anatomy and techno-morphological characteristics are of great importance for a better understanding of the past as well as human-environment-interactions.

I have no shortage of oddities around the house.  Birds nests (with eggs), rocks, fossils, antlers, preserved turkey beards, fans and what-not.  One item is a four inch length of branch almost severed in two by a round from a deer rifle.  I kept it as a souvenir of a shot at a dandy buck that was deflected by an offending branch the hunter didn't acquire in his scope.  It doesn't take much to mess-up your well-planned shot; further evidence of the morphology of human interaction with wood.

Some of you readers know that we had our first floor flooring refinished.  This is a consequence of a botched dishwasher installation on behalf of a Green Bay big box retailer.  Details in a future post after the dust (pun intended) has settled.

During one of my daily visits to check on the crew and progress of the work the lead guy, Dan, said to me; Do you know you have a bullet in your floor?

Not that I'm aware-of, I replied.  To the best of my knowledge nobody's ever discharged a firearm in the house.  Dan,no,no; this is a bullet that has been in the wood all along.

Dan continued by explaining that about every five years or so his company discovers a bullet embedded in someone's wood floor.  Just like fragments of barbed wire, nails, bolts, bullets and even cannon balls are found in trees.  The large stuff is typically uncovered when it damages saw blades at the mill.  But the small stuff, most of the time, escapes notice.  In our case Dan knew enough to not remove the bullet  from the white oak plank.  He left it there knowing we would appreciate the dendroarchaeological value of having this left as a conversation piece.  He even shined it up a bit so that it glints when the sunlight filters through the windows precisely the right way.

The back story is that the bullet is likely the result of a hunter's stray shot.  Regrettably, there is insufficient tree ring data to trace how old it is.  Nevertheless, if you examine it closely you can see that as the tree continued to grow it also grew a callus around the projectile as a response to the wound.  

The tree is now dead, but the wood and bullet persist in our lives.  I'm glad Dan found it as I've been walking past it for a couple of decades completely clueless.  If only that tree could talk.  Maybe it wasn't a hunter's stray bullet.  Might it have been from a homicide?  A gunfight involving Chicago gangsters?  A conflict with the natives during European settlement?  Or some other violent event?  Who knows?

The next time you visit remind me to point it out.  And you can advance your own theories about how it came about.