Life all around

However difficult the loss of our beloved kitty, inspiring life abounds on our wonderful hill. Recently we've seen a groundhog munching nearby (no pics of that little fellow yet), turkey broods, deer, the hummingbirds, and signs of black bear. Of course, towering above us all is the greatest of all life on Hardwood Hermitage, our trees. Seeing this huge double-trunk yellow birch was simply awesome!

Then there's the majestic white ash

Of course, paper birch, the state tree, doesn't play second fiddle to anyone!

For toughness and commanding stature, nothing beats red oak in the Great North Woods. This big quercus rubra has been battered by wind and ice for a couple of centuries. You can see through a big hole in this tree! Falling branches are everywhere, but the central trunk still produces an impressive canopy of leaves. They'll start turning red in about five weeks!