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Kens Octorber notes 15 October 2007 Well the year has just flown by; Houghton Feast is now behind us with what must have been the best weather ever for the Feast. Usually this local custom marks the start of a very wet and windy weekend, but not this year, some visitors would have even got a sun tan.
Wasps are becoming very active and unwelcome guests at the moment. It seems that they interpret the changing temperature and daytime light, to signal an end to there life, this causes a lot of them to be more aggressive than normal.
Very little colours are evident at the moment other than the amazing leaf shades of the dying leaves clinging precariously to the trees. The Maples seem to be winning in the reds and orange classes, with the sycamores coming second, and holding up the rear are the wonderful colours of the Beech with their stunning coppers.
Leaves litter the paths, so you can hardly define the paths direction; unfortunately they also hid some not so nice surprises.
The Beech mast that I spoke of last month has now started, with the beech seeds dropping as fast as the leaves. I collected quite a few which I will be sowing later. The best method I use to define a good beech seed; ie one that will germinate, is to squeeze it between your fingers, if it squashes flat it is of no use, however if you cannot squeeze it, it should contain a nut, thereby being able to germinate. Pigeons can also signal areas in the woods that have good seeds containing the nut, as they are disturbed during your walk.
Last week I spotted a weasel darting in front of me, well I think it was a weasel, but it could have be a stoat. I have always had a problem of identifying the differences between these creatures. I mentioned this to my dad when I was in my teens, and his advice to me was the usually witty remark that I loved about my dad. His advice was this; A weasel is weasally recognise because the stoat is stoatally different. (That caused havoc with my spell check)
While we are on the subject of autumn colour the best of the climbers must surely be the Virginia Creepers, for a stunning display of colour; I have an ornamental vine which is also a colourful site at this time of the year.
Last Saturday, I wandered up the footpath leading to Morton House, near Fence Houses, in search of apples, I had been reliably informed that the woodland trust wood, named the Railway Wood was doing well, this was planted up by volunteers a few years ago and is an excellent example of the work that the woodland trust does. However the apple trees that are doing well had no fruit left for me. So it was off to our own nursery and orchard to collect some apples before the wasps and the frosts beat me to them.
I am hoping that our next meeting of the Conservation Group we will be celebrating the Apple by having a themed evening. Apple pies and cream and possibly an apple peeling competition, to see who can create the longest unbroken length of peel. It doesn’t get much more exciting than this!
Pass the squirty cream please!
Ken.
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