Help Needed: Tree Identification

We have a group of 3 curious trees
in our back, moderately wooded pasture
which we cannot identify.
And what makes it curious, you ask ?
It is blooming NOW ... and it's AUTUMN.
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This are of the pasture is mostly (80%) shade.
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The soil is rich woodland soil, although
it is rather rocky (flat "stack stone" type rocks).
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Our home is technically "on the line"
between regular and "higher elevation"
according to the local Forest Ranger.
So identifications of natural things
can be from either "area".
(We are in SE Tennessee.)
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Above: Looking up into the tree's canopy.
(large leaves, nut clusters, and if you look very closely
you can see that there are a few purple
blooms still attached)
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Below: Leaves (Cherub 1's hand for "size")
The leaves are very smooth
but not slick on the front.
On the back side, the leaves are
covered in a fine fuzz -
not soft, but not rough in texture.

Below: Closer photo for tree bark detail. The bark
feels rather smooth despite these markings. It also
appears to be very thin (not think like an Oak).

Below: Cherub 1 and Cherub 3 standing in and beside
two of the trees in this cluster. These trees are not very big,
yet they have fairly large canopies compared to their small
size. And when closely inspecting damage and "injuries"
on the trunks, we definitely came to the conclusion
that these are mature trees, albeit small.
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(Note: We cannot find any more of these trees
in the other wooded areas, nor anywhere else
in this "patch" of woods. But according to neighbors,
this pasture has been "just" pasture
for 30 years or more.)

Below: This is a cluster of nuts found not far from the
base of these trees. The shells are all open, are very dry,
and very brittle. Also, their "hulls" are rather thin,
although they are stronger than we expected.

Above: half shells from a single seed pod.
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Below: This tree is dropping light purple trumpet-shaped
blossoms. And at the base of each blossom is a soft
tan-brown "container" that rather looks like
a puff-ball mushroom (it feels almost like soft suede).
The tan container is very soft and supple -- not hard.

Above & Below: Close up images of some blossoms
that have already fallen to the ground.

We have scoured our tree books and the internet,
to no avail. We tried Witch Hazels
(blooms are yellow and are quite different
from these purple trumpet blossoms)
and were tried willows of all sorts.
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We're stumped !!
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And so we are hoping, now, that someone
"out there" might know what this tree is ?
Or can at least have some ideas that
might help us along in our search ?
**
UPDATE:
A friend from our
Nature Study Group,
Miss P.B.,
identified our tree.
It's a Princess Tree,
also known as
an Empress Tree.
It is not an native tree,
hence
our difficulty with
the identification.
THANK YOU FOR
YOUR HELP, P.B. !!

Carnival

The new
Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival
has been posted.

Enjoy !

A Fall Collage

Autumn Collage
(found online)

Can you believe that today is October 1st ? It seems like only yesterday we were tilling and planting the garden, swimming, and enjoying our longggg summer vacation. Well, it wasn't very long at all. HA !
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We are settled into our new home. Everything is unpacked, and life is back to normal. One big difference here is the privacy, which we have not had in many years now. We see a car pass on the road out front every few days, and that's it. Oh, of course we also see the Mail Carrier daily. The Cherubs are enjoying exploring -- the barn loft has become their "fort", the woods are full of new treasures to identify (leaves, nuts, creatures), and the open fields are full of spinning giggling children playing ball or tag or some other delightful game every afternoon.
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The leaves are beginning to change ... as we look over the woods and mountains, we can see tinges of gold and red mixed among the deep green foliage. We are waiting anxiously to see the mountains in their glorious autumnal splendor. It shouldn't be long now.

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Our dogs are heading to the groomer soon, each for a Day of Beauty. A good bath, nail trimming, and a nice haircut. Daisy always enjoys her appointments. But Bella does not really care for this routine; she is in dire need of a bath however and so must go. HA !
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Our horses have settled into their new stall. We managed to get the fencing finished on the upper pasture, and now we can visit with them while they graze. There have been some issues with Estrella since we moved, however. We consulted our vet, and then consulted a trainer, regarding Esstrella's aggressive dominant behavior which was more than we could handle. The trainer came yesterday afernoon for the first time. We watched her work with Estrella, seeing the wonderful, sweet dispositioned horse that we knew existed. It seems that the "issues" are ours, and not Estrella's. HA ! We, as human horse owners, have not been good "leaders", and so Estrella took it upon herself to step into the "lead mare" position with her whole 1500 pounds. Hummmmm. It seems the trainer will be coming to train us, rather than to train Estrella. HA ! She will be coming biweekly for quite a while, providing troubleshooting right now, and eventually teaching us horsemanship and horse management. Someday we will get into riding instruction. In the end, it was wonderful to discover that the troubles can be resolved, and fairly quickly, with training and education. And that in the near future our family will again have a respectful trusting and loving relationship with our horses. Sunny was a bit of a brat while the trainer was working with her Momma -- it seems she felt a bit jealous about the shift in attention. It was rather comical to watch, but we will be working hard with her as well to get these behaviors under control before she gets too big to manage. It has certainly been educational !!
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Our girls are hoping to join a local Horse Club; we are awaiting more information and the next meeting. In the mean while, they are enjoying quiet time with DadToCherubs when the boys are out. They giggle abotu having him alllllll to themselves for a few hours each week (while the boys are at their Scout meetings).
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And our boys are really enjoying Scouts. Cherub 6 just started Tiger Scouts, and was awarded his very first badge last week ! Cherub 1, Cherub 3, and Cherub 4 have been working on their tenderfoot raink, and on a hiking merit badge. Cherub 1, Cherub 3, and Cherub 4 will be attending a competative event in the near future where they will camp and complete with other troops in the areas of First Aid, Cooking, Knot Tying, and other skills. They are very excited. All 4 boys will be working this fall on a 100th Anniversary Service Project in the Smoky Mountains -- they are super excited about the opportunity.
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School is going really well this year, despite having taken 2 weeks off while we were moving. Next Tuesday will mark our 5th week of school. The new schedule, schooling Tuesday through Saturday, is working really really well for us. On Sunday we go to church together, and on Monday we spend time doing some projects all together, and ususally manage a full little outing together too, going to the river or to the falls or out for an icecream. DadToCherubs is enjoying our new schedule too -- he actually gets to spend some "quality time" with us other than dinner and the bedtime routine. I wish we had thought to match our school schedule to DadToCherub's work schedule a few years ago. HA !
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There is a lovely garden spot here, and the soil looks fairly rich, although it is currently heavily overgrown with weeds. We have plans to get the garden spot cleared of HUGE polk berry plants and MILES of bindweed, and then to start amending the soil with leaves and such, for next spring's planting. There should be lots of fall leaves to be chopped (thanks to a push mower with a bagger attachement) and added to the soil. In the mean while, we want to build a few raised beds topped with old windows, so that maybe we can grow lettuces and things through the winter. The raised beds will be rather like hot boxes. We loved the raised bed gardening we did last summer, but growing through the winter will be a new experience for us.
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Cold season clothing -- can you believe it is time for that again ? Soon we will be sorting through our crates of fall clothes, and then (gasp) it will be time to do some shopping for needed items. (Did I mention lately how much I hate to shop ?!?!) And not long after all of that, it will be time to get out the winter coats, hats, and mittens.
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That's it, in a nutshell. Now that things are in order, we will begin to take up our cool weather routines -- warm mugs of tea with bedtime readings, bonfires with friends, long leisurely drives in the mountains to see the leaves, sipping warm cider in the cool fall air .... ahhhhhhhhhhh ... 'tis fall.

Heavy Rain

So far we have had 4" of rain TODAY ...
after nearly 6" of rain over 7 days
last week. Things are really soggy !
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They say they have not seen the water
this high on this bridge in many years.
And that they are expecting the water
to top this overpass by the morning.
That will cut off "the falls" and the
upper parts of our area.
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These first 4 photos are of the river where
we love to play and swim.
Obviously, it's much too rough
to play in today !
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And the rain from the higher mountains
hasn't even begun to come down yet.
It's going to be rough for a while.

Normally this rope swing,
at the icecream place,
hangs several feet from the
top of the water.
Today it looked to be at least 2ft under.

The roar of the water today was
soooooo loud !!

On Wednesday, some dear friends joined us
to play in the river (at the icecream place).
Some of the older children waded a bit
downstream, going from big rock
to big rock.
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Those big rocks were no where
to be seen today, as the water
rushed over them.

It rained had like this for most of today --
above is the end of our barn,
with a "waterfall" off the side.
Thankfully, no water made it
into the barn itself.

Heavy equipment on the move in town.

A local restaurant's parking lot
nearly flooded.
And the road into it was
closed with 2ft or more
of water over it.

We were supposed to go to the home
of friend's this evening to play.
But when we stopped for gas
and heard the local "road" conditions
and heard that more flooding was
expected, we turned around to
head back home.
We did not want to get stranded,
unable to get to our home.
*
Hopefully tomorrow we will
be able to get out of town for church.
*
The rain is filling much depleted wells
and the water table after 3 years of rain.
But as of right now, our area has had
over 9" of rain in the last 10 days.
Things are going to be squishy
for quite a while ... maybe
a break in the rain would be nice ?

Investigating Our Natural Surroundings

Could this be an American Chestnut tree ?

Although all of the books say that the American Chestnut was all but exterminated by a blight in the early 1900s, this particular tree, which is most definitely a Chestnut of some kind, does not meet the criteria for being the more commonly found Allegheny Chestnut. The one main trait that sets the Allegheny apart from the American is that the Allegheny has one single nut inside the spiny seed pod -- and the American has 3 separate nuts inside it's seed pod. We have heard there are other non-native varieties (hybrids ?) of Chestnut trees which have been planted in recent years, and still can be found, however, they are not in our Tree book. We will need to do more research before we can make a positive identification of this tree.

In the mean while, this particular Chestnut tree is full of seed pods. (pictured above) And when you are determined and brave enough to crack open the still-green seed pods (and have stemmed the bleeding from the scratches and puncture wounds - ha !), the "nut" inside is actually 3 separate distinct nuts -- 2 smaller and one larger. Very curious, isn't it ?!?!

So, we are going to continue to investigate. For now, we only know that this is a Chestnut tree.

Stay tuned for a better identification.

UPDATE: We have it on good authority from a member of the local Forest Service that this tree is indeed an American Chestnut. They do still grow here ! However, since the blight some years ago, the American Chestnut tree does not grow very large, succumbing to the blight within 5 or so years.

There are many Oak trees here (12+), under which the ground is covered in acorns. And Pecan trees are plentiful at this house, with not less than 6 trees of various ages on the property. (Pictured above are some acorn shell fragments and an unripened pecan).

The Oaks, Pecans, and the Chestnut are all are heavily laden with nuts. It's a "good" nut year ! Yet, the squirrels still find it necessary to fight over the nuts. More than plenty for all, yet they bicker, chase, stalk, and assault one another from sunrise to sunset. It makes for very amusing "watching" at least. And it is a constant reminder for the Cherubs that they should not be selfish.

The leaves are starting to change -- tinges of color here and there.

Rough Stemmed Golden Rod
Solidago rugosa

Growing Up

A certain young lady, or filly if you prefer,
is growing up really quickly.
It seems impossible that she has grown
so much in only (nearly) 4 months.

SunnySocks (called Sunny, for short) is such a dolly.
She walks on a lead, loves to be petted,
stands while being brushed, and actually comes
when called by name.
She is very docile and sweet natured.
And she lovessssssss her human family !

As you can see,
DadToCherubs has taken
quite an interest in Sunny
since she was born (June 9th).
He really enjoys caring for her.

Celebration

Roasting hotdogs and
s'mores over a campfire
right in the back yard.

What better way to celebrate
the new house ?

Blog Carnival

The newest edition of the
Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival
is ready.
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Enjoy !

More Rain ?

God blessed us with wonderful weather during our move. Sunshine, mild temperatures, and slight cool breezes. And we are thankful.

We finished moving last Saturday, bringing the last load to the new house just in time for dinner.

And on Sunday, the flood gates opened ... or so it seems. It has been raining almost constantly since last Sunday. Some heavy downpours. Some light sprinkles. Steady rains. And some spotty showers.

My rain gauge has yet to be installed, but our "guess" is that we have had close to 3" of rain in the past 7 days.

Just this morning a Flood Watch was issued for our area .... telling us to expect 1"-3" of additional rain to fall today.

We know this rain is good for the fields, good for the trees, good for the wildlife, and good for the wells. But we admit that all these cloudy days and rainy weather are causing us to feel a little "dreary" .... or is it "drippy".

Time To Share The Big News

Grandma Moses' "Moving Day"

(view from front door)
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Our BIG NEWS is ...
we have moved.
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No, not our blog home ...
but our real home !
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If you had asked us
3 weeks ago
if we were moving,
we would have laughed.
We had finally finished painting,
and were settling in for the
coming fall and winter.
*
But situations arise in life
that force us to act.
*
Simply put,
there were circumstances
that were beyond our control,
in which our family could not
continue to live.
*
Thomas Paine said it best,
in Common Sense,
"A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong,
gives it a superficial appearance of being right."

Just over 2 weeks ago,
DadToCherubs
and I prayed together
concerning the situation
we were facing.
"Lord, if we are to move from here,
throw the doors open wide.
And if we are to remain here,
close them up tight."
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Let's just say that the Lord
not only opened the door,
but threw it open wide,
rolled out a red carpet,
and hung a WELCOME flag
when we visited this place.
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And after the fastest move
in history (ha !), we are completely
moved into our new home.
We arrived with the last "load"
Saturday evening around 6pm.
*
We had a CELEBRATION dinner
after unhitching the trailers --
hotdogs and s'mores over a campfire.
*
The horses are settled, enjoying
their own clean private pastures
and a beautiful barn.
The dogs are enjoying the calm
and the lack of "traffic".
The chickens are loving
their new "free range" lifestyle.
And our 4 cats are safe and sound,
busily pouncing and exploring,
without risk of being chased
or eaten by farm dogs.
*
The Cherubs are enjoying
their new found privacy.
They have a grand new "fort"
in the loft of the barn, complete with
furniture and lights.
They are looking forward to spending
rainy afternoons up there !!
And they are delighted to be able to explore
unencumbered and unrestricted.
Initially, they did not relish the thought
of moving from the old farmhouse.
Then they came to visit the new place --
after which they couldn't pack
and load fast enough.
Who could've imagined ?!?!
Even Cherub 6 was ready
to say "goodbye"
to the tractors and the farm.
*
DadToCherubs and I are at peace.
No more inconsiderate neighbors.
No more "farm drama".
No more old farmhouse, with it's "quirks".
He is thrilled with the privacy,
and of course with the DSL internet.
He has found a perfect hammock spot,
and is looking forward to cookouts
and picnics in the screened room.
I am looking forward to using the beautiful
garden spot to grow more vegetables,
harvesting pecans and fruit from these trees,
nurturing my flowers and watching them bloom,
as well as raising and teaching our children
in this spectacular Masterpiece
created by God.
*
He opened the doors wide ...
and it is lovely indeed !
*
Cherub 3 said, as he peered at the mountains
from the front doorway, last evening:
"I shall never tire of this view."
*
God is so good !

Big News

We have taken a brief
break from blogging
due to some chaos.
*
Be sure to stay tuned for
(the end of the chaos)
BIG NEWS !!

A Lovely Visit

A lush pasture.

Campfire ring and screened room.

This area screams "explore here !"
(a dear friend sharing an adventure with the Cherubs)

What a view !
Imagine it in the fall !!
(from front windows)

An Office.

What a lovely Living Room. It leads into
the kitchen, and then to a
dining room beyond.
Very open and airy, but quite cozy too.

An amazing Kitchen !!
Can't you just see yourself cooking here ?

What a fantastic barn --
perhaps for horses and other critters ?
Or maybe just to play (or work) in ?

Update: Momma & Baby

Lately, Estrella and Sunny have been enjoying a few hours in the pasture every day (as long as the weather is nice). We are increasing their time gradually from 1 hour to 2 hours to 3 hours (etc), until they can spend the time between breakfast and dinner out in the pasture.

Estrella (pronounced "e-stray-ya") is all business out there -- she rarely lifts her head from the delicious grass. A classic "binge eater" (which is why we are re-introducing her to pasture so gradually). Sunny grazes too, but in between nibbles of grass, she runs, jumps, skips, gallops, kicks up her heels, and has a grand time. It's adorable to watch her "play".

Momma and baby are so thrilled to have these few hours in the pasture every day -- FREEDOM -- room to roam -- delicious grass to eat. What could be better ?!?!?

First Week Of School

Daisy and Moses joined us in the school room.
They were paying very close attention ...
to the Zzzzzzz's to be counted. HA !

Cherub 1 is playing the guitar as
we sing together.
(Hymn Study & Study of American Patriotic Music)

Cherub 2 watching her Math lesson
(Teaching Textbooks).

Cherub 6 looking through his
Exploring Creation With Zoology II:
Swimming Creatures textbook (Apologia).

Cherub 3 working on his Physical Science (Apologia).

Cherub 1 reading about the
Explorers of the New World.

Cherub 2 writing an essay.

Cherub 5 working on some Copywork.
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Cherub 4 finished today's lessons by saying ....
"1 week down ... Only 35 more weeks to go ..."
*
The other Cherubs were a bit more
enthusiastic about the new school year,
which is a bit more encouraging.
*
Hummmmmmmmm.

Nature Discoveries

Stopping at the stop sign, along the route home. This web
was hung from the stop sign to the nearby high weeds.

Orb Weaver Spider
Araneidae

Spotted along the route to the home of dear friends.
Tall Ironweed
Vernonia altissima

Spotted by others next to a tree
last week while visiting a home church.
Southern Toad
Bufo terrestris

Found in the side yard, wandering in the grass.
Commonly known as a Cow Killer Ant,
when really it is not an ant at all but rather
a wingless wasp.
Velvet Ant
Dasymutilla occidentallis (Linneaus)

Oops !

The newest edition of the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival is posted !! It's a glorious collection !!

I am a bit late posting this. So sorry. We have been up to our "ears" as this is our first full week of school. we're having a great week, but the first always seems more time consuming somehow.