On Sunday Chatter and I tagged along with Matt when he went to retrieve his deer stand from the woods. He should have gotten it right after the season ended, but first one thing and then another kept getting in the way.
It was a beautiful day to make our way up the ridge. Airish in the shady areas but warm in the sunshine. As we walked along I was amazed by the new growth we saw. It’s only a few weeks till true green up occurs, and you can see the beginning tinges of green every where you look.
I spied something pink in the leaves. At first I thought it was piece of torn paper, but on closer inspection I realized it was maple seeds. I picked the first one up and carried it with me as the trail steepened.
Every so often I noticed more maple seeds. They looked like left over confetti from a party. Like someone had made a hurried cleanup of the area but missed a few pieces.
I’ve always been amazed by the fact that some trees start spring of the year by wearing colorful garments and after a summer of dressing in green they once again put on colorful garments for fall of the year.
Subscribe for FREE and get a daily dose of Appalachia in your inbox
Appalachia Through My Eyes – A series of photographs from my life in Southern Appalachia.
I only recently found your YouTube channel accidentally and then subsequently this site. For some reason, I cannot comment on any video on YouTube but that’s okay. I felt that I did need to tell you how much I appreciate your channel. I enjoy it so much. My folks were from the Ozarks, and one branch of the family from North Carolina. I remember some of the stories my dad used to tell and many of their expressions are the the same as yours. Takes me back. They moved to Idaho during the depression as there were no jobs where they grew up. Most of my extended family live far away. Anyway, you are a breath of fresh air. I look forward to your cookbook. I pray for comfort for you and your extended family through this time.
Kathryn-Thank you! So very glad you are enjoying our videos. I’m sorry for the commenting glitch hopefully it will resolve itself 🙂
Another great video. Thanks Tipper!!!!!!!
I always enjoy your colorful descriptions in your BPA posts. Makes me feel like I’m there
I really loved your comment about some trees starting spring with colorful garments, a summer of dressing in green and colorful garments again in the fall. We have maple trees in our yard and this describes them perfectly. God truly blesses us with every season of the year.
Hi, Tipper “Mrs. Presley” I love your stories if you can imagine they give a highlight to my day. Also, I find you are very descriptive when you write. I think this is the sign of a Book Author. Thanks for sharing your stories of Appalachia you make it so magical. Have a wonderful Day. Say hello to the Gang on my behalf. Also to Mrs. Wilson tell her I loved her video about making the Holy Smoke Cake. Mrs. Wilson is a true Gem in Appalachia.
I don’t walk out in nature like I should, but just getting out in my backyard to see God’s glory through His creation is and always will be a blessing. The picture of the Maple leaves are beautiful. Since you picked up and carried one of the Maple seeds you found, I’m thinking you will probably plant that seed. I’m thinking you will want to plant the Maple seed somewhere that you can watch it grow into a beautiful tree. Looking forward to seeing your video on y’all’s walk and finding the Maple seeds.
Beautiful! The variations of color are so pretty. I’ve been noticing how the trees are really beginning to turn green and I saw a beautiful dogwood tree yesterday. It’s just wonderful to have all this beauty to look at if we would and could only take the time to do it and living in a wonderful area like you do Tipper makes it even more special. Have a great day all!!
There are a million wonderful things in nature, and I am still learning and enjoying them more every day. My thoughts for today are remembering a carefree childhood where I blew on the dandelions to see how many children I would have and all the maple whirligigs I threw up into the air from the maple trees. Now I spend time endlessly fighting the things I once enjoyed. 🙁 Yesterday was a round of digging dandelions out of my small garden beds, and later it will be the maple trees that like to sprout right up against the house. Somehow with time, I went from enjoying nature to fighting to keep it from taking over. A goal many of us need is to get back to enjoying and learning. Maybe I need to just dig those dandelions for one of the delicious dandelion salads I once enjoyed. A walk in the woods always puts things in perspective.
Wonderful creations by God! Everything has beauty and purpose in nature! I need to open my eyes more! Good story
I ain’t never seen purple maple seed in my whole life and I lived in NC for about 3 years. (Does Fayetteville even count? Lol) Every time I watch you, Tipper, it seems I learn or see something new to me. After 55 years, I thought I had seen a lot, but not so. It’s all greening up outside and I’m so glad to see it. I bet your greenhouse plants are growing wild! I’ve not even set my greenhouse up yet and won’t til I get back next week from MO.
Boy, I sure messed up one of my sentences, I was trying to say most trees and a lot of other things are now putting on leaves, growing, and turning green in my area.
I remember as a small boy noticing maple seeds for the first time. I though they were amazing and picked up a small handful to take home to show my parents. I loved throwing one into the air and watching it helicopter down to the ground. I still think they are amazing. The squirrels love to eat them. There are so very many small but incredibly wonderful things in this world.
Wow, you found (or were sent?) a particularly colorful set of red maple seed. I have been noticing the wide range of colors of them, greenish-yellow, yellow-green, pale orange, med. orange, med. red and dark red. But I had not noticed purple.
I am ‘bad to’ pick up and carry with me the little unusual things that catch my attention. At any given time I am apt to have white quartz, mica flake, heart leaf, rabbit tobacco or whatever in my pockets. I want to notice everything but know I never do.
It may have not been noticed in yesterday’s comment, but I watched a video over the weekend of a farmer plowing and planting hundreds of acres to grow produce. One of his comments about when to plant beans and peas was that he never planted either one until his pecan trees budded out. He said the pecan tree never lied, once they had buds there would be no more frost. My Daddy watched for the blackberry vines to bloom. Most trees and a lot of other things now are putting on leaves and now growing and green in my area. The woods are real pretty now with the white dogwoods.
Those maple seeds are everywhere. They seem early this year. And. yes,
they are called Whirlybirds because their “wings” make them twirl and whirl as they are cast about by the wind. This is an adaptation of the maple for survival as hundreds of offspring land everywhere and many will sprout into new maple trees.
I have noticed leaves budding everywhere. my apple tree has the prettiest display of white buds with a red accent. looking forward to them opening completely.
Things are starting to green up here in central Indiana. I love how things come alive after the cold of winter. Soon, very soon, it will be mushroom hunting season and I can’t wait. It’s fun to poke around in the woods, seeing what there is to see and finding moral mushrooms is the best reward!
My husband, who has spent most of his 78 years in the woods, said the squirrels are eating the maple seeds.
I noticed them in our driveway.
So perdy! We call those seeds ” helicopters”. I guess because they spin when they fall. We had a beautiful day yesterday. I long for more sunny days and my hands in the dirt.
A walk in nature is one of the best shows of color God does for us to enjoy. The sad part is that most don’t take the time to appreciate. You guys, for sure, are so Blessed to take the time and have the area to take the time to do just that. God Bless