Windy With a Chance of Flying Seedpods

Our Mighty White Ash Tree Full with Seeds (click on the photo to enlarge)

We started the week with high temperatures and high humidity; humidity at this time of year for our area is rare, very rare.  I don't remember a September that has had such high humidity.  My atomic clock read HI in the humidity area most of the week.  I had not see that before, in fact I thought at first it was reading 111%.

Today has taken a complete turn-around.  It is still hot, but our typical dry, September Santana Winds have arrived.  My local weather link states that we should expect winds coming from the ESE at 11 mph. they have the direction right but I think the winds are closer to 20 mph.  

I will share a few photos of what I deal with after the winds at this time of year.  We have a White Ash tree and if you have ever been one of the (un) lucky ones to have one of these trees you know what a mess they can make when they begin to shed the millions, if not billions of seed pods they produce.  Not only do these trees have pods at this time of year but they shed some of the pods when green..  Usually that will accompany them with a fallen branch or two that hits the top of our house with such force that you think you just had a piece of a plane hit the roof.  We never seem to trim it enough in the spring to keep the high winds from bringing a few of the weaker branches down.

Flower bed below the tree

The seedpods spin round and round like little helicopter blades until they finally come to rest on the ground.

Paved walk-way under the tree, this runs the full length of the west side of the house.  Lots of pods!

Being a person who enjoys crafts, I look at the pods now and then and try to think of something I could make with them.  Maybe a necklace, but that would be too sharp on the tip ends.  They look like fairy wings but I have not come up with a way of using them for that...

The back patio this afternoon

The pile I swept up this morning

Under the Hydrangeas in the Front

If left to mother nature hundreds of these seed pods sprout up in the spring.  You don't want that!  The small plants send out tremendous, long roots that hang on for dear life when you try to pull them up.  I have pulled my back many times doing just that.  

Can you see the roof of our house, covered with seed pods?  The Ash Tree is to the right.

More to come.

They Call the Wind Mariah

Way out west, they got a name
For rain and wind and fire
The rain is Tess, the fire's Joe and
They call the wind Mariah

O no, Mariah blows the stars around
And sends the clouds a-flying
Mariah makes the mountain sounds
Like folks were up there dying
Mariah, They call the wind Mariah