Got it!

Thank You, everyone who helped me find my missing photo!

I got it, and in Full Res., from Steve at the Missouri River Relief who was kind enough to review the archives and offer me the photos of mine from past River Clean-ups like Sioux City!

Honeysuckle!

Oh, what a success! The large student-workday headed by bill around Swope Park's dinning hall has left the area looking better than ever!

Bill estimated that sixty or seventy volunteers were in attendance from some of Kansas City's universities and made a killer introduction speech on the picnic tables behind the between the hall and the edge of the recently-burned section of The Hill. A lucky handful of Master Naturalists volunteered to work the sunny morn and led groups through the day on areas from the Quarry up to the dining hall.
Woodlands were opened after only the first few minutes of work and smiles were abound. I recognized several folks and it was good to see people again.

The workday's photos were my assignment- shared with Robert Gaines. The city had asked for pics, and Wildlands can always use them. I stuck around to photo Bill's speech and tagged onto a group working around the hall at first. I met students from St Louis and Kansas City and an old classmate from Lincoln High. Volunteers were asked to stick in groups of two or three to manage the cutting and hauling of the bushes, and herbicide (Tordon) application as separate tasks. The small groups who did stick together seemed much more efficient than those who attempted to work individually or in larger numbers. Still, I found nobody who was having a bad time, and work was being done everywhere I wandered. For nearly two hours, the invasive Honeysuckle bushes were cleared around the buildings atop the hill. From here, I followed students down towards the quarry where two more groups worked vigorously. I sparked conversations and few seemed to mind the camera. The fella in blue, above, tore through the biggest trees with a handsaw for his herbicide partners and I got a smile and a laugh when I pronounced him my #1 model.

I hope that Robert got some good pics- mine were okay. It certainly wont take too many more of these workdays to clear the planned acres if volunteers continue to be as enthusiastic as today's group. Less importantly, the huge turnout helped too. .. Maybe we could blame all of the fun happening on the excellent 70-degrees!
Honeysuckle may continue to grow in the cleared areas because of the strong, century-old seed bank that exists in the dirt, but continued burning will help to suppress saplings and kill shallow seeds.

leaf

My brother found an extraordinary leaf in the lawn. It was so colourful and perfect he brought it in to show! I shaded the window with a white sheet and took a dozen shots or so- came out with some pretty cool ones. It looked like a SweetGum leaf until I realized that there are only Maples around. Maybe it was blown from another block!?

What a Burn

Larry invited my mother, Bill and I to enjoy and assist with a small private-land burn in Johnson County, MO. The fireline was cleared, and fire was dropped by 10. Prescribed winds increased and humidity levels dropped and WHAT A BURN! The thing was textbook and a real pleasure to witness..
Mr. Rizzo dropped the beginning of a backfire on the Southwest corner of our ~15 acre burn area. The first minutes were fast and intense while the fire spread swiftly up towards an open ridge- propelled by an unexpected wind-tunnel from the large lake that was the western border of the area.

We had already kicked through the leaf-litter in search of any wildlife that might be threatened by our activity: Box turtles and the Red bat were of the most importance. After my exciting red-bat encounter on the fireline earlier in the day, Rizzo cited a recent Northern-Arkansas study which found that the bats may hibernate in the leaf-litter and be endangered by the fire. He found it surprising that the bat was as far north as we were and thought that my sighting was significant enough to report to the experts that he knows. We found nothing to protect from the coming fire.

From Texas Parks and Wildlife:

"Threats and Reasons for Decline:
Given recent discoveries of red bats hibernating in grass and leaf litter, it is likely that some die as a result of controlled burning in winter, especially in deciduous forests."

Cool, huh!? The growing fire sent its smoke towards the sky- we were fortunate to have the warm, cloudless day to burn- such conditions usually result in good lift for the smoke, so that we aren't smoking-out neighboring properties. The wind blew the columns of colourful smoke back over the ridge to shade us from the sun and cast a beautiful and surreal orange glow through the smoke and trees where we stood. Bill and Mom continued to create the backfire further down the line- away from the lake. I was called ahead after the hill had about 30 feet of black on in- My job was to spot developing hazards and put out the smaller fires that creeped on the line. (and take too many photos)

With the steady winds and growing black creating a sense of security and giving us a bit more time to sit back and enjoy, I spent a few dozen exposures on the unfolding scenes. It was obvious that we were in for a beautiful burn!

We neared the end of the backfire and I was asked to walk back to the lake and make sure that everything was in good order. It all appeared fine- no smoke on the wrong side, or flaming trees- until I got down to the water where a towering dead trunk had burned to a few feet up.

I jogged back to report and returned to the tree to kill it with a back-pack sprayer. Living trees had only a few inches of darkened bark at the base, and could not burn. Our leaf-litter fuel was new enough to create the awesome smoke! I caught up with the others, who waited for me so we could begin flanking the property with flames that promised to be a bit more exciting than what continued to creep over the ridge. I reported 60 to 80 feet of black and I relocated the extra torch-fuel and water-pack further up the line while the burnt section of our fireline was triple-checked.

We were ready to get started. Bill and I were positioned on the Northwest corner to light a wind-driven headfire as Mom and Larry turned north to light the flames that would burn towards the lake to (theoretically) meet with the back- and head-fires and safely burn the last of the unburned.

On the Northern line, the wind was to our backs and drove the smoke away and into the forest. It all made for some very cool lighting-effects for my photos, mixing orange smoke, black trees, white linings and blue sky. Bill held at the lines' bend for me to control the grassy lake-side corner, and as he continued to light the flank-fire that would meet with larry's I checked the head-fire line and wondered into the black where things burned and smoldered all around me.

I followed on the burning edge of the headfire- picture-happy as ever- until I spotted Bill and my mom well into the charcoaled-zone themselves. You could stand in a spot for less than a few seconds and be presented with nearly unlimited changing photo-opportunities. Winds change to create a sunlight-spectacle of billowing oranges, browns, whites and blacks, letting white light in where the different shades of smoke were not, and boiling the colour against that brilliant blue. I knelt to see the infinite billowing smoke columns cross the lens of the camera and all sensations of a cool breeze, warm sun and crisp air were turned a bit more hellacious.

Where topography brought different sections of fire together, and suffocated small burning areas of oxygen and rising air, little vortexes spawned and spun with black debris and thick smoke. Each whipped through the hot-spots until they collapsed in cooler, more stable conditions. I turned my bandanna in to a neck guard after the first one spun into me and sizzled the hairs on my face and neck. The burn seemed to be going perfectly when I spotted Larry- with a big smile on his face!

Sure he may have had some good, black ash on his teeth, but he was thrilled! He shared some stories as we walked across our achievement. Previous burns, of which I have attended two on the property, have rarely been as successful... The unburned land was reduced to only a few hundred square yards and he got off on some unrelated observations about raccoons as we skipped over a poop-less log on a burned trench.

The fire smoldered itself out as the small ring consumed the last few feet of fuel in a lovely anti-climax and left the four of us standing together and smokey. Larry started back to finalize our burn with a final examination of the property and fireline- I grabbed a sharp window-scraper from the car to retrieve the giant Bearded-Tooth Mushrooms that I'd spotted growing unusually high on a dead tree. The unmistakable things, nicknamed hedgehog mushrooms for a good reason, are supposed to be good edibles, though have only eaten them once. I gave bill his choice- the Giant one or the huge one- he chose the smaller to take home and try himself. Several Minutes passed and Larry didnt show.

Bill became worried and wondered if we should go back into the fire to assist with whatever had complicated his short line-check. I grabbed the water-pack again- Bill had the rakes and we walked swiftly down the line. It was on that silly southeastern bend- near where Larry had began the flank- that we found him struggling with a trio of burning logs. He was happy to receive the help, though the logs were in the black and not an emergency- The three of us broke the things apart as best we could and I emptied that heavy pack.... What a burn!

RP GLADES

Trees on The Glades have lost their leaves- this is not true for those on Blue River road. On my way to Lakeside the Blue River was still canopied with light-greens, yellows and oranges.

Blue sage is ghostly grey and patches of oats gave the bright understory it's last highlights of green on the opened sections of the glades. Where the trees have not been thinned Honeysuckle is thick and more noticeable than any other time of year.- to 10 feet or so! It is it's fall-green and ominous red berries are everywhere.... And under the mid-day blues in the sky, it was an awesome colourful day!

My Warmest Birthday

...In the 60's! Larry, Bill and Ruth were all ready to go when I met them near the dinning hall on the hill; leaf-blowers and chainsaws were prepared for making the trail- THE FIRELINE- that would outline the new burn section for Rocky Point Glades. The few acres have not burned in the history of Swope Park! Larry is confident that in time, our prescribed burns and honeysuckle removal will be able to revive the glade without the thinning of woodies that helped to bring the other sections of Rocky Point Glades back to life. . The exotic Bush Honeysuckle that has taken the understories around swope park is nearly the only green thing left this season. It is usually the first green thing in the Spring and the last on in the fall, thus giving it another sunlight-advantage over the native plants that thrived before it's introduction as an ornamental from Asia. It is the Oriental Ornamental and yes, it is everything towering that is green in the pics. Yikes!

Ruth and I stuck between Larry and Bill to remove larger debris from the trail and spot and remove hanging-hazards from in, over and around the line... Things like vines and dead trees that threaten to fall over the Fireline and introduce wildfires during a burn as well as dead branches and vegetation that the blowers cannot move. The fireline runs across a handful of old camp-buildings and a small stand of weathering picnic-tables will all make for the type of obstacles that I have never burned around before in an understory fire. Being the first year, and with so much green brush around, there is little more than fresh leaf-litter for fuel. It will be an exciting thing to learn from! Bill is a marble-maker. His hobby is making all sorts of way-cool beads and marbles to collect and give as gifts. He gave me this awesome one, made from the colourful scraps of glass from the table! Its soo cool- little viewing windows, swirls and a big vortex on the top! Bill saved the marble for me while I visited Colorado and was delighted to coincidentally gift it to me on my Birthday! Thanks Bill!

The Woodcock.

I spent some time Downtown this week- I used the 35mm that Vicki lent me as an excuse; I needed to finish the roll of film that I started in California so that the camera could be returned. Of course, I took the new Canon that I bought so that I could have something to put up on the blog.

There was a cloudy night in the plaza; it rained for most of last week and the cold weather broke while I walked through Westport and the Plaza. Halloween-ers filled the streets and I felt unusually safe in some parts of downtown where the freaks are not always so friendly. Sometimes I fear that carrying the cameras and tripod around makes me more of a target for potential crime.
I got away safe on Saturday night, when warmer air prevailed and the moon was big. I managed to get a few okay-photos, too. I did the Liberty Memorial and Union station, and cruised up to the the KC Scout for a somewhat peaceful view of the city's center

An evening with my friend Christine led to the discovery of a very confused American Woodcock stuck near the doors of a Price Chopper here in town. The bird flopped around as I approached it; it was so awkward looking and I was so excited to see one up close.

Ive done Larry's spring woodcock-walk at Jerry Smith Park several times, and have marveled at their acrobatic courting display from afar- Up close, though, they appear to be a much different creature. I flashed the palm of my left hand at an arm's reach to distract him and flung my beanie at him. The thing freaked for a second, but was caught in my hat! I stashed the bird in my arms for the walk back to the car and helped him out of the hat so that he was free in my car. Christine and I spent some more time away from the car, and I returned to find the woodcock resting in the passengers seat.

The radio popped on when I turned the key- causing the poor thing to become alert and skittish again. He flew up and to the back of the car. Several laps around my car had been flown by the time we reached home, and the woodcock had spent several blocks in my lap. I would take the bird to Lakeside Nature Centre in the morning. At Lakeside, Susan checked me in, and told me that the bird was only the second of his species to be checked into the center. (Sorry- I don't know why I decided that the thing was a he)... She saw the camera on my shoulder and asked if I expected photos of my bird. Ruth met me, and held him so that I could snap a few pics. Ruth would take the woodcock to Jerry Smith to release it if he checked out with no injuries. She flipped him upside-down to examine the under-feathers and discovered an intriguing set of short, white-tipped tail feathers. Right-side-up the bird appears round and tail feathers are hard to identify. Larry believes the bird to have been migrating and tells me that they sometimes become confused and disorientated by lights in the city....I sung by the bunny-pen to check up on Dylan, the rabbit that I caught in Holt Co., in July. He's still there!