A few of my friends

I've been on another long hiatus. My original idea for this blog was to record the often random thoughts that go through my head all day while I climb trees. Somehow, it morphed into a tree advice and education column. As much of my time is already spent in these pursuits, I kind of got burned out on blogging.

So here I am, back to share some photos from recent climbs without any yucky education to go with. First, I was working near the lake, where high humidity leads to unusual amounts of ball moss (Tillandsia recurvata). I was climbing a live oak, and what had appeared to be a large cluster of the bryophyte turned out to be a bird's nest. Pretty sneaky! Even in this photo, it's hard to see, but it was really quite well formed and deep. It looked very cozy, although nobody was home. I think the year is over as far as baby birdmaking is concerned.







Another job was more reptilian. First, I was moving across the tree when I looked up to see a big lizard, about a foot long. Usually, I see these as a flash of gray as they disappear into the underbrush or up into the highest canopy, but this guy sat there long enough for me to take a couple of closeups. I then had to take off a couple of twigs a few inches from his nose. It was the second of these that finally were too much for him, and he did, in fact, disappear up the tree.

Later that day, I noticed a small snake (thin, but maybe two feet long) slithering along a branch. He was not as quick as the lizard, but he was quick to move away from me. He slithered out a branch a ways, then, when I followed him with the camera, dripped down into the bushes below, which offered him better camoflage.

And that's a sampling of what you miss if you never climb a tree. I hope to get better about regular postings, even maybe some that might teach you a little bit.