Uncle Joe's 2013

Although my uncle Joe Eakin is no longer with us, I still am drawn to his place south of Charlottesville, in Hancock county. On the way, I stopped at Lukens sawmill to pick up a little firewood. There is not as much competition for it on hot summer days. There was not much, but I did get a few pieces that are too good to be firewood. I saw the sawyer cutting some spalted maple into some nice two inch slabs that would make some nice contemporary studio tables. It appears they have figured out the current trends. I also went there with the intention of talking to the Guys at the Knightstown elevator next door about some black locusts on their property. The head guy was not there, but I got his email address and will pursue this with him later. It was a good day to scout for black locusts as they are in bloom, covered with the most sweetly fragrant clusters of white flowers. They are very dramatic and easy to spot. This truly signals the end of mushroom season and the beginning of summer. I stopped and talked to another landowner who seemed receptive, but he was leaving to get some parts for his planter. We will talk more later.
I bought a dozen night crawlers from the bait shop across the street from a sweet lady who wished me luck.
I made my way down to Sixmile creek where I have caught lots of rock bass and very large smallmouth in years past. I caught a nice rock bass, some call them goggle eyes, on my first cast, and quickly caught ten more, keeping six to take home to eat. I waded the stream, which is really small and inconsequential. There are a few holes that are perhaps as big as a hot tub. The water is usually clear and clean and fairly swift. On my very last cast, with all my worms expended, with only tiny bit left on the hook, I caught a three or four pound smallmouth who made my little ultralight sing. A very gratifying few hours of fishing in an idyllic place. I returned the smallmouth to his hole. I probably have caught him before. He acted like he knew me. I may start tagging them when I catch them.

Final mushroom hunt of 2013

While hunting mushrooms at one of my favorite places today at the Missessinewa reservoir, after finding my first and only mushroom of the day, right next to the same log I have found them for years, my reverie was interrupted by another fellow hunter within twenty feet of me. He told me he had found 40-50 on Sunday in the same area. Never mind that the spot was in the midst of the 22,000 acres of the reservoir property, and never mind that I was a good half mile from the road in the middle of the deepest part of this beautiful woods. He went on to tell me that this spot had become a hot spot, but that this year it had been over picked.

It is hard to imagine that such a large largely inaccessible area could be over picked.There are no towns nearby,and nothing to distinguish this spot from the rest of the woods. The understory has lots of thorny roses, far from easy going, large hills and no real landmarks.

This shows how competitive the sport is now. I know how many miles of searching I and my brother and sister did to find this spot and several other people have found it as well. It boggles the mind.

I still have the ability to see mushrooms from a good distance, and the one I found was missed by the other guy. I remember the time a few years ago when I got there first and found a large bag full.

It is hard to hang it up after only finding two for the whole year, but this has been consistent with the outcomes the last few years.

The day before I did a little fishing, no luck and driftwood gathering. The Missessinewa Reservoir was pulled down to just a trickle during the winter, but came up forty feet above normal summer pool, an enormous rise, which left great piles of driftwood eveywhere. Amazing.

Little activity, at the shop lately. Working on using up the material I have before it dries out.

I do have a display of my handmade rustic willow furniture at big hat books and arts, and also at the Judge Stone house.

Looking forward to Talbot Street coming up the second weekend in June.

I want to buy black locust posts

I have several arbors to do this summer and i have lost my source of black locust trees. I need trees that are 5-6 inches in diameter at least ten feet long. If anyone in Central Indiana has any, please contact me. Greg Adams, 765-534-3009. I am willing to cut them myself or pick them up. I will need 20-30 posts.

Black locusts are much slower growing than the willows I use for my furniture and the posts need to be much bigger.

Luxhaven

When I was a kid, I went with my dad fishing for crappies and hunting for mushrooms at Luxhaven, on Florida road just outside Fortville. I remember that there were more frogs there than anywhere I have ever been. I remember the whole area being flooded and getting separated from my dad and his buddies and seeing things as if I were isolated in the wild bayous.

Today I went to Luxhaven, where Geist park is now. I have walked the trail there many times and it is always wild and full of life, but today there were several cars parked there so I entered the woods far from the trail, hoping to find mushrooms. No luck, but I did se a number of warblers, vireos and turtles. I walked the opposite shore from what I usually see, wild and with no tracks but those of large deer. The whole area is a series of oxbows which are teeming with aquatic life. The day was warm and after I realized that there were no mushrooms, my walk was more leisurely.

I had just visited someone on Geist who wanted me to build a screen to cover their pool hardware and I went to Anderson after that to run my traps at Hickory designs. Brad had a check for me for the last project I had done for him and a large load of fabric that he was getting rid of along with the usual take of firewood.

I returned to the shop and had a few visitors who bought a couple of trellises. I need to get out tomorrow to get enough willows to make trellises at Orchard in Bloom. The day was so lovely all I wanted to do was sit in the doorway, drink beer and watch the world go by.

Orchard in Bloom

This Friday May third, will bring the Orchard in Bloom Garden show at Holiday park, where I will show my handmade rustic willow furniture. The show is Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This show has come to be one of the premier garden shows in the Midwest. I am fortunate in that my buddy Paul Vanduyn will be right across from me.
This show is heavily dependent on the weather. Last year had the worst weather I can remember, cold, rainy with high winds. We are due for some lovely May weather. I always get to see old friends and hopefully I will sell a few things.

Earth Day

Celebrated Earth day in the beautiful woods behind Veterans Park just outside Fortville. My earliest memories of the beauty and wonder of the natural world are of the times I walked from my home in Fortvile to wander the woods there. I worked on merit badges for scouts there and with my buddies went to the woods often as it was so close. The woods are still the same size as they were, but access is now limited with the woods divided up among several owners.

I alway spend time there every spring and am never disappointed with the experience, even though mushroom hunting has not been very good over the last few years. None today. I did see Tennessee warblers, yellow-rumped warblers, Northern Parulas, brown creepers and pileated woodpeckers.Just sitting being still in this wonderful place takes me back to the hundreds of time I have been there. For a small- town flatland kid, I was enthralled by the hilly woods with small streams threading through it.

I alway cap my trip there to the site of an old dump, where generations of groundhogs have each year brought up new crops of bottles from deep within the earth. Over the years I have found many unusual bottles. Today I found an old ink bottle, not very valuable, but after having been underground for eighty or so years, a wonder.

Tomorrow I will join the other Nickel Plate Boys at the Big Hat Bookstore and Gallery for Brian Kimberling's book signing. I look forward to meeting Brian and hearing the Poison River Boys bluegrass.

The display of my rustic willow furniture, John Bundy's duck decoys and tables, Bruce Neckar's bird prints, and John Reynolds wonderful wildlife paintings will remain in display after the signing, through June.

Indiana Spring

Went down to Plainfield today, to retrieve my unsold items from the Plainfield library. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had sold several items. It looks like this inaugural event will become a really good venue for art. There were a number of highly regarded artists showing their art. At any rate, I have made a new friend, a friend of the arts, Laura Appleby.

Driving down and back I was able to go on some roads I have never been on and could see Spring occurring all around. It never ceases to amaze me how sudden spring can be. The contrast of the dead grey land turning to the green gold of spring is something that never fails to bring about a rebirth of Wonder.

Spiffing up the shop and delivering some spring items to Rosie's garden center in Carmel. It is such a joy to find people like Mary Beth Hughes who value and are able to sell my stuff. My wife was very moved by the flat of flowers she gave us as a bonus.

The swallows are back, chipping sparrows have replaced the juncos and shorebirds are noticeable in the flooded fields. Lesser yellowlegs, pectorals, and solitary sandpipers are evident in the standing water. Loons have been seen regularly on Morse.