Sycamore Seed Ball

By the time I'd finished my work today storm clouds and strong winds had arrived in Middlewood, causing treetops to swirl and occasional pine boughs to break loose from branches and fly out onto Old Thompson Road. Yikes! I knew Daisy and I shouldn't go far in case the rain came earlier than expected, so we headed down to Meetinghouse Creek to draw the flowers of a Tag Alder that hangs off the bank and over the water.

But right at the steepest part of the hill that drops to the creek, I passed a bunch of Sycamore balls that the wind had finally worked off the towering tree at the edge of the woods. Some were still whole, but others had broken open to scatter their little tufted seeds to the wind. Crouching to inspect one I noticed the hollow center and the neat honeycomb pattern inside. I decided to draw that instead. Down in the somewhat protected spot I received only occasional wind gusts... in fact, a few irritating bugs came to visit, reminding me of the other side of warm weather - the side I often forget in winter.

On the way home the sky was getting darker and more ominous, and pushing into the wind felt very... well, beachy! I stopped to check on the opossum skull I have hidden half buried at the edge of the field so the ants can clean it up for me (it's still not ready), and stopped again to take this photo of a different Sycamore, also with the few remaining seed balls dangling from the tree and swinging wildly this afternoon!

Back at our hill Daisy and I sat on the bench to revel in the weather and the site of Daisy's long hair blowing in the wind, but within five minutes a tornado warning siren blasted out from the two fire stations within hearing range of us, Bethesda Road and Glendale, which forced me home against my will.

Sycamore with seed balls and storm clouds