My driveway needed pruning, so I tackled the task during a light rain in the early morning. The year’s growth had reached in from the sides and overhead, and the rain sodden branches reduced the opening of this living tunnel.
Not that my little Tacoma was impeded, but the delivery trucks of UPS an FedEx were scraping through. I used the Tacoma to haul the prunings, and its bed and truck box as scaffolding to reach the higher limbs.
It was about forty years ago that I laid out the house site, and the serpentine drive cutting through the mature forest. I have developed an intimacy with this forest community over these years. The major trees along the drive include live oak, laurel oak, water oak, loblolly pine, black gum, mulberry, black cherry, magnolia, and sweetgum. The understory include wax myrtle and yaupon holly, in fact dominated by the yaupons which have grown readily along the driveway sides and required the most pruning attention. The drive was also a path, a forest trail walked daily to the mailbox. This passage helped to develop an increasing connection with the forest community.
This community holds more than trees and shrubs – a variety of wildlife thrive here. The mammal kingdom is well represented by gray squirrels and white tailed deer, and two spotted fawns are regularly seen on this drive. One uncommon sighting on the driveway years ago was an alligator making its way from one wetland to another. In the arachnid world, the golden sink-orb weavers aka banana spiders are ubiquitous, and quite the aerialists, their webs spun high overhead in the drive.
The forest community is home to a wealth of bird life, including some large species. Walking or driving along this corridor is an opportunity for observations. A large dead pine has three holes created by pileated woodpeckers, and I had the pleasure to watch one this spring excavate a deep hole over a period of several weeks.
Barred owls are regularly heard in the forest, with occasional sightings. Also calling regularly nearby are red shouldered hawks, and on the afternoon of the pruning, one perched on a limb on the drive. They are seen more often than the owls, perched high on tall pines, or closer to the ground on lower branches.
In May I observed two other winged animals never before seen, a mating pair of imperial moths, on my walk to the mailbox. They were fairly easy to identify due to their large size and markings. The desire to learn more prompted me to send a photo to Rudy Mancke for possible interpretation on his Nature Notes radio show. He did pick it up, and you can listen to his one minute talk on imperial moths.
One understory member of the forest community that was decimated by the saltwater storm surge of Hurricane Hugo was the dogwood, growing throughout the woods pre-Hugo. Very few regenerated, though one did right along the driveway, and growing into that open space. I spared it the loppers or saw, tethering it back away from the corridor. I hope to welcome more dogwoods along the driveway in the years to come.
You have your own Wild Kingdom there and could do a show just on your property! Love it!
Its wildness was a main attraction back in 1980, and I will work at maintaining that. Lots of beauty, lots of richness.
Nature is EVERYWHERE!! . I hope this encourages folks to step outside their own home and look at what critters are living right next to them 🙂
It is, and yes, look around.
Your story was wonderfully warm and pointed out an aspect of our perceptions concerning where we go to find interesting surprises in the natural world. You reminded us (correctly) that there are a myriad of interesting and even “never seen before” occurrences playing out right in our own yards and neighborhoods. I hope I will take off my blinders when I drive into MY driveway next time!
Thanks for the lesson and the beautiful photographs.
Your and Ginny’s comments are kindred. It is easy to miss surprises and occurrences.
Love seeing these photos of home. Each time I’ve been there – barely over the past 2 years with covid – the beauty around is breathtaking. It’s full of sound – breeze rustling through trees, crickets, frogs, birds, and so many more – yet also so still and peaceful. It’s worth the pause to take it all in. Thanks for the reminder to stop and enjoy – even, and perhaps ESPECIALLY, while accomplishing chores!
Thanks for mentioning the sounds, I try to tune in to them daily.
Beauty all around us…thanks for sharing and reminding us it’s right here. Never have to leave home. Feel very fortunate to live in your neighborhood between the forest and the sea ❤️
We do have natural riches.
I have fond memories of cruising up and down your beautiful, winding driveway into the little oasis you have managed to keep hidden in the forest. I’m glad to see that despite all the change around us these last several decades – your slice of paradise remains intact and undisturbed.
I did not mention the shark teeth scattered in the crushed limestone, now buried under an upper layer of gravel. I do recall you finding a few.
I just loved reading this- as others have said, it is a great reminder to slow down and just see. I also loved your reaching out to Rudy Mancke- I think you were the person who originally recommended to me to do that- such a gift- thank you! I am also wondering about you not making any mention of privet. I have a hard time not being frustrated by it in our natural surroundings. I am hoping you have been successful keeping it out- any words of wisdom appreciated!!
Glad you enjoyed this post. I had a friend let me know about the Imperial Moth Nature Note piece before I heard it. I am happy to say that I do not have privet on our property (though have one other invasive I am working on eradicating.) But I saw a great piece by the Grumpy Gardener (Southern Living) on privet, and here is his take on Pretty, Awful, Privet.
Yes, sometimes we don’t have to look far to experience a piece of nature. We’ve been in our new house a little over a year and we have spent quite a bit of time on our patio in the rear of the house which overlooks a large retention pond with small cypress trees and frequent sightings of alligators, egrets, herons, anhingas, and geese. Also, on our walk to get the mail (central mail kiosk) we use a boardwalk between neighborhoods that transverses a swampy area with frequent bird, deer, and snake sightings. Thanks for the reminder to just look around and observe whats at hand!
I really enjoyed reading this. We are very fortunate to live where we live.
Thanks for being a great neighbor.
We are fortunate, and thank you neighbor.