Hooray, hooray.

I use that a lot on the first of the month.

The big storm is rolling up on six weeks in our past but it is still plenty evident around here.  The trees that blew OVER have long one but there still seems to be some sort of tree service truck every couple of blocks.  They are now working on the ones like the one in our front yard that were killed by the storm but didn't have the self realization to actually fall down.  People who own the houses next to these trees are full on having them removed.  Here's a birch tree gone down about two miles from here, the men are still there with a smidgen of their truck visible frame right.

It is probably also evident from the photo that it was a gorgeous, gorgeous day, very suitable for mid June.  I rode all the way out to the northern lakes.  Thursday is a good day to go out there.

A comparison of this photo to a photo taken and posted on April 29 should reveal a couple of interesting tidbits.

Most obvious of course is the change of hue.  But equally interesting at least to me is that little trail of sticks crossing the waterway.  It is spectacularly good beaver habitat out there and it looks to me like they are back.

The new path at Vadnais resulted in the removal of several really nice old cottonwood trees down by the parking lot.  I got this photo about halfway up the lake near one of the new bench/fishing areas.

Another look at one of the trees in the neighborhood of a species that is under consideration for out front yard.  This one is a couple of blocks away.

Of course, we are also facing a could happen at any time loss of our two ash trees.  For replacement, if necessary, of those trees we are leaning towards deciduous.  I quite like the maple trees visible on either side of the conifer.  I believe they are Schwedler maples, I believe also known as Norway maples.

This is a European maple tree which comes with a little controversy.  It is considered an invasive species in some eastern states.  I dunno, we seem fine with Norway pine.

I like the leaves, it is northern European, likely to do just fine in this zone and turns probably mostly yellow trending towards reddish orange in the fall.

I was watching a soccer game after I got home from my ride and the play by play guy offered the opinion that the team behind by a goal was moving as if mired in treacle.

Didn't expect that.