The Penguin

 Good Lord, what could that title mean...? Not actually from my woodlot, but a nice huge old oak behind a Biggby. But seriously folx, as you know I'm a bit of a tree geek*, and as such I'm endlessly fascinated by these woody giants and always want to experiment with them. Today I investigated the properties of five different hardwoods: shagbark hickory, American beech, American basswood, eastern hophornbeam, and musclewood. So background: I've been low-key obsessed with making my own bow and using it for hunting. You may think, "Well gee Rick, go get a stick and some string!" but oh no no, my sweet summer child, it's much more involved than that. The first part of the process is to find a log of the correct length, then split it lengthwise into two or more "staves" that then form the basis for the bow.** The trick is to find the kind of wood that's flexible, long-grained, straight, and without any big knots. Really the best wood for this is found...

I'd like to write about one of my favorite places in Lansing, a sort of natural oasis in the middle of the city. Fenner isn't big; it's mainly open grassland, surrounded by mixed-growth woods; they have a nice nature center with small exhibits. I worked there for about six months back in 2012. It's the sort of local place that, without being really famous or distinguished, attracts fanatical devotees from the local populace. I'm not at the "fanatical" stage yet, but I'm still very fond of the place, and half-consider it my stomping ground. The Fenner Conservancy performed a radical "habitatectomy" of the main area within the last couple of years, converting what was once a tussocky patch of field into a shortgrass prairie, complete with all-native grasses (although it's a bit hard to tell, so you'll have to take their word for it). Surprisingly, it has improved the walk. Where once they used to mow the grass down to the nubbins an...