Where are the acorns?

[felicula]

(cross posted from gvdruidism@yahoogroups.com) I live just down the street from part of Maplewood Park in Rochester. Year after year I've walked in the park in Autumn, grinning from ear to ear as I see the oak branches laden with acorns. There would be more acorns on the ground than there were fallen leaves.

Yesterday, I walked down to my favorite oak to put a myrtle wreath on it and sit and soak in the season. There were dried leaves aplenty, but it struck me that every acorn I saw was darkened and rotting, leftovers from the previous year.

Incredulous, I walked the path along the gorge toward Lower Falls Park. As I wandered I saw some small acorns, but I had to look hard to find them. I did not see a single drooping branch.

Then I remembered a walk I'd taken this past winter. I remember it was warm enough to leave my jacket at home. Despite the season, bushes and trees were budding. I was filled with a sense of foreboding that the weather would not be kind to the trees. Later snows blanketed the land once more.

So, as I enjoy this unseasonably comfortable October, I can't help but think of the acorns, and wonder if there will be any next year.

What do you think?

Comments

[hai-kah-uhk.livejournal.com]

It might be that the squirrels are snatching up the good acorns as soon as they ripen. That's happening in my new yard, too. My house is on a busy street, and along the very edge of the street are a fair number of healthy, ripe acorns that the squirrels aren't willing to risk their lives to get. Everywhere else is acornless.

But I do suspect it's true that the oak trees produced a lot less this year. The squirrels (and other animals) will have a tough winter.

[dawnstar.livejournal.com]

I'm not so sure - the walnut tree next door to us (which bestows its bounty upon our driveway) has been just as fruitful as ever this year!

[blackfelicula.livejournal.com]

There are usually many more walnuts in our back yard from a tree in a nearby yard. I've only seen a small handful this year here. The only chestnut I saw (used to see lots on my walks) was a single empty husk.

[hai-kah-uhk.livejournal.com]

Where do you live?

Maybe walnuts are good with dry summers. All things considered, oak trees aren't bad. The urban ones took a hit, but it's the sensitive trees like maples and white pines that seem to be faring the worst this year. I may have to seek out some walnut trees and see how they're doing, if I can even make a judgment by eyeballing them this late in the year. I'm not exactly sure what to look for.

[blackfelicula.livejournal.com]

Could be, re: squirrels. If that's the case then I agree that there's a tough winter coming up.

[marared.livejournal.com]

I don't know about Rochester, but there's no shortage of nuts down here!

[blackfelicula.livejournal.com]

That's good. How have the winters been comparing to previous years?

[marared.livejournal.com]

Disturbingly warm, just as it was up there. I don't think I needed to pull out my long, super-warm winter coat *once* last year, when I've generally needed it at least a couple of weeks out of the season. We'll see how this year turns out, although I'll be gone by halfway through it. It's already been summer-warm for a good three weeks longer than it should have; it didn't start feeling like fall until last week.

[blackfelicula.livejournal.com]

Yep - this October barely felt like October at all. It's been chillier this past week, then Halloween was mild again. Today I have the windows open, though that's partly because I'm doing a lot of cooking which is overheating the apartment. I'm keeping an eye on the weather.

zoinks..

[evilkinggumby.livejournal.com]

Kind of a scary concept.. i know when i was in ny at least central was living in semi drought conditions the past few summers... not near enough snow or rain fell for their respective months.. not sure this year.

out here in AZ there are no acorns lol... but the cactus are not as fruitful, as even out monsoon season was pathetic...

Re: zoinks..

[blackfelicula.livejournal.com]

I saw on the news recently that the Southeast is having drought conditions this year as well. It definitely scares me.