happy new year

Hey All,

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Cold as a dead (fill it in)

3,600 ft up Roan Mountain in east Tennessee--lots of wind, snow and 15F by the wood pile. That's a little extreme for 11/21 at this latitude, even in the mountains. Hound Clara and the cat are by the fire--basic intelligence--not back in this cold room writing a report on--no, the fucking room isn't writing--Franklinia trees. ETSU, not exactly a silvic mecca, is a bright light in this neck of the woods with all the latest on Biogeography and Paleobotany, kind of like that Irish bar I found a few years ago up in Cairo, NY. Bet it's cold as shit up there.
Report done for now; I'm heading to the fire with the smarter animals.

Tree Note

Note to Trees

Trees, it's almost Thanksgiving

and as promised you're coming

naked--along with all your relatives

hauling acorns beechnuts buckeye

nuts moldy maple wings and such.

Leave them at the door.

Don't start in on gifts to the poor

squirrels and other fluffy rats, and don't ever

lapse into that annual rant after

several glasses of wine, death is the mother

of beauty. Death is a motherfucker.

Tell witchhazel to rise from her streamside

with all her golden blooms. Hamamelis

virginiana, the place cards are set

yet once more--be on your best behavior;

don't forget who this day is for.

---signed Me