Monthly Archives: March 2018

Springtime 2018 1

Posted on March 31, 2018 by JohnMatel

Friday started off warm and balmy, but by the end of they day a cold wind began to blow. It was good for kites, as you see in my first picture. Saturday morning I headed toward Southside. This is my … Continue reading →

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Springtime 2018

Posted on March 31, 2018 by JohnMatel

Almost time Almost time for the growth to burst out. My friends are getting ready to plant pollinator habitat in April and I have ordered longleaf to plant in November. Right now it is just waiting. We had a cool … Continue reading →

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Mass Timber too

Posted on March 22, 2018 by JohnMatel

Vicki Christiansen, new head of the U.S. Forest Service was one of the opening speakers at our Mass Timber Conference. This makes perfect sense. Sustainable if from sustainable sources Building with mass timber makes sense only if that timber comes … Continue reading →

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Mass timber conference

Posted on March 20, 2018 by JohnMatel

Springtime in Portland looks warmer than it feels. You can see the beautiful blooms in Holladay Park but you cannot feel the cold breeze. Not really cold, just that I was tempted not to dress properly. We were doing building … Continue reading →

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Zuni Pine Barrens

Posted on March 15, 2018 by JohnMatel

Attended a wonderful program at the Zuni Pine Barrens, hosted by Lytton Musselman, from Old Dominion University and Cecil Frost, from University of North Carolina. It is always great to be in with experts who are passionate about what they … Continue reading →

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Forest Visit March 2018

Posted on March 14, 2018 by JohnMatel

It was cold & windy today on the farms. I have said before but will say again that this is the least attractive time of the year on the farms, but one of the best times to look around, since … Continue reading →

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Smithfield, North Carolina

Posted on March 13, 2018 by JohnMatel

I reckoned wrong about how traffic and time. Had I figured right, I would have gone all the way to Emporia. As it was, I stopped off at Smithfield, NC and saw the sights. Smithfield is the home of the … Continue reading →

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Gullah-Geechee

Posted on March 12, 2018 by JohnMatel

I learned about the language at a lecture about thirty years ago. It is a dialect of English, but with lots of forms and words from various west African languages and languages like Portuguese or Spanish. Gullah is still spoken … Continue reading →

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Charleston Visit March 9-13, 2018 – Audubon Swamp & Swig & Swine

Posted on March 11, 2018 by JohnMatel

Swig & Swine We had supper today at Swig & Swine, very good pulled pork and beer. I had a Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Pale Ale. It had a unique taste. I would not want to drink it all the time, … Continue reading →

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Bodenhamer Farms in Rowland, NC

Posted on March 9, 2018 by JohnMatel

When I found out that my longleaf pine came from Bodenhamer Farms in Rowland, NC, I called to see if I could see where my trees were born. There I met some of the friendliest people ever. There was not … Continue reading →

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