Trees Are Good

Trees Are Good - The difference in temperature between our Pasture and Yard that we fondly call the Tunnel of Trees beginning July 29, 2014

Noticing a difference in temperature between the Pasture and the Tunnel of Trees we put a thermometer in both places to record exactly how different the temperatures are in each... we'll just let the pictures tell the story.

Where we live in Central Florida is a Pine Sandhill we call it The Tunnel of Trees. It's loaded with Laurel Oaks, Longleaf (long needle) Pines and a few Live Oak and Hickory Trees. We also have the pasture where a few Laurel Oaks, Scrub Live Oaks and Turkey Oaks live.

An intro video to the Tunnel of Trees and The Pasture.

Scroll down to see the thermometers.

The Tunnel of Trees

The Pasture

Trees are good!

He who plants a Tree plants a hope. - Lucy Larcom

#ArborDayFoundation #EarthDay

AQHA Cajun Kid Flower 1976-2012

ApHC Miss Thinkin 1983-2014

These 2 horses loved on us and lived with us from 1995 until the day they passed.

They absolutely loved every minute of Life!

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The new shoots on the Laurel Oaks are popping ~ from 3/12/25 - 3/23/25 these trees have transformed into quite the amazing sight!

March 12, 2025

March 17, 2025

March 23, 2025

What an amazing sight to watch these trees leaf out.

In the last 11 days they have completely transformed to take on their Spring time vibe!

It is 3:21 on 3/21 Hahahahahaha Trees Are Good!

At 3:21 on March 21, 2025 the tunnel of trees is almost exactly 5 degrees cooler than the pasture!

Life is good in the Trees!!

70 degrees in the Trees

75 degrees in the sunny pasture

This Dogwood Tree was planted by Kenny's Dad, William Carey Boyd. I'm not sure when he planted it but he passed away in 1986. In 1994, I decided to try to give it some "Love". It's been a long row to hoe. He's not in an ideal spot but several years later and with some advice from the Arbor Day Foundation, he's full of blooms in 2025 :-)

The Orange "Grave" is being transformed. What was once 10 acres of root stock Orange Trees, Camphor Trees, Cedars and Laurel Oaks is going to be Cow Pasture!

March 6th, 2025 ~ the wind is howling, the sand lot is blowing and the chimes are clanging.

We've watched this property transform from a thickly wooded lot to a dust bowl but disking has begun and the planting of seed should follow soon!!

We miss having the cows visit. They are in the back 10 acres while this is being prepped for its new life. We've already had a pair of Eastern Bluebirds visit our bird bath several times, which has not happened in the past 25 years that we know of.

We can't wait to see what this property holds in store for the future!

Oh, those Cedar Trees that were over there? We were able to move them here for the

beginning of a proper hedgerow :-)

Trees Are Good on January 24th 2025 ~ it Snowed in North Florida on January 21st!

After 3 days of cold, cloudy and wet (in the 50's by day, 30's by night) the sun came back out today!

The Tunnel of Trees is a glorious 60 degrees at 10:30 am on Friday January 24th.

It never ceases to amaze us that the trees help keep things a bit warmer during the Winter.

The Pasture is a brisk 46 degrees. Burrrrrrr

These photos below were taken by "Looper" Betsy Boyd at Two Georges Marina near Fort Walton Beach, FL on January 21st, 2025.

They got 4 inches of snow that afternoon! This is Joe Boyd walking back to their boat after some evening fun on a "buddy boat". They said it was tough to find where the dock was... and wasn't.

We Love Our Trees! Tuesday January 7th, 2025 and it's a 40° in Central Florida!

The old Orange Grove next door is being cleared for pasture... it's the ebb and flow of the land.

However, our Tunnel of Trees remains and it's 44 degrees here at 9:20 am.

Our Pasture is growing its own wild flower garden complete with 25 - 30 new Turkey Oaks that the Squirrels planted for us. It's 42 degrees in the Pasture.

It's wild how the trees hold in some of the heat during the Winter months.

Trees Are Good and so is Shade! Sunday Nov. 3rd, 2024 at 9:15 am

It's fascinating to us how quickly things can change. Thursday September 26th, Hurricane Helene hit Keaton Beach in the Big Bend of FL and went through GA, AL Western NC and TN. It devastated several areas in Western NC and TN with the flooding it caused.

Wednesday October 9th, Hurricane Milton made landfall at Siesta Key and went across the state to exit at Cape Canaveral. The St Johns River is flooded again and so is almost every other FL River including the Withlacoochee which is still wreaking havoc on people 3.5 weeks later.

The Sun has moved farther South and the time changed last night.

This morning at 9:15 the pasture was cooler than the Tunnel of Trees!

The Tunnel of Trees is at 80 degrees

The Pasture which is now in the shade is only 77 degrees. Hurricane Milton was rough on our trees. Very reminiscent of Hurricane Irma in 2017.

Trees are amazing things! September 10, 2024 at 9:30 am

Today 9/10/24 @ 9:30 am the Tunnel of Trees is at about 80 degrees

The Pasture is at about 80 degrees also but as the sun came over the trees on the east side of the property, the temp rose 3 degrees in about 1 minute. So at 9:31 am without the trees to protect and shade it, this thermometer increased to 83 degrees!

Our 10th Year of tracking a thermometer in our pasture vs. our tree covered yard ~ Trees Are Good

These are videos of what the Tunnel of Trees and The Pasture look like in July 2024.

Our Blog's 10th Anniversary!

Trees Are a Great Thing at 9:00 am Eastern on July 17, 2024

The Tunnel of Trees is 86 degrees this morning at 9:00 am. We've gotten 5" of rain since Monday evening so this makes for a nice cool Wednesday morning.

In the Pasture, where the trees haven't reached yet, it's a warm and sunny 92 degrees. Trees are good!

Trees are Good ~ Sunday May 19, 2024

It's 1:00 pm on a beautiful day in May. April was a bit dry but May has been better.

We got 3.5 inches of rain this week alone and we're thankful to have it!

The Tunnel of Trees today is 88 degrees and there is a nice breeze

The Pasture today at 1:00 pm is 92 degrees. It is 4 degrees cooler in the trees than in the pasture!

Life is good! Trees are Good!

Trees are an amazing thing when it's almost 90 degrees in April in Central Florida

It's 9:00 am on Tuesday April 16, 2024. I headed out for a walk and this craziness is what I found.

It's a nice cool 68 degrees in the Tunnel of Trees.

The scary thing is that it's 88 degrees in the pasture.

The sun has only been baking on this pole since 6:53 this morning.

So in a little over 2 hours the temperature in the pasture is 20 degrees different from the

Tunnel of Trees.

Trees are Good! Treaty Oak in Jacksonville and Voodoo Plants are Amazing Things too! April 12, 2024

Today, Friday April 5, 2024 is a beautiful day in Central Florida. There is a nice breeze and depending on where you are... it's hovering around 80 degrees. This weather is the reason we're in Florida!

In the Tunnel of Trees it's 78 degrees and

in the pasture it's 82.

Trees Are Good!

The last time this Voodoo Lily bloomed in our yard was 1999. Happy to see it again! The smell of rotting meat is so the plant can attract carrion eating bugs for it's pollination. It's beautiful but smells nasty :-)

We visited downtown Jacksonville and Jessie Ball Dupont Park where Treaty Oak lives.

If you love trees like we do, You have got to see this one!

Trees are Good as we Celebrate Florida's Arbor Day Tomorrow ~ Jan 20th 2024

Today is Friday January 19, 2024, these pictures were taken at 9:51 am. The Tunnel of Trees and Pasture are holding about the same 68 degree temperatures. Winter has been average for us, mid 70s to 40s and 50s, nothing too crazy. This is my favorite time of year! We've gotten more rain than in past Winters but I think we're making up for the dry Spring and Summer we had. I've seen wetter Winters (2014/2015) for sure.

This first video is our Turkey Oaks in the Pasture. They are a beautiful shade of Orange!

In the Tunnel of Trees we have 2 Hickorys and they throw a pretty yellow contrast to our Long-leaf Pines and Laurel Oaks. In the first of these 2 videos you can hear a Crow doing it's thing. In the second video, you can hear our Red-headed Woodpeckers that moved in last Spring.

The Broken Oak also lives in the Tunnel of Trees. He's been this way since July 2023 and he's putting out new shoots so we're just letting him do what he needs to. The Squirrels use him as a highway and the Hickory to the South dazzles him with her shades of yellow.

We love watching our trees grow and change. It's amazing what Mother Nature can do when you just observe her magic and not try too hard to alter her creations.

#HappyArborDayFlorida! #ArborDay2024

Trees are a good thing in December of 2023 and the old Ice House is getting revamped!

It's December 20th 2023, the day before the Winter Solstice. I took these pics at 2:00 pm when often times the temps in the Tunnel of Trees and the Pasture are very similar as is the case here. What a strange year for weather patterns. It hasn't rained in several weeks but last Saturday Dec 16th we got 4 inches ~ happy to have it!

On another note, the St Johns River in Astor, FL is still at minor flood stage but

the old Ice House/Dance Hall is being revamped and will soon be lived in as a home.

We found out that she was built in 1926, in a little over 2 years she will be 100 years old!

Photo credit: Our Friend Tim Galle who did some work on the house and spoke with the owner about her build date. The deed says 1926 was when she was built.