September 13

Our twin black oaks in the front are dropping acorns more frequently, making little noises in the grass and on the driveway when they hit. And by no coincidence the gray squirrels are spending more time in this vicinity, picking up the newly fallen manna from heaven and taking it to the horde.

These two oaks are curious, for by all appearances they are of the same age and located only twenty yards apart. Both are rather majestic as oaks go, rising nearly 80 feet into the air, with large spreading crowns whose leaves provide welcome shade in the summer months when the midday sun strikes the house and yard. If I had to guess, I’d estimate their age at 60 or 70 years, planted at the same time back when this section of Grove was a two-track dirt road that connected the Van Wyck Farm at the intersection of Grove and Route 31. I’m told that our property was formerly a potato field earlier in the 1900s, so its possible these two oaks were planted as some sort of road front.

They are curious, because their behaviors differ so with respect to acorn production. The southernmost tree is presently in a mast year, dropping far in excess of its sibling and much more than I recall seeing last year. The northern twin is more frugal this year having been in mast the autumn last. The northern’s acorns, regardless of year, are consistently larger, with fuller caps and slightly greener casings.