The Brewery Reopens

Back in September of 2009, I wrote about my beer tree.  You can read that here.

After a recent 3^rd and 4^th grade pool party at my home, I noticed a wet spot on the brick patio that had attracted the attention of several small insects.  I simply assumed that one of the partygoers had spilled their juice box.  I washed it off with the hose and didn’t give it a second thought.

However, when not only the spot, but also the bugs returned on the following day I was a wee-bit more intrigued. 

As I knelt down at the spot to investigate the eight inch diameter, insect infested spot, I was almost hit by a drop of something from above.  Looking up I saw two foaming white spots on one of the lower branches of my red oak tree and the words BEER TREE flashed in my memory. 

That’s when I saw the inch and a half long bugs.  These guys are boring beetles, and they were the brew-misters who had first opened my tree keg back in 2009.  Matthew the Arborist told me that, while it can be a little messy, it doesn’t hurt the tree. 

So what’s up at the Atkinson house? 

Looks like we’re busy brewing tree beer and giving all the critters in the neighborhood an easy fix. 

And so I’ve got this tree growing right in the middle of my patio.

And for now it’s open bar…

It's Somewhere Past Midnight

It’s somewhere past midnight,

But I don’t know quite when

When the urge to start rhyming,

In my brain did begin

I fought the temptation,

With all of my might

I tried to sleep deep,

I fought the good fight

However, I found myself,

Perched at the keys

I was rhyming away,

Sometimes on bended knees

I found I was caught,

In rhyming’s tight noose

I was starting to feel,

A bit like Dr. Suess

I was writing of students,

And teachers and books

Of dwendars and dweeners,

Of grindars and grooks

There were hoopers and heezers,

And mooks by the dozen

 I had mongos and meezers,

There were grooks and one grozen

I awoke with a jolt,

With this thought in my head

Suess would like all my poems,

That is, if he weren’t dead!