Sycamore Balls
Today was a gorgeous day, in the high 60's and sunny. I went for a walk and took the dog. We are both out of shape and not used to walking. Well, he's not really out of shape (like me), but he's not used to walking that far. We walked over at the campground by the lake. In this first picture you see all those little dots below the tree limb? Well, those are ducks. There was a whole bunch of them out there having a big duck party! In the distance you can see a boat ramp that no longer reaches the water since the lake is down.
When I was a kid I could skip along with boundless energy. I decided to see if I could still skip. Mind you there was no one over there but me walking, so I was all alone. I wouldn't dare attempt such a feat in public. I managed to do 12 skips and thought sure I'd croak. Maybe I was just stiff starting out like that, because on the way back out of there on a slight downhill slope I managed to do 30 and they were easier to do. I felt like my big bohunkus (as Jamie Dawn calls it) was bouncing up about a foot with each skip and dropping down about 2 each time I landed. I'm sure from behind it was quite a sight to behold!!
I came upon this big sycamore tree and it was covered with all these balls on it. Being brought up on the farm I probably should know what they are called. Since I don't know then I just called them sycamore balls. Sounded good to me. In this picture you can see some of the balls.
When I was a kid I could skip along with boundless energy. I decided to see if I could still skip. Mind you there was no one over there but me walking, so I was all alone. I wouldn't dare attempt such a feat in public. I managed to do 12 skips and thought sure I'd croak. Maybe I was just stiff starting out like that, because on the way back out of there on a slight downhill slope I managed to do 30 and they were easier to do. I felt like my big bohunkus (as Jamie Dawn calls it) was bouncing up about a foot with each skip and dropping down about 2 each time I landed. I'm sure from behind it was quite a sight to behold!!
I came upon this big sycamore tree and it was covered with all these balls on it. Being brought up on the farm I probably should know what they are called. Since I don't know then I just called them sycamore balls. Sounded good to me. In this picture you can see some of the balls.
posted by Rachel at 5:06 PM
18 Comments:
Sycamore balls. ROFL. Sounds like something my Italian father would say while describing what my dog did to the neighbor :)
We call them Sycamore balls too.I know they have seeds on them,and they will make you sneeze if you get them up your nose.
We also call the ones on a Gum tree,gum balls.(What else)LOL
Have a good Friday Rachel
Donna
Must be a male tree.
Sycamore balls...I learn something new every day! lol I have no intention of trying to see if I remember how to skip....I don't want to break something...like my bones! lol xoxo
Your 'skipping' adventure made me laugh out loud. I was imagining myself doing that, and realized that more than my 'bohunkus' would be trying to re-locate.
Your walk sounds wonderful. I keep telling myself I am going to take my little dogs on a walk soon. I hope I can.
I dodn't know that Sycamore trees had those.
Seems you had a nice walk ! A dog is something healthy, lol ! you have to walk him every day, or at least you should. With my four cats it's different, they walk themselves alone. But one of them, white cat Arthur loves to walk around with me and when I go to a neighbor he is alway with me and waits at the door until I come out again. It's really funny.
I don't know what they are called either, But Sycamore Balls sounds perfect to me...They sure are pretty in that picture! I'd love to see a close-up of them, and of The Ducks, too! I love that you have all those dear ducks right there....!
My father invested a lot of time trying to teach me how to recognize various types of trees using several indicators. I can name very few with any confidence today. Are you sure that is a Sycamore tree? Evidently, other trees such as Gum trees produce some kind of suspended ball also according to zzop357. Hazel...the tree in our front yard is a Red Maple. Guess how I know that. The man who sold it to me and planted it where I pointed told me so. Other than that, I don't know if that's right or not. Maybe I should do some research and blog the topic.
we used to call them gumballs...did they have spikes on em??
:-D
PS...I once made a christmas tree in school made entirely of those gum balls!!
Sycamore balls sounds good to me.
I am glad you got out for a walk and a skip. I hope it gets warm enough to go out for a walk here soon. Great pictures! Thanks for sharing your walk with us.
Have a wonderful day!
*^_^
(=':'=) hugs
(")_ (")Š from
the Cool Raggedy one
I don't know if I've ever seen Sycamore balls...but I have seen those sticky gum balls...those things hurt if you step on 'em barefooted! They are in abundance in Hornbeak, TN where my papa lives...his backyard is covered in 'em.
Kendra
Thanks for taking us on your walk.
It was lovely.
Skipping does feel different these days, doesn't it?
Sycamore balls sound right to me.
Hooray for your bouncing bohunkus!
I'm sure your hind end felt invigorated getting all that exercise. :)
I have a small, exercise trampoline that I got from Walmart for $25. It's a fun and cheap way to get some exercise. I do my elliptical trainer on weekdays, but I sometimes just jump and twist on the trampoline on the weekends.
My bohunkus gets a good shaking, for sure!!!
Keep on walking and skipping!
It's good for your body and your heart too.
Always reward yourself with a truffle or two.
Well Rachel, I came over looking for the 'church sign.' You are my 'church lady' you know.
We have those Sycamore balls, we don't call them anything but nuisance because the neighbor's tree overhangs our back yard.
Google didn't help much but I found this under 'itchy balls':
Sycamore bugs:
Supplies:
Two sycamore balls
Hot glue, and gun
3 to 4 long pipe cleaners
Googly eyes
Construction:
Take the two sycamore balls and de-seed. (If you leave the seeds in you'll get them all over the house.)
Hot glue the balls to each other. (It doesn't matter what end you glue to which...they are balls, duh)
Take the pipe cleaners and line them up evenly together.
Hot glue the center of the pipe cleaners to the connection between the two balls.
Glue googly eyes to the far end of one of the balls to make a face.
Spread out the pipe cleaners evenly, and bend them at angles for legs.
Now, you have either a sycamore ant or spider dependant on the number of legs. For variation you could add leaves or the propeller seeds from the sycamore maple.
..
Oh yes, I got that from
http://everything2.com/
Mon Jun 19 2006 at 18:42:47 post.
..
I use to spray paint and decorate the sycamore balls with the grandkids. We had fun! don't ya just love this weather!!
I call them sycamore balls too but they are seed pods.
I can't wait to come down there and tour the lake with you again. I'd like to see that railroad tunnel that is now exposed.
I would have loved to have seen your skipping adventure and taken some blog pictures. hehehe
I can't jump anymore...too much weight to lift off the ground. You've also got me beat by a mile on skipping. hehehe
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