By Chuck Wiser, I write the words to share what my eyes see and my heart feels
Given the recent number of overnight snowfalls and the continuously snow-covered vegetation these past few weeks it is no wonder that the resident deer have returned to offer unwanted help trimming my Arbor Vitae. Last year’s mild winter and lack of snowfall negated the need for the annual ritual of wrapping our bushes to eliminate or at least lessen the damage caused by the deer that Wramble in to feast. Over the years I have come to realize that the deer aren’t interested in the “foliage” attached to the branches, but rather the woody part and bark of the branches themselves. This characteristic was first noticed after observing the damage done to our Apple tree which is not in the fenced in portion of our orchard. The leaves themselves were often left behind dropped on the ground while the ends of the branches themselves had been trimmed back several inches.

As noted in an Iowa State University article; “When a prolonged period of snow cover deprives deer of food on the ground, deer often feed on trees and shrubs in woodlands, windbreaks, and home landscapes. Among evergreens, arborvitae and yews are most susceptible to browsing by deer in winter.” This tree “de-barking” is called girding.
According to an article in the Buffalo Evening News and from an item from the Big Yard Fun segment, deer deviate from just grass. The following is a cut and paste re-organization from the full article.
The nutrients in bark help support a strong immune system, keeping deer healthy and free from disease. Deer rely on the vitamin C found in tree bark to produce collagen, which is necessary for wound healing and tissue repair. Deer also consume bark to fulfill their daily water needs; trees can provide a large portion of a deer’s daily water intake. In winter, when other food sources are scarce, deer will eat the inner bark (cambium) of trees as it is a rich source of carbohydrates and calories. Tree bark is a good source of calcium, which helps keep bones strong and healthy. Deer also use tree bark as a way to self-medicate when they are sick or injured; certain types of tree bark contain compounds that can help reduce inflammation or fight off infection. Their heavier fall fur growth is also attributed to their diet.
Grammar notes: Autodefect insisted that the word “Deer” included in the segment above was either plural and/or past or present by suggesting changing those darned dangling participles. Words that we often use colloquially are a bastardization, or just lazy pronunciation of real words.
“Sumpin” replaces Something; “Nuttin” Replaces Nothing; and Didja and Wouldja replace two words each representing a question regarding you doing sumpin.
Genesee Valley Chorus (GVC) updates. The chorus has resumed singing for the Spring/Summer edition of our rehearsals and performances.
Matthew Purks-Morris will continue as our director and we will be joined by Liz Crawford from Harrison Valley, PA, and who is currently a student at Houghton University
First up will be the annual Lenten season concert followed a little later with our annual Spring/Summer concert. GVC lost another devoted member with the passing of Joyce Krupnick. In addition to her beautiful voice, Joyce was a major component of the chorus in her role as Secretary. Earlier this past season we also lost Jackie Merrick. The Soprano section of the chorus will certainly feel the loss of those two voices. If we listen with our “hearts ear” we can hear their heavenly voices anytime we sing together.
Since this seems to be the “Memorial” segment of my Wrambling I have been reminded lately of the loss of a friend who I first met in person at the Serenity Hill golf course in Friendship. Wearing the number 20 for the Bonnies was Paul Hoffman who passed away July 20th. Paul was a key member of the undefeated 1970-71 version of the St. Bonaventure “Brown Indians,” as they were known at that time. Paul joined the Bonnies after a distinguished high school career in Hazelton, PA.
I have had the pleasure of the in-person viewing of a few Bonnies games this year. You cannot emulate or beat the feeling of sitting in the stands at a Bonnies game absorbing the energy and emotion of thousands of excited, dedicated fans. The Bonnies are off to a great start this year despite slipping a little with two consecutive losses until regaining their footing last night with a win over the “Richmond Spiders”. Prior to that two-game skid they had high hopes of being selected as an “at large” entry into the NCAA tournament at the end of the season. Now, the easiest, but not easy, path would be to win their A10 conference championship. Other than that, they might still have an outside shot at an invitation but the odds of that are pretty low.
Although my payment to NYS Department of Civil Service has gone down recently, I still get billed a monthly fee ever since Medicare raised their rates. I used to get an overpayment refund of more than $100 each quarter, but the cost increase has now changed that. My current, now monthly, billed amount is somewhat ridiculous. At the billed $2.11, the accumulated costs including their postage to mail it to me, the cost of my check, and the postage to mail the payment, which cannot be made on line, is within a few cents of the billed amount.
A recent experience of not being able to conduct a financial transaction due to it being a Monday, and with the facility being closed, brings back memories of the “olden days” of the 50’s and 60’s. Back when Blue Laws were prominent, most business establishments were closed for business as of noon on Wednesday. Of course, if you are old enough to have experienced the other pains of Blue Laws you may recall some items of purchase to be unavailable on Sundays. Thank goodness for that. For those not aware of Blue laws, also known as Sunday laws, they are laws that restrict or ban some or all activities on specified days (most often on Sundays in the western world), particularly to promote the observance of a day of rest. Such laws may restrict shopping or ban sale of certain items on specific days. Blue laws are enforced in parts of the United States and Canada as well as some European countries, particularly in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Norway, keeping most stores closed on Sundays.
Fortunately, those laws which were constitutionally protected, despite many attempts to overturn them have been discontinued, overwritten, or too obscure to enforce. Mondays are now the modern version of the old Wednesday tradition. The poem that I leave you with today is a re-write of one originally written in October of 2017. A lot has changed since then, so I’ve tweaked the wording a little. I have no regrets about the road I’ve taken, excepting, not formally having done anything with my love for singing while I was in Highschool. Other than playing harmonica with the Allegany Ridge Runners. Memories of the Warners from Nile, NY abound.
