Oak Woodland Ramble
By Michelle Brodie
January 14, 2016
September ushers in the fall
And a time for gathering acorns
Competing with the Black-tailed Deer, Western Gray Squirrel, and many creatures great and small
Here where the Paiute, Miwok, and Volvon once stood
It was acorns they collected
But time passed them by and their ways are no longer respected
Vast herds of bison once roamed the endless prairies
Now just wheat and corn fields and dairies
Deer, Squirrel, Miwok, Volvon hold vast reservoirs of knowledge
Protein and Omega 6 fatty acids of the acorn make it vastly superior to wheat and this they knew without going to college
September is a time for an Oak Woodland Ramble
Searching for the acorn of the California Black Oak is where we aim to amble
The Western Gray Squirrel has become my nemesis
Wait too late in fall and you’ll only find ones he has missed
Scampering away while being strafed by the Scrub Jay & Acorn Woodpecker, both intent on storing their loot
In holes, in trees, and buried in the ground
Anywhere away from the crush of the human boot
Discarding the ones with fungus or small holes; by November the only ones for human hands to be found
But where can I find the sacred Black Oak with the oily yellow insides the Paiute favored?
I see only Blue Oaks and Interior Live Oaks whose acorns they must not have savored
For their long skinny acorns are in abundance
Making me wonder if their insides will provide any sustenance
Small leaves of the Blue Oak litter the woodland floor making me want to lament
Winter approaches and there will only be time to experiment
Only toward the end of our journey do we stumble upon a grove of Black Oaks with their massive trunks and large lobed but pointed leaves dominating the woodland floor
But alas their acorns are already someone else’s granary store
The meager Live Oak acorn will have to do
The chill wind sweeps in, rain soon to follow and time to bid Fall adieu
It’s the end of our oak woodland ramble