The Neighborhood Nuts

This neighbor- hood has gone nuts! I've started collecting them. Yesterday I filled a five gallon pail and today I filled the wheelbarrow. (To be fair, I did dump the pail into the wheelbarrow, but only so I didn't have to drag the wheelbarrow around the yard.) I've heard that squirrels love black walnuts. Part of me feels a little bad cleaning them up. I did see a squirrel out there yesterday... but then again, the trees will be dropping those things for weeks to come and they make a terrible mess. If only I liked black walnuts, then maybe they would be worth the trouble.

These are butternuts from my neighbor's tree across the street. They've landed in the orchard road opposite our driveway. They are oblong rather than round like black walnuts, and have a fuzz covered skin. I have no clue what they taste like, but have read that the Butternut tree is endangered due to a canker of some kind.

Interesting black walnut article here.