Learning to Differentiate White Fir and Douglas-Fir

To find trees in the desert, we often have to go up in the mountains. I grew up in the Midwest, so every once in awhile I get a yearning to see those tall plants that block the view. Yep, I have to admit that after living out in the desert for seven years and absorbing all the wide-open spaces, being surrounded by a lot of trees can make me almost claustrophobic!

One way I can get around that is to pay attention to the trees that are surrounding me. Today we're going to look at two in the Pine Family (Pinaceae) that are very similar--white fir (Abies concolor) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Right off the bat I want to point out a couple things. First, both trees have fir as part of their common name, but Douglas-fir has a hypen; that's because it's not a true fir, it's in a different genus. In addition, pseudo means false.

A couple other things about the names: Douglas-fir is named for David Douglas, a Scottish botanist who first cultivated Douglas-fir. The scientific species name, menziesii, is named for a competing botanist, Archibald Menzies, also from Scotland. I guess this is a case where they found a win-win solution. (If only the politicians could learn a lesson from the naturalists.)

Both white fir and Douglas-fir are medium-sized conifers, living at similar elevations. With just a little close observing, it doesn't take long to tell them apart. White firs have grayer needles (on the left in the photo above), and they are spaced out along the stem. Douglas-fir needles are brighter green in color and look like they have been packed onto the stem.

Looking closer at the needles (it's so fun to have macro and cropping capabilities!), you can see that the white fir needles come straight off the stem at a nearly right angle. The needles themselves often curve slightly.

The Douglas-fir needles bend as they come off the stem. It sort of looks like they started growing in one direction (upwards) and then decided, naw, let's go out to the side, then we don't have to stand up so straight. The Douglas-fir needles are the "bad posture" needles, slumping.

What's the tree in the photo above? Alright, I admit I'm a firm believer that in order to actually remember something, you have to be challenged to make it stick in your memory. (Maybe that's why I'm not a teacher, I would drive everyone nuts!) If you guessed Douglas-fir, you're right! Beware, there is another quiz coming up. Hey, keep reading, it's not like I'm going to give you a grade or anything.

Okay, let's look at the pine cones. Since I'm often looking at the trail when I'm hiking, the pine cones are often the first thing that lets me know what trees are around. White firs have small cones that are rather plain looking. These cones are generally in clusters at the tops of the trees. Douglas-firs have little projections that come out of the pine cones and are slightly larger.

Let's take another look at the Douglas-fir pine cone. These cones are often described as having mouse tails sticking out of the scales. Okay, naturalists say that. Botanists say that the cones have a long tridentine bract that protrudes prominently above each scale. Say that three times with your eyes closed and while balancing on one leg.  Back to the mouse tails--a Native American myth says that it's just not the tail, but also the little hind legs sticking out of the scale, because a forest fire was approaching and the little mice took sanctuary in the pine cones.

Another way to tell these two trees apart is the bark. Take a close look at the photo above and below, and then make a guess as to which is which. The last photo on the post has an extra clue as to which they are. I'll leave it to you to puzzle out in the comments and will chime in later with the correct answer. 

Douglas-fir is an important timber tree and is often used in construction to carry heavy loads and for homebuilt-aircraft. It's also the most common Christmas tree sold in the U.S. White fir isn't as valuable a timber tree due to weaker, knottier wood. It grows readily in shaded areas on a variety of soils, and in our area is much more common than Douglas-fir.

Up on a Horse

The ranch has some beautiful horses, but they're all working horses, meaning that they can be a little feisty and aren't the docile retired animals that you usually find at trail rides. Seeing how that's the only type of horse I had been around before I moved out to the desert and got married, I've had a bit of a learning curve as I try to master riding a horse.

My sister-in-law Tana makes it look easy. She's a true cowgirl, and has no problem taking little Desert Boy for a ride. They both are loving it.

Desert Boy even looks like he knows what he's doing, holding on to the reins and looking around to search for cattle. Tana started riding before she could walk, so perhaps with Desert Boy starting early he will also make it look easy.

This is my nephew Tractor Buddy. When I look at him, I figure that this is what Desert Boy probably will look like in about eight years. 

And now it's my turn. Tana let me take a ride on her horse Jewel, a gentle horse who had just finished herding cattle and was feeling a little lethargic. Perfect for me, the neophyte. I love riding horses, as long as I feel in control. I feel in control when the horse is moving slowly--anything faster than a walk gets my heart pounding!

That dusty ground looks like a soft landing in case I do take a spill. I walk Jewel around in circles, and then...

...the world starts getting topsy-turvy. Oh no!

Just kidding, I wouldn't have actually been able to take a photo while I was falling off. That would take too much coordination. Here I am, just strolling along, pretending that I am a world-class horsewoman. 

Two Little Old Guys

We had a playdate at the park last week, and it was hilarious watching Desert Boy and his friend Little Stinker (hey, his mom chose the shirt, not me!). The whole time they were together they reminded me of two little old men. They don't have all their teeth, they don't speak clearly (in fact grunts are the most common form of communication), their balance is a little off and they stumble around a bit, and they are very opinionated! 

It didn't take too long for the two to get over the awkward bit, just one of those complicated guy handshakes. Is that built into the genes or what? Actually, I think they were just swiping at each other, but neither seemed to care.

After a bit of wandering around, they both sat down to talk. Wait a minute, old men don't simply talk to each other. So I guess they were chewing the fat, shooting the breeze, talking the hind legs off a mule. I hope they understood each other because I sure didn't!

Suddenly, there's a change. Little Stinker doesn't want Desert Boy to get up. Is he protecting him from something? Does he see a snack and want to get to it first? 

Aha, it's a cute girl! But after a few minutes they seem to lose interest. 

And they're off to play on something else...the bouncing horse. Little Stinker looks like he's giving Desert Boy advice.  Whatever he's saying, Desert Boy sure is paying attention.

After a little riding, they're ready to move on to the next thing. They don't stay in one place for much time. Nevertheless, it won't be too long before they both need a nap, just like old men. 

Moving Cattle

On Sunday my husband received a call from his brother Dave that he needed help moving 350 cows out of the meadow and into the corral so that they could be preg-checked (checked to see if they were pregnant) the next day. Desert Boy and I tagged along to photograph the event. We went down to the big meadow at the south end of our property, where the cows were contentedly grazing, unaware of what was going to happen next.

My husband doesn't like horses much, but he sure looks good on one! He even dug out his old cowboy boots so that he would be prepared. The cowboy boots usually remain on the floorboard of his truck, buried under irrigating boots, electrician's manuals, parts for different tractors, and grease-stained jackets.

My sister-in-law Tana is in the front, with Dave behind. They both know about everything you can know for riding horses, so I always try to soak up a little knowledge from them. My nephew Tractor Buddy is in the back, drafted into service and not too sure that this is what he wants to be doing. Our old cowboy Lee, 80+ years old and still riding strong, is along for the ride, along with Tractor Boy's dad (my husband's other brother).

Once they get into the meadow, the cows no longer are milling about in all directions, but sense that it's time to move. They gradually start heading in the right direction.

The horses and riders keep them going, and the cows are really well-behaved.

I am just loving every moment. The mountains in the background give a sense of the Wild West to the picture. It's quiet all around except for the sound of hundreds of cattle moving through the grass, mooing now and then.

Here's my nephew Tractor Buddy. He looks like he's doing pretty well on a horse. He chose his nickname, so you can see what his first love is.

The first 350 cows have been moved through the gate and are at the corral at the end of the area I'm waiting in. Dave opens the gate...

...and they start in. This area is really dusty, and you can see the dust cloud starting up, obscuring the mountains.

The cows ignore us over on the truck and just head right into the next corral where they're supposed to go. They were being really good! Sometimes they'll mill around and walk in circles and make life a little difficult.

The horse riders are really in the dust following the herd. Nevertheless, my brother-in-law Dave has a big smile on his face, glad the cows are doing what he wants. Or maybe he knew I was taking a photo.

Dave and my husband follow the cattle into the corral, eating the dust.

And then all we can see are ghost riders on the range.

Desert Destination: Parowan Gap Petroglyphs

Every Monday we visit a desert destination.

Located north of Cedar City, Utah, the Parowan Gap petroglyphs grace a steep rockface. Although many petroglyph locations are kept secret to help preserve them, these are not because a road goes right next to them. The BLM (Bureau of Land Management--it manages most of the public land in the West) has erected interpretive signs and a fence. 

The petroglyphs were made by prehistoric Fremont and Southern Paiute cultures and placed on the National Historic Register in 1969. Although people guess what the petroglyphs mean, no one knows for certain what they all mean. That's part of the fun of looking at petroglyphs, thinking about what compelled someone to scrape a rock on the bigger rock and why they decided to draw what they did. They obviously had to spend some time to make the drawings, and likely they represent a number of different activities and counts. 

Here's the road that leads through Parowan Gap. The gap is a split in a three-mile long ridge of Jurassic Navajo Sandstone that's about 100 meters (300 feet) higher than the valley floor. Much of the sandstone has shattered, and the fence in the Gap not only protects the petroglyphs but also keeps falling rocks from getting out on the road. The Gap is the result of a stream that eroded away the sedimentary rock as it was being pushed upwards along a fault line.

This set of petroglyphs appears to have fewer human-like and animal drawings than many others I've seen. Instead it contains a large number of geometric designs, like the squares with dots on the right hand side and  the glyph in the middle called the Zipper. Recent research indicates that this area was used as a calendar. To learn more, click here.

These petroglyphs were first brought to the world's attention in 1849, when Parley P. Pratt led an expedition to look for new settlement sites. Over time, the Gap was used as an access route and a quarry. The road was expanded and some of the petroglyphs were lost. It's estimated that about half of the original petroglyphs are still present.

Sagebrush grows next to the small parking area. When Desert Boy and I visited, we had the place to ourselves, and most of the time this is a quiet spot. Crowds occasionally gather, such as during the summer solstice, when a local puts on a special presentation about the petroglyphs or when bike tours take a break.

On the left side of the above photo, you can see what looks like a sideways horseshoe; perhaps it is a map. On the right side is what appears to be a bighorn sheep. When visiting petroglyphs, it's fine to take photos, but touching the rock leaves behinds oils that can degrade the art. Some of the drawings may have been made over a thousand years ago. It is amazing how they have survived the wind and sun and rain and how they can inspire us.

Happy First Day of Autumn!