Penn pics

These lily-like plants were almost everywhere, amongst the blowndown trees of the Allegheny National Forest.

Here's what it looked like to be measuring these trees. Pete just happened to get one of his trees randomly selected to be a "measure tree". Luckily, he got one that was pretty easy because it was laying flat on the ground. Often, a tree is hung up in another one and some trigonometry is sometimes required.

A(squared) + B(squared)= C(squared)

A, being the horizontal distance to the merchantable top diameter.

B, being the vertical distance the tree is off the ground at the same point.

C, being the calculated length of the trunk of the tree.

However, it can get plenty more complicated when you factor in the estimated rot and unusable wood within the tree. They gave us comprehensive tables and information on how to subtract the percentage of wood that is "unmerchantable". We also had to estimate the portions of each tree that weren't "saw logs" and were sold as "pulp". In dealing with the high-value Black Cherry trees, a few percent can mean hundreds of dollars on an individual tree. And, when that is expanded and applied to hundreds of trees, that can result in either grossly over-estimating the value of the trees a purchaser is buying (and, a potential claim and court battle), or a significant loss of money to be paid by a purchaser to the government.

Finally, I did get another chance to take a picture of a business that might give one a big double-take. Is Mickey D's branching out into other areas, diversifying their business into the great beyond? Could this be the Soylent Green of science fiction becoming science fact? Could this be a clown's offspring stepping out of his Father's big floppy clown shoes? There's actually at least two of these establishments in NW Pennsylvania.

I'll certainly be on the lookout for an opportunity to capture the clown's likeness to cut and paste into this image in a humorous way *GRIN*