As of Friday 9/7/07, we are 12 inches below in rainfall for a normal year. The excess temperatures are not helping. The seedlings look bad. It looks to be about a 50% loss, mostly Bald Cypress & Norway spruce but many bushes aren't looking so good either. There is a vine growing in the 45 acres that is wrapping themselves around the seedlings. We planned to cut the fields in only 1 direction to help encourage wildlife & give some protection to the trees. We started to cut the fields with the tractor crossway in hopes of killing the vines. Steve & I are pulling what we can by hand, but it is a big job. And the weeds & vines keep growing.

I met with the forester on Monday 9/10/07. We had a 10 minute downpour on Saturday & that helped. By Monday, some of the trees had started to bud & many looked to be re-sprouting. The trees had become dormant with the harsh weather conditions but the little rain helped. The forester thinks we have a 75% survival now & feels very optimistic that by next spring we will see signs of improvements. He wants me to replant the Norway Spruce spring 08 and possibly replant the bushes in sprinf 09.