December in Stone Mountain

 I went into the woods south of Stone Mountain just to see the beech forest. American beeches, though deciduous, are marcescent. They don’t shed their old leaves until the new ones arrive in spring.

The deep woods are open now that the oak and hickory leaves are on the ground. You can see a deer 200 yards away. But then you come to a stretch of bottomland where beeches are dominant and you see trees heavy with brown, tan and taupe leaves. 

It’s beautiful to my eye.

The stands of dogfennel are also beautiful. They’re head tall plants that seem to grow feathers when it’s time to broadcast their seeds.

We think of winter as barren, but seeds are everywhere, flying through the air and sticking to your trousers. The big, shaggy dog came out of the woods with an impressive collection.

It was cold and rainy — and quiet for a bit. But then about 20 crows became frantic about something I couldn’t see. People who think dogs can bark forever and describe canines as the most longwinded complainers don’t know crows. Sonically, 20 crows are more like a marching band than a string quartet.

• Note: If you really want to know why beeches don’t shed their leaves until spring, see “And baffled by the beeches,” Feb. 7, 2023.