Sunset 6-20-17 This was taken just before the final rays of the sun faded and the sight did not last long. While walking down the hallway in my home, I noticed a glow in one of the bedroom windows. Grabbed my iPhone and ran outside to see the sunset and this is what I found. It seemed like I was looking through a tunnel of clouds and the last rays of the day and the refraction through the clouds was incredible.

Not sure what kind of pigs those were [they went to the processor] and belonged to my neighbor. I took them some left over spaghetti and they ate it like there was no tomorrow and had orange faces!!! That is why I took the picture.

great pic Maggie.

After yesterday I'm a little tornado skiddish. That looks like one to me in the picture.
It's a very pretty picture. Great moment captured.

Not sure where that party was happening...Invite me!???

Keep em coming. Great pix.

Zanthoxylum clava-herculis or toothache tree

Cypress in the fall along the creek..

Beautiful picture of the Indian toothe ache tree. I bet over half the folks on here never knew what these trees can do for a toothe ache. Thanks for posting all the pics!

Thanks...It is amazing the numbness that occurs when you chew the bark!!

Never heard of such a tree and that is the first pic I've ever seen. Please elaborate......

From WIKI:
Zanthoxylum clava-herculis (Hercules' club, Hercules-club, pepperwood, or southern prickly ash) is a spiny tree or shrub native to the southeastern United States. It grows to 10–17 m tall and has distinctive spined thick, corky lumps 2–3 cm long on the bark. The leaves are glabrous and leathery,[1] pinnately compound, 20–30 cm long with 7-19 leaflets, each leaflet 4–5 cm long. The flowers are dioecious, in panicles up to 20 cm long, each flower small, 6–8 mm diameter, with 3-5 white petals. The fruit is a two-valved capsule 6 mm diameter with a rough surface, and containing several small black seeds. The tree has also been called Z. macrophyllum. The genus name is sometimes spelled Xanthoxylum.


Hence "Hercules Club"
Along with the related Zanthoxylum americanum, it is sometimes called "toothache tree"[2][3] or "tingle tongue" because chewing on the leaves, bark, or twigs causes a tingling numbness of the mouth, tongue, teeth and gums. It was used for such medicinal purposes by both Native Americans and early settlers to treat toothache because of this.[4]

The tree has a rounded crown and requires plentiful water and sunlight. Its leaves are browsed by deer and its fruit is eaten by birds. The fruit passes through birds, which helps the seeds to germinate.[4] The new trees tend to sprout below the favorite resting places of the birds, along fence rows and the edge of woods.[5] It is known to be host to a number of insect species, including the Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) and the leaf beetle Derospidea brevicollis.

Map of where this can be found inthe SE US:


All parts of the tree including the bark will numb the gums and tongue when chewed or sucked. Native Americans used prickly ash or tickle tongue tree as a painkiller. Native Americans chewed the bark for toothaches and drank berry tea for sore throats. The bark and berries are stimulants and have been used historically to treat digestive problems, rheumatism, skin diseases, nervous headaches, varicose veins and congestion. Prickly ash provides cover for wildlife and the blooms help to make a delicious honey.

So far, I have discovered three of these on our property. Those thorns are wicked sharp too!!

Here are a few more shots of our trees [or rather the trunks] showing the prickly ..

Thinking cool...

Sky on fire...

This is an image from our Mississippi property where the Luxapalila Creek and Yellow Creek join. It is also one of the few spots in the SE where you can catch Southern Walleye.

I cannot claim credit for this beauty. It was taken by a life long friend of mine, Ed Barels, in Chattanooga, TN. He is a retired engineer that has gotten into photography and dang he has become friends with that camera!!

Sometimes a gal gets lucky...

Summer goodness..

Another from Ed.

Another from my friend Ed.