You want me to put on my Nature Dog hat again? Already?
I think I’ll just stand by this bush instead.
This looks natury enough for a nature talk. Okay, here goes.
We don’t have oak trees on my trails, but we do have acorns.
They grow on these bushes called Scrub Oaks.
.
I took my person for a walk in the wash today and the scrub oaks along the wash have more acorns on them than other scrub oaks on my trails. I guess because they get more water.
My person thinks those acorns are pretty. I kind of wish she didn’t because she keeps stopping to take pictures of them.
But acorns aren’t the only things these scrub oaks have.
Somebody must think they needed more decoration so they hung some ornaments on the leaves.
These things hanging on the leaves are called galls.
I think it’s kind of an ugly name for something so pretty.
I don’t know what the official name of this one is, but I’m calling it a peppermint gall.
These galls are made by insects that either hang out on the plant or lay their eggs there and cause the plant to grow over them. Then those insects hang out in their nice, cozy home until they’re ready to poke their little heads out and see what’s out there. They bore little holes in the galls to get out.
This next gall probably explains why they’ve got that name. There are more of these than any other kind on the scrub oaks on my trails.
I call these galls Ugly Galls.
I sure hope I never see one of the bugs that lives in there.
bongodogblog 
Sunshine
August 2, 2013 at 10:48 am
That’s pretty interesting stuff on galls…say, I may have missed your post on your fashion attire, so what may I ask are you are wearing, Bongo?
Bongo
August 2, 2013 at 8:57 pm
Sunshine, it’s kind of embarrassing what I’m wearing. It’s called an Anxiety Wrap. It’s kind of like a Thunder Shirt if you’ve heard of those. I’m deathly afraid of thunder and this helps calm me – a little.
marina kanavaki
August 2, 2013 at 11:09 am
I hope so too, Bongo… you never know what kind of creature lives in there!
Beautiful shots! Lessons to your person are paying off!
🙂
Bongo
August 2, 2013 at 9:01 pm
Thanks Marina. Of course I got my own curiosity up and now I want to know what those ugly creatures look like. Maybe I can find a picture online.
Gizmo
August 2, 2013 at 11:45 am
We have scrub oaks here, but a different variety and our galls look like the ugly ones…I’ve never seen as galls as pretty as yours Bongo…now go sneak into the little human’s room and snag the GPS…with all your detective skills you’d be a great geodog!
Bongo
August 2, 2013 at 9:02 pm
Gizmo, there were only a few of those pretty galls and the only reason we found them at all was because my person was taking pictures of the acorns. Normally we would have walked right by and not noticed them. Guess I’ll go look for that GPS now. I hope my younger person didn’t take it with him to that college place.
philosophermouseofthehedge
August 2, 2013 at 11:46 am
Looks like nature is doing early Christmas tree decoration….or stocking the nature grocery store for critters?
That’s a winsome look over the shoulder there – quite dapper.
Bongo
August 2, 2013 at 9:03 pm
Thanks Karen. It does look like Christmas ornaments, doesn’t it? Maybe I’ll find more of them hanging there in December.
Kuruk
August 2, 2013 at 12:28 pm
Good thing we don’t have lots of acorns here. Sistah Nalle might eat the galls! Woooowooooo, Ku
Bongo
August 2, 2013 at 9:05 pm
Ku, I don’t think those galls are very tasty – otherwise I might try them myself. They’re kind of hard – so I guess if you like crunchy…
Genevieve Petrillo
August 2, 2013 at 12:41 pm
I think peppermint is the perfect name for that gall. Sweet! Did you taste it?
Love and licks,
Cupcake
Bongo
August 2, 2013 at 9:06 pm
Cupcake, it didn’t smell like peppermint so I didn’t try it. Besides we only found one of those – so then there would be none.
angelswhisper2011
August 2, 2013 at 1:34 pm
Bongo, does that gall taste bitter like… gall? I like the acorns and the way you tell us about nature. Pawkisses, Little Binky 🙂
Bongo
August 2, 2013 at 9:06 pm
Little Binky, maybe that’s why they call those things galls. I didn’t taste any because they didn’t smell like something I wanted to eat.
Anonymous
August 3, 2013 at 7:02 am
Those acorns look pretty!!! They look as if they had a knitted cap!! Hmmmm…yes the last gall looks quite ugly…..I’m wondering what insects made the galls…..they must be artistic! 🙂
eripanwkevin
August 3, 2013 at 7:05 am
Those arcons are pretty!!! They look as if they had a knitted cap on! Hmmm….yes the last galls is pretty ugly…..I wonder what insects made them…..they must be artistic! 🙂
eripanwkevin
August 3, 2013 at 7:17 am
Those arcons are pretty!!! They look as if they had a knitted cap on! Hmmm….yes the last galls is pretty ugly…..I wonder what insects made them…..they must be artistic! 🙂
Bongo
August 3, 2013 at 3:41 pm
Kevin, I think those insects need more art lessons.
kolytyi
August 4, 2013 at 6:10 am
You have really gracefully decorated trails, Bongo! I’m really curious which kinds of creatures are growing up in the Ugly Galls. It might be a disguise and some beautiful insects might fly out of them!
Bongo
August 4, 2013 at 12:43 pm
Kolytyi, you might be right. But I think all of those gall insects are really little so we’d probably hear their buzzing long before we could see them.
mollieandalfie
August 4, 2013 at 6:28 am
We have never seen or heard of Galls..pretty cool xx00xx
Mollie and Alfie
Bongo
August 4, 2013 at 12:45 pm
I guess those galls only grow on certain kinds of plants – and you really have to look for the pretty ones. There aren’t very many of them.
colliesofthemeadow
August 11, 2013 at 1:09 pm
Wow! Those ugly Galls must have some really ugly bugs in them. We have scrub oak here where we live… I am staying away from those! _Ginger
Bongo
August 11, 2013 at 1:11 pm
Ginger, you’ve for sure got to watch out for those ugly bugs. You’re so beautiful. I wouldn’t want any of those bugs rubbing any uglies on you.