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[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

> My husband now considers the black walnuts to be a nuisance tree,  
> almost on
> the level as elms. The nuts sure can make for ankle twisters!

They sure can. We have a large black walnut near the east side door.  
Each year we have to kick and rake a path through the walnuts to the  
garden area day after day. We give the nuts to two neighbor couples.  
Hundreds of pounds each year from three huge trees and the dozen or  
so I saved by simply not mowing them about twenty years ago.

Which reminds me of an admonition Tvo often gave: if you want walnut  
trees to some day make decent boards you have to prune them beginning  
at a young age and continually over the years, at least until the log  
portion has been formed clean of branches.

Our neighbor-friends, the Lunas and the Hubbards, who pick the nuts  
are now using spring wire devices that are rolled over the ground.  
The nuts slip into the globe-shaped device, saving bending over.

Spoiled by California walnuts, I planted two English walnuts years  
ago. They are sure growing slow.