Another autumn

20 May '08 12:46 am

Thanks for the positive comments - but Kerole don't put what you have and what you've achieved down! Yes, my place is beautiful and unusually large and the result of over 20 years of dedication. But that is not what it is about here. We all bring different sized gardens, different ideas, different strengths and weaknesses to the forum. It is not about measuring ourselves against others and finding ourselves either inferior or superior. It is about chatting with like-minded people. My reaction, Kerole, on reading your entry was 'Wonderful! People who are young, have plans, look at things critically, are also uncertain about the balance between the pros and cons of certain moves.' People who I can relate to, and whose joys I understand, because either now or in the past I have felt those same joys. So yes, I have a head start. Most of the time I'd happily exchange some of my maturity for your youthful opportunity Wink

20 May '08 2:04 am

Yesterday I had a long "walk" with my folks in the afternoon, before sharing my several 100 pics taken in the garden on 4 May (when they were not here) with them. It was all very moving. They walked as far as my house - 300m? - then we explored the garden by car, going up the liquodamber avenue, past Quercus Corner and up into the arboritum, with many stops and reverses, but little getting out. When they later saw the pics, my father's comment was: "I have not seen some of these spots in three months, and I wonder when I will ever visit some of them again. Your photos take us right into the whole garden."

It's all rather relative, isn't it...

20 May '08 10:48 am

Oh dear, I didn't mean to sound down at the lip...Quite the contrary! Your pics were inspiring and if I squinted a bit (quite a bit!) I could see how our place may end up. On a smaller scale of course - I have horses and I don't think they'd appreciate the garden encroaching too far into their domain! They are quick to have a chew on anything that's within reach as it is...Possibly partly the reason for our misshapen cherries?!

Anyway, back to your post...Sorry if I sounded sulky. I most certainly was/am not. Point taken on the age and maturity versus youth but your years of hard graft are paying huge dividends. I look forward to the day when I am in the same boat.

Cheers Jack.

25 May '08 8:33 pm

Yesterday's pics from the house and on a short afternoon walk were mostly about capturing autumn's final flames, although odd trees can take us right through to July now.

To begin with, a 180 degree panorama from the window. Enlarge it to 100% and then pan from side to side to best get the effect. Then another four photos taken from the window, before I set off on a walk with my patient dogs...

26 May '08 7:13 am

Wow, Jack!

I'm just getting caught up with your thread here. A bit of a rainy day around here so I have time to sit and read.

Your collection of photographs has really made my day. Eye candy!

Does it ever get cold enough to freeze the pond? I remember the wonderful frost pix you posted last year.

Keep the shutter snapping.

Christopher

26 May '08 2:31 pm

Hi Christopher!

Thanks for the comments! As for the pond icing over: never! On a cold night a bird bath frosts over around here, and when we have -10 Celsius as we seem to have had unexpectedly one night in May last year, then 15 brass stopcocks crack and have to be replaced in a hurry and water pipes burst because we don't bother to bury them deeply... And as for days when the maximum doesn't reach 10 degrees - it is a national calamity because our houses are so thermally inefficient that we simply aren't equipped to deal with the 'lack of warm-up'. I would say an average sunny winter's day reaches over 15 degrees, often over 20, between 11am and 3pm. And I'm planning a solstice post where we can all record sunrise and sunset times; less than a month away I still have 12 hours of light a day as I am only 50km from the Tropic of Capricorn. I (literally) shudder when I hear your stats though Shocked

4 Jun '08 7:53 am

I love the slow wind-down that happens now; the last leaves are shielded from the wind, the frenzied falling has come to a halt, leaves and twigs shimmer expectantly as though the coming of winter is as much of a rebirth as is spring.

4 Jun '08 5:31 pm

Sounds like you have a lovely climate with all the joys of a proper autumn but winter isn't too bad most of the time. Our birdbaths freeze most nights. Then again we've never quite reached -10!
I love the Dawn Redwood photo in particular. That should be on a wall in a gallery.

7 Jun '08 7:27 am

Still autumn hovers in the air; there was a little frost this morning, the days don't really warm up, but it isn't winter yet either. I love this season!

Oh. And today I handed in my resignation, with effect from 31 December 2008. There will be life after teaching after all. I have been working up to 55 hours a week, and will do so until late August when Romeo and Juliet opens. I simply can't put my heart and soul into teaching AND do the other things I want to do... so I'm biting the bullet and moving on!

7 Jun '08 5:28 pm

Golden leaves especially look so beautiful with the light coming through them like that.
What is Romeo and Juliet?

Another autumn

Thanks...

I answer my own comments about youth and maturity...

Inspired not Dejected

When the log finally crumbles, the fire flares up

Outstanding!

Our idea of cold

Coloratura et coda

And some more final chords...