Spatter

Colorful Leaves

bydamanti 

Three Trees

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Juniper Tree

bydamanti 

Weather Break Activities

The rain has stopped...at least for the time being...but I still haven't had a chance to go out on a photo hunt because I've been busy catching up on all the outdoor projects  and maintenance that couldn't get done while it WAS raining.  Mowing was a must.  And then there were our other projects:

We had built a raspberry box before the rains came...cleared a space, laid the wood, screwed it together, then put in some braces.  The topsoil got in,  but still had to wait until this past weekend to add the compost, the mulch, and of course, the raspberry shoots themselves.  Judy did the planting all by herself since I was on an errand run to Christiansburg.  Here's the finished product:

 

We're thinking we're going to attach some planks to its sides so we can sit while tending it. 

Then, so long as we were mulching, we went ahead and put it in all the beds.  The bucket load didn't last quite long enough to get to all the trees, but most of them are fairly established now, so I'm not too concerned about it.  

Another project was taking some shoots off our shasta daisies and planting them at the front fence rail...

And finally, we bought a fuji apple tree because we love to eat fujis.  Once home and planted, I discovered that apple trees aren't self propegating...they need another apple tree.  I then went on a hunt to find another fuji but while doing this found out that it wasn't another fuji I needed.  Fujis seem to like either red delicious or granny smith apple trees.  Go figure.  We chose the granny smith.  We planted both trees. That's the fuji in the foreground and the granny smith is out in the field.  Pretty small...how many years before fruit do you think?  Hopefully sooner than later...

Well I guess I was premature in saying "finally"  In addition to all this, I tended to our road, cutting back the grass and sprouts and cleaning it's "gutter".  I got about 1/2 way down before my back cried uncle.     

So, there you have it.  Not much leisure time, but all a labor of love.  I'm  planning to go with Judy to Bright's Farm tomorrow...picking up chicken feet for Shaynee...yum.  But  other than that, I think I'm done...at least for this week.  Maybe I'll have a chance to roam a bit and snap some pics...if it doesn't rain again that is!



Post Note
We bought two topsy-turvy planters and have one filled with a strawberry plant and the other, a tomato plant.  I'd been eyeing these for a while but restrained myself from another infomercial purchase...only to find out when I arrived here that Judy had succumbed.  I'll keep you posted on how they do.  Or maybe someone out there already has experience? 

 

 

Palm Frond

bydamanti

A New Season

A new season's come. The trees have shaken off their color to reveal bare branches silhouetted in the sun.

 
Autumn seems to have been brief this year...at least around here.  There's no disputing that Blackberry Ridge has a winter's look to it now.  The wind is howling and the sky is gray. They say we may get some snow overnight though I doubt anything will stick.





 

Wordless Wednesday - Sea Grape Tree Branch

bydamanti

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Fall Colors Western Style

Color is popping out around me, but I thought I'd share some color I saw while in Utah.  Yes, you are noticing correctly: a lot of Utah related posts these days.  Not surprising, I suppose. 

While I missed the peak for golden aspens by about a week, there were enough that had turned to give me a taste of it.   I was thrilled.  These aren't what I would consider great shots, but considering most were taken through the window of a moving bus, I'm satisfied.  Trust me though, they were gorgeous to see...I loved the juxtaposition of their color against the Ponderosa Pines and their quaking leaves.  Hope you enjoy!

 

 

Photo Hunt - Bright

 
Sun Through Leaves
bydamanti

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Tuesday Take - Bald Cypress

"Bald Cypress"

The bald cypress is a member of the redwood family. It has needles and cones, but it's not an evergreen. It's deciduous.  Its needles turn brown in autumn and fall off by winter giving the tree its common name, bald cypress.

It's usually found in areas too wet for many trees. In adapting to this environment, it developed trunks that widen at the base...providing additional support in the soft, wet soil... and shallow roots that  spread out from the base of the trunk.  In areas where there is standing water during part of the year, the roots develop into elongated cones or "knees" that rise above the mud and correspond to the high water level. You can see a few in this picture.  These knees help anchor the tree and they actually provide respiration for it.  They're hollow and usually die if the water is permanently drained.

This photo happened to be taken at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, but of course, bald cypress trees can also be seen here in Florida. Heck, there are even a few bald cypress stands left in the urban landscape of south Florida.  You can see them on golf courses or tucked here and there in community landscaping in the western part of the county...the part that once was at the Everglades' edge. Most were cut down by developers, but those still standing were saved when the bald cypress became "protected".