seen on the ay home

I walked home from a meeting in town and as I had my camera with me I took the following photos. Took the first one of a summer flowering magnolia for a thread on the lilies forum..... you all know how a thread can wander around. Lol

Check out the fence, made up of large stones contained within a wire cage. This is on the same property as the first photo.

Notice the brown leaved trees in the centre. This is a New Zealand native tree. It changes its form when mature, the leaves here slant downwards but change to rounded leaves and grow in a rounded shape on top of the trunk.

Our native Cordyline tree. Known here as the 'cabbage tree'.

You do have a lovely walk home! Thanks for sharing.

A robinia 'Fresia', very popular in our country, the colour of the leaves are so beautiful.

This looks like a very large specimen from the grass family.

I thnik this is known as a fan palm.

In full bloom, is it called 'Albizia".

These are growing at the entrance to my street, those dark leaved shrubs do make a statement. It is a native one but its name has fled away from me. LOL

This message was edited Feb 7, 2007 3:25 PM

This is our street, only been settled for two years so the trees are still small. I did enjoy my walk home, one sees so much more than one does when whizzing by in a car.
Hope you enjoyed the walk with me.

Pardon my ignorance, what is the mountain range in the distance? You have a very lovely walk home.

These are called the Richmond Ranges. They have been planted out in Pine forest in this part. They expend all around the plain on which the Nelson area is situated. I guess from your name you live or have lived on the prairies. Looking at these hills is such a pleasure, they change colour depending on the weather. A couple of evenings ago, they were three different shades of blue, although not the ones seen in that photo. Driving back into our area one could see three sets of hills one behind the other, a lovely sight.

Yes, grew up on this prairie. But I've lived near mountains (Blue Ridge, Catoctin and Mount Rainier) and love them!
The light is different there, and the air. ;-)

http://chicagowildernessmag.org/issues/summer2000/gensburg.html

Yes, I agree - a very lovely walk home. I really like that rock wall at the top of your thread. Nice job.

Tess, thanks for taking us on your walk. I'm sure it's the closest I'll ever get to NZ

gram

Prairie , I did enjoy reading through the hyperlink and seeing the pictures. What a huge undertaking was started and is now showing all the wonderful blooms. This regenerated natural prairie must have been what Laura Inglis Wilder grew up in her families 'little house on the prairie'. I did love her books and the television series. Thank you for sharing this with me.
Thanks Mary and Gram, happy to have you walk along with me.

Oh I'm glad you liked it FM, if you could only see that it's squeezed in between an eight-lane tollway and a blighted suburban development. My grandfather's little house is still there along the road that runs alongside the highway, with a few other houses that were built at the same time as his (in the 1950's), but now it has a big, ugly addition tacked onto it. The road was gravel when I was growing up, then it was asphalt (tarmac). It's good that they cleaned up the prairie. For one thing, due to its isolation, people were starting to dump things back there.

The city of Chicago has found and preserved more of these areas. This is near my brother's place.

http://chicagowildernessmag.org/issues/fall2001/postindustrial.html

Prairie, another very informative link, fancy having a yellow headed blackbird. Never mind that it is surrounded by habitation, at least it is there for all to enjoy. I went back to the house where i spent me childhood and found it swept away and a four line highway in its place. The march of civilisation and the growth of the motor vehicle I guess.
We have a vedry active Department of Conservation in our country. I hope the link below which detailes what is happening with conservation in the Nelson/Marlborough area. I hope it opens o.k. for you, if not just google Nelson D O C and then click on the region.

Dave's Garden does give us the opportunity to talk to people in other countries and learn something of where they live..

http://www.doc.govt.nz/templates/defaultlanding.aspx?id=32841

Thanks for sharing the link, ferrymead, I'm going to have to really get into it tomorrow. I was just sneaking a peek in the midst of my studies, he he. Imagine, 80% of your native plants, trees, and ferns are found nowhere else in the world!? That sounds like something I'd like to check out firsthand someday. DG is a wonderful opportunity for the armchair traveler, as I call myself, LOL. Or is that desk chair? Cheers!

Found You!
Nice walk, thanks for sharing. Nice to see something besides snow and ice!
Great pictures.

Good oh Chris.

Prairie, yes, traveling around the world on the Internet is the most comfortable way to visit other places. No being squeezed into plane seats, no need to go out into the wwather, no language difficulties and we know the food won't upset us. LOL
Happiy studying.

cparts....where is Gladwin? What's the nearest big city? I lived in Marquette - coldest place on earth - and Warren (outside Detroit). I'm especially thankful I'm not visiting my sister right now - she lives in Syracuse NY! They are soooo buried in snow.

Yes, they are sure getting the snow. We have about 8" on the ground level here. It has settled quite a bit. Still very cold, sub zero. Yesterday was 20' but windy and hard to stay outside. Sometimes 20' can be ok, with the sun out it seems nice. I hear you are getting some pretty cold temps and snow too!
Gladwin is north of Saginaw about an hour, towards the middle of the state. We have many small lakes in our county. The area has an "up north" feel. We have lots of woods, pines, ferns etc. Reminded me of Gaylord the first time I saw it. It is a small town that is growing, but not imploding. We have an nice arena for ice hockey, a park with a river in town for canoing and camping, arts and crafts shows. Lots of family events in town. We have a new complex with condos, stores, spa and a nice restruant on the river in town. All are small but very nice. We get alot of out of towners in. (weekenders, trunk slammers, as we call them). Like many areas we are hurting in enconomy. The unemployment rate is one of the highest in the state and we are losing some businesses that have been around awhile. It is still a nice place to live and we get a couple more weeks of above 0 than Marquette. (read summer) Gotta admit. That UP is still probably one of the most beautiful places on earth. Like going back in time when you cross the bridge, eh?

cparts - that sounds like a real sweet little town you have there. Currently the population of Phoenix is close to 6 million souls. DH and I hope to move away to a more rural environment in maybe 5 years or so. Neither of us is interested in cold winters though. Thanks for the info.
Mary

Your welcome.