Saturday, January 28, 2012

Winter Hike

Today was a gorgeous January in Saturday with unusually warm temperatures.  It was the perfect day to go for a hike and do a little photography.  I love how the winter makes me notice the details of tree branches and bark.
 
Creek with logs and twisted vine

A Horsetail

Reflection of trees in a very green pond

A large pine- I love the branching pattern

Close-up of pine bark- must be giant ridges for ants!

White bark and blue skies
Sycamore bark - the original camouflage

Tree sap

Ant on a beech tree

View through a hollow tree

Tree stump circle

Rock wall with moss

Flower and fungus

Contorted tree trunks

Raccoon tracks

I hope everyone had a wonderful Saturday.  As for the garden, I planted peas!  This is the earliest I've ever planted peas and I'm hoping it'll stay warm enough for them to grow and produce before those 90 degree and higher days arrive.  At the rate our weather is going this year, I'm expecting an early spring and hot temperatures by April.

4 comments:

  1. That sycamore bark looks remarkably like the bark on some of our eucalypt species - interesting that it is so similar. I particularly like your rock wall and tree stump circle shots - not sure why, just do.

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    1. I wonder if there's some kind of convergent evolution going on with the bark of sycamore and eucalypt trees? Maybe it somehow hides them from bark beetles or something. Very interesting!

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  2. It's always amazing to get really close to trees instead of standing back and taking the whole tree. The life and structure of the truck and bark is a beauty of it's own. Hikes sure are fun, when things warm up here, we like to enjoy them whenever possible. as per your last part, you probably have already thought of this, but finding a hot weather variety of peas may help. 90 may just be a bit much for anything except the grocery store!

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    1. Yeah I don't know if any peas really tolerate that kind of heat and humidity. I remember looking up hot tolerant peas one time and it led me to black-eyes peas, which to me are beans not peas.

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