Gaia: Now I Can See The Moon - PHOTO ALBUMS

Re: NEW WOODLAND WALK

http://druidcircle.gaia.com — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 13:12:22 GMT

shadows across cool water
woodland walking
winter trees sigh for newness
warming earth bring on the buds !
warm our bodies and minds
this joyful springtime
winter's decay arises and greets
the open arms of March rising
hints of blue flowers
show their gentle
strength

*
Love Tai
March 2010

Enjoy your walk FastDart, be sure to fill that bag as you explore the trail !!

Re: NEW WOODLAND WALK

http://fastdarter.gaia.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:28:03 GMT

This weekend I'm going to take a little trip north of the City and check out Ritter Park. I'll bring my bag and pick up trash as I explore the trail.
*img source

Re: Let's Celebrate - spring is on it's way...

http://druidcircle.gaia.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:41:39 GMT

Its spring its spring
Oh I just can’t wait
To find fruits on the vases
And flowers on my plate

I want to hear the warm sun
And feel the robin singing
Watch the scent of the flowers
And smell the butterflies flying

Its spring its spring
I’m so full of glee
For the people will bloom
And the flowers will be happy

The gray fields shall be covered
With the magic of the meadow
And the brown sky shall be painted
With the blossoms of the rainbow

Its spring its spring
How can I be blue?
For it is the time of spring
And only the spring brings you

Arvie Calimlim

Re: NEW WOODLAND WALK

http://druidcircle.gaia.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:37:33 GMT

Hi, yes a shopping cart !! The nearest big supermarket must be a couple of miles from the stream, but we do have a smaller one - I call them big Tesco and little Tesco - they have trolleys too, but smaller ones at the smaller store - maybe someone took their groceries home in the trolley then just dumped it or more likely a few of the local youngsters were having a party in the woods !!

Earth Day would be a good day to get people together.

A wounded oak tree...

Love Tai

Re: NEW WOODLAND WALK

http://ingebrita.gaia.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:13:09 GMT

I'm guessing a supermarket trolley is what we call a shopping cart! :) What an odd thing to push into a stream. What was someone possibly thinking? It sounds like you're an activist already, bravo! The biggest day for organized community clean ups here is Earth Day, April 22, or the closest weekend.
Earth Day Network Global Days of Service

Re: Let's Celebrate - spring is on it's way...

http://ingebrita.gaia.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:12:47 GMT

I imagine there are varieties of Andromeda, I think it came from Japan. My mother's bush is probably about eight feet tall and the deer don't like it. :) I'm guessing she planted it soon after 1960, when they built the house, about 50 years ago. Her favorite flower was lily-of-the-valley, which looks similar.

Poor frog. The pond in your picture does look rather sleepy.

"Before the bud swells, before the grass springs, before the plough is started, comes the sugar harvest. It is sequel of the bitter frost; a sap run is the sweet goodbye of winter."
~ John Burroughs

The picture, which I'm using to illustrate the Burroughs quote, is from Old Sturbridge Village, a living history museum in Massachusetts. The woman is in late 1600s costume, making sugar from maple tree sap by boiling off the water in the sap. The warm days and frost overnight cause the sap to run and the trees are tapped. Tim used to do this with his aunt and uncle when he was living with them in his teens, only nowadays they make maple syrup instead. Maple sugar wouldn't spoil, but maple syrup will get moldy without refrigeration. It is still done this way in February and March all over New England, and I imagine pretty much wherever maple trees are found!

Re: NEW WOODLAND WALK

http://druidcircle.gaia.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:57:44 GMT

Community clean up is a great idea - I was thinking wouldn't it be good to organize something - I met a guy walking his dog and we talked about the litter around our area and about all the broken glass too - it looked like someone had smashed a bottle next to the green seat pictured below. He was worried about his dog, I was worried about my bike tyres and his dog ! Vet bills are so high for just small things over here. There was a supermarket trolley in the stream, wasn't sure what to do with that.

Last time the stream was polluted it was so hard to get anyone out to look - in the end a lady from the Environmental Health Department walked down to the stream with me and action was taken. It took weeks to find out who to contact and loads of emails.

Love Tai

Re: NEW WOODLAND WALK

http://ingebrita.gaia.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:42:30 GMT

Do you have a bird feeder, Larry? Blue jays stick around for the winter at my father's bird feeders here in Connecticut. I want to know what kind of bird your little buddy is, too!

That's sad about the litter, Tai, but I'm pleased you're being a good caretaker of the earth. Sometimes we have community clean-ups on the weekends. It is discouraging to see that some people could care less about their surroundings in nature...

Birds are difficult to photograph, for me anyway. I set the camera on the sports/children/pets setting and they still come out blurry.

Re: Let's Celebrate - spring is on it's way...

http://druidcircle.gaia.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:21:30 GMT

Beautiful quote, love it !

The Andromeda bush or Pieris, as I have come to know it in our garden center - I have one of these in the front garden, the leaf bracts turn flame red, then a sort of vanilla colour. Managed a cutting a few years back, which has hopefully survived the winter, they tend to be a little frost tender, especially when young - the cutting is only about 6 inches and has taken about 3 or 4 years to grow this tall ! The mother plant is probably about 3ft tall after about 20 years.

It's turned sunny again this afternoon, we had a frost this morning and dull, grey skies. It's getting lighter in the morning and night now in England.

The local pond doesn't seem to have woken up for spring, but I'll keep a check. There was a dead frog at the edge of it on Monday ...

Love Tai

Re: Let's Celebrate - spring is on it's way...

http://ingebrita.gaia.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:49:55 GMT

I love those sunflowers, Kathy, thank you! I've never been able to grow any here... They would be wonderful in the garden for Midsummer!

As far as I know we don't have gorse here, very pretty buds! It must be wonderful having such an early spring! Thanks for the picture, Tai.

"To see the fire that warms you or, better yet, to cut the wood that feeds the fire that warms you; to see the spring where the water bubbles up that slakes your thirst and to dip your pail into it; to see the beams that are the stay of your four walls and the timbers that uphold the roof that shelters you; to be in direct and personal contact with the sources of your material life; to find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter; to find a quest of wild berries more satisfying than a gift of tropical fruit; to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wild flower in spring - these are some of the rewards of the simple life."
~ John Burroughs

My mother's Andromeda bush (last year):

Re: Let's Celebrate - spring is on it's way...

http://druidcircle.gaia.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:14:31 GMT

yellow always reminds us of the sun :)

...the catkins have really grown and opened in the last couple of weeks, seems like there is lots of pollen around at the moment too !

Love Tai

Re: Let's Celebrate - spring is on it's way...

http://kathysmith.gaia.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:00:51 GMT

In the parking lot where we buy groceries, we took this shot...I named it Jerry's Flowers...

Re: Let's Celebrate - spring is on it's way...

http://druidcircle.gaia.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:24:56 GMT

thanks Lee and Barbara :)

After these few days of sunshine the gorse decided to open her buds and begin flowering ...

Love Tai

Re: NEW WOODLAND WALK

http://druidcircle.gaia.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:14:22 GMT

The blue jay pic is so beautiful Barbara, thanks for sharing it. Thanks about the picture, I enhanced the blue just a little :)
Thanks FastDart, what sort of bird is your buddy, we don't see these in England.
Great pics of those pink roses against the white wood, are they scented..

I decided to go for a bike ride yesterday and walked through our woodland, the litter was appalling after the winter - I couldn't leave it so found a carrier bag amongst the trees and started a litter pick - came out with a bag full, there's more there, so I might go back with some gloves next time, lots of broken glass too.

Love Tai

Re: NEW WOODLAND WALK

http://fastdarter.gaia.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:31:33 GMT

Our Jay's haven't shown up yet...
When they do I will try to capture them at their best.
This one @Flickr looks mighty familiar and this little guy has become my buddy.
I caught him today in my lens.

Re: Let's Celebrate - spring is on it's way...

http://ingebrita.gaia.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:24:31 GMT

Over lowland, over snow and tundra
span arches, raised by the rising sun.
See: the light is winning!
And the stream is streaming
towards open minds
and towards seeds dreaming
of growth.
~ Einar Skjæraasen

Re: NEW WOODLAND WALK

http://ingebrita.gaia.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:16:47 GMT

We heard an owl this morning but couldn't see him. I wonder where he went for the winter. I love the picture, Tai, that stunning blue sky and the tree is lovely sculpture. Blue is my favorite color! Grey skies here, dotted with snow flurries. We have woodpeckers and some finches, but they're different than yours I imagine. Here's a blue jay from the National Geographic website:

Re: NEW WOODLAND WALK

http://druidcircle.gaia.com — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:51:41 GMT

...didn't get to see many birds this morning, I heard a few pigeons in the tree tops though...don't think we get blue jays here Lee, they are beautiful, so I wish we did !
You and Barbara are both so lucky - our most colourful ones are the Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Blue Tit, and we've seen the Woodpecker briefly. Have you got any more bird pics Lee.

Re: NEW WOODLAND WALK

http://ingebrita.gaia.com — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:44:38 GMT

Ooooo.... I love the deep blue coloring of blue jays. When I was little I'd admire them sitting on the snow covered hemlock trees, a strong bright blue so striking against the white. My mom used to rap on the window when she'd see them on the bird feeders, though. She said they wouldn't allow the other birds a turn. Thanks for the picture, Lee!

Re: NEW WOODLAND WALK

http://organics.gaia.com — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:11:37 GMT

meet the blue jay... great for pest control in organic gardens... They work for peanuts :)