Saturday, October 17, 2009

I THINK THAT I SHALL NEVER SEE . . .

A billboard lovely as a tree.
Perhaps, unless the billboards fall,
I'
ll never see a tree at all.

~ Ogden Nash, "Song of the Open Road," 1933


Now that I'm starting to feel better, Sadie puppy is taking me for walks more often. Today we walked through the civic park just a block from our house, and had a chance to observe some of the beautiful trees there.


(The Larches are turning. These are the only coniferous trees to shed
their leaves, or needles, all at the same time.
The Aspen at the borders of the picture have already shed their leaves)



(The Blue Spruce stand tall and ready for winter. In the
background
you can see the stately elms, which are tuning.)



(The Junipers are ready for winter too, and will continue to be
green
while the shrubs in the background are leafless.)


It is really such a joy to live where we do. One block to the east, we're at the river. One block to the west, we're at the park (where there are also play structures for children, and a baseball diamond further west).


19 comments:

Rosaria Williams said...

Congratulations on your previous nomination. I knew someone would tap you up there in the mountains. And you do live a healthy life up there, what with all that oxigen and clean water, you'll make everybody jealous.

The Blog Fodder said...

Ogden Nash was my mother's patron saint. The only one of his books that I have is "I'm a strager here myself".
Only problem with fall is that it is followed by winter...but without winter there could be no spring. I guess God got it right.

Rob-bear said...

® Rosaria: Thanks for the congratulations! But mountains? What mountains? It's so flat here that, if your dog ran away from home, you still see him running three days later. Even The Blog Fodder would vouch for that.

® Speaking of the BF: remember, things haven't changed all that much since you left. There are still five seasons:
1. Almost winter
2. Winter
3. Still winter
4. Getting nicer
5. Road construction
We're currently on the cusp of 5 and 1.

Tattieweasle said...

Having both park and river is wonderful knowing that they are there and using them is fantatsic!

French Fancy... said...

Why is my Juniper not high like that - it creeps along the ground and looks burnt and rusty - boo to trees that don't behave

Rob-bear said...

® Tattie: It IS wonderful! The park actually includes both the nice civic park and the now-vacant but grassed site of what was a TB Sanatorium until about 15 years ago. Great places for Sadie and I to walk!

Rob-bear said...

® FF: Maybe it's because they're French Junipers and don't like English. Try some fertilizer with French labeling. Or, can you get some manure from a local French farmer?

Jo ~ said...

hi Rob-Bear, sounds like your puppy are becoming quite the companions. Fall is beautiful right now. I know here there are leaves everywhere falling right and left, with November cold biting our ankles just right around the corner.

Sniffles and Smiles said...

Oh, you are fortunate indeed!!!!! I can imagine it!!! And a walk with your pups?? I think you live in paradise!!! All the best to you, my dear friend! Hugs, Janine

P.S. Love the Nash quote!!!!!

cheshire wife said...

Colours here, too, are wonderful at the moment, even if some of the trees are looking a little tatty.

Reasons said...

So happy to hear you have felt well enough to get out and about and enjoy some of the glory that Autumn has to offer.xxx

Rob-bear said...

® Bella: Lots of fun walking through October with the Sadie puppy, except when it hurts.

® Janine: While it may sound like paradise (and some of it is), there's a lot of H**l here too. See my "Pity Poor Saskatoon" piece on my Bears Noting blog. (Couldn't resist Nash; I've known that one for decades!)

® Cheshire wife: the thing I really miss are the bright reds of the fall leaves. That's what I grew up seeing in eastern Canada.

® Reasons: yesterday, not only did I walk the Sadie pup, I did some tree pruning (with a chain saw), cleaned all that up, and checked on a problem with our eves trough/gutter. Let's just say I'm "paying" for all that activity today. But I'm still out of bed this morning -- at least so far.

Snowbrush said...

Rob, I was worried there as I haven't heard from you for awhile, and you hadn't posted to your blogs that I usually read. I'm glad you're better. Come by and check out my new Belief-O-Matic.

Snowbrush said...

P.S. Blue spruces don't grow naturally down here in Oregon, but are sold as potted Xmas trees which can be planted. We have one in our back yard, and I see quite a few of the trees around town and always wonder if they too started out life as a Xmas tree.

Rob-bear said...

® Snowbrush: Thanks for your concern, and for dropping by for a visit. This is usually where I hang out.
Memory serves that Blue Spruce is not native to this area, but is an introduced species (as in your case). Still, they do grow to be beautiful trees.

Gutsy Living said...

It's been a while since we visited one another. I see that winter is just around the corner. it doesn't seem long ago since I read about it on your blog. I'm in Miami today where it's 90 degrees. California was also HOT when I left. I don't recall seeing pine trees turning yellow.

Rob-bear said...

® Sonia: Thanks for visiting. Have you taken up semi-permanent residence in Florida?

Cait O'Connor said...

I love those sandbar photos, they look like paintings.
And I've just read your About Me on your profile, it's great.
Hope to visit more regularly now.

Rob-bear said...

® Hi, Cait: Thanks so much for dropping by. The city, and our river, are actually amazing, if one takes the time to sit, and reflect, and enjoy! And, yes, the Bear is a bit of a mixed-up creature.