16 November, 2009

Exploring in Fernbank Forest

Last Friday was a perfect fall day. 70 degrees. Sunny. Dry. Excellent weather for a necessary afternoon excursion in Fernbank Forest.

This is a White Oak that fell from the forest, crushed the fence, then landed across Clifton road during the record rainfall this past September
170 YO

I got roughly 170 rings out of only a 2 feet diameter trunk cut! Some of these were TIGHT! Must have been drought years...
tight grain

Fernbank Forest, like everywhere else, is not immune to exotic plant invasions. This is a shot of a tract of large bamboo along the southeastern fenceline
bamboo forest

And a Chinese Wisteria monoculture
Wisteria forest

Oh and of course English Ivy- this stuff really weighs down the trees and can cause them to fall. This one temporarily blocked a bridge in the forest:
Evil Ivy
Evil Ivy II

BW canopy shot
Fernbank Forest

I finally found a nice Starvine (Schisandra glabra) in the forest
Starvine!

Starvine bark

It's just such a graceful vine with its graceful twisting flight up the tree.
Starvine II!

10 November, 2009

Reconnecting the pipes: surgery and recovery

How do I feel about another week in the hospital? My face says it all:
me... worried?

Post surgery:
post-surgery

Beep beepin' down the hall!
beep beepin'

Emily is texting the family (or is she updating FB?)
Emily textin' away

So to stay sane while Liza is recovering in the hospital (6 days instead of the planned 4 days..) I managed to walk around the Brookwood area. Here's some shots:

Chinkapin Oak?
chinkapin leaf

Chinkapin oak shaped into a bush right in front of one as a normal tree:
chinkapin bush and tree

R. Thomas
R. Thomas

Nicest fall color on a Tulip Poplar I've ever seen... maybe
Tuliptree

creek near hospital

Ginkgo leaf

midtown fountain

GA "alpenglow"
GA alpenglow

...from our room
skyline from window


sunset2
sunset1

No more ileostomy bag! Now just a pursestring hole that will heal itself
after surgery purse string

09 November, 2009

Halloween (pre-surgery) PARTY.

Halloween/Pre-surgery party:

the crowd
da crowd

Finn-ja turtle
Finn-ja turtle

Dorothy and Jigsaw
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Slash and Axel
Slash and Axel

Jigsaw and Pigface are lovers?!
true love

Jim Kane
Kat burglar!

Lynn
Matt

MMMG
Peter and Mike

punkins
Catherine and Rosie

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