Stink horns

Cop these !! Sympathy to all those in Chch ,,,Always beds in Cambrian if you need to evacuate .

Last light

The evening light tonight was so fantastic that I just had to take a couple of shots ,not really true to colour ,but interesting .The last light just seems to bring out the most vivid greens ,but I can't capture them .

Early Autumn

"Evening all".....Great days in Cambrian ,lots of warmth [both physical and emotional]'
lots of moisture and fantastic tree growth ,the landscape is greener than an Irish paddock on St Patricks day !! Three overseas students are staying in the lodge whilst they study the local stream ecology ,fascinating stuff. Nothing dramatic happening but it is all so pleasant that I am not complaining ,let the people of Egypt and Libya have all the excitement . The onset of Autumn has begun ,Rowan berries ,hawthorn haws ,autumn crocuses are popping up ,on my reckoning all a month early ,could be a long winter .Cast an eye on this unusual fungi ,I've only seen them twice before ,they are called stink-horns ,and look quite incredible ,but they smell foul to attract the flies ,there are still more to come out so I'm hoping for a better photo .

Hidden lake

Hi. Yesterday was the hottest day of the year [over most of NZ] 35-40 degrees .Then last night it rained ALL night, today I am having to duck and weave amongst the new growth on my trees !!!!! what fantastic growing conditions .What's more amazing is that yesterday a group of neighbours took a 4WD expedition into the hills to visit the hidden lake on Mt StBathans,it's at about 5000ft and on the western end ,DEFINITELY 4wd
territory,hot dusty and awe inspiring ,getting home about 7pm.The only way I could cool off was by jumping in a 44gal drum of cold water ,that cooled me down .Then an hour later the rain began ,talk about good timing ,just heard that we got 3inches of rain ,that's a lot for us.So today I am a happier man than usual ,I can just about see my trees growing !Here's some photos from the trip .
cheers

Berry time

Hi folks ...sorry that I haven't been posting much lately ,not too much to post about .
However life is still its very pleasant self ,the forest is coming along beautifully ,helped by the occasional downpour and lots of sunshine ,the growth this year is phenomenal ,long may it continue !
The only blot on the landscape is that a section owner in Cambrian intends to cut down our tallest tree ,a magnificent Oregan pine [or Douglas fir],it must be at least 100 yrs old ,and who knows how high .It doesn't have to be cut down only trimmed for the power wires ,but the owners decided to cut it down ,even though he has a "For sale" sign on his gate !! If you are motivated at all you could send him a polite e-mail asking him not to .His e-mail address is hannibal9@xtra.co.nz
The rowan berries are in full fruit at the moment ,they make a great sight ,I feel that the branches will break under all that weight ,I'm not sure what eats them ,but they will soon disappear. All the best .....Bob