Thursday, November 1, 2012

Let’s go for a walk…

It’s been quite awhile since I took the camera along on a dog walk, I think it's time, besides it's not raining! (that's a rarity these days)...

This huge grass is one of a pair. It's the largest of the two and a perfect example of not planning for the plants eventual size.

That is of course unless you want to hide the path to your front door...

I wonder how the mail-man feels about this?

Subtract that Bishops Weed in the lower right hand corner and this is a lovely scene. I especially like the maple (?) against the house.

New contruction, well sort of. This was a very scary house just a few months ago. After the questionable residents were sent packing they took it back to the foundation and started building up. The new version is much larger than the old version.

I think it's odd that they left the old sidewalk, especially since they went to such lengths to landscape well.

Yes, that was sarcasm.

At least they left the backyard a blank slate.

Yesterday we saw the Sweet Chestnut trees at the Kew Gardens...these are in my neighborhood.

Every year I pick up a few of these fabulous pods to place on the mantle.

They are however spiky little landmines for doggie feet.

Spooky no? I've photographed these floating heads before, but with a subject as strange as this I figured a follow-up was in order.

Remember when the Opuntia Santa Claus came to visit? This is the source plant...

So blond...

All good dog walks end up here...one of my all time favorite local gardens.

Surely you can see why?

I know it's blurry but I loved the loopy craziness going on in the background.

Pups everywhere! I counted at least four...

I'll be keeping an eye on this Echium over winter.

I'm so glad I finally worked up the courage to take a picture of this! I give you the Trophy Garage...

What do you think is going on here?

Remember making potato stamps as a kid?

Love these...even better than the summertime version.

This house has got more Euphorbia seedlings per square inch than any other I know of...

Someday I will walk the Ainsworth Linear Arboretum "...is unique among U.S. arboretums. It spans actual city blocks and includes street and yard trees. You can view more than 60 different species of city trees within walking or bicycling distance of each other."

I took a picture of this same plant about this time last year. The funny thing is I've been looking for it all summer and never could spot it...

Here's an interesting combination...

A bit of resourcefulness when the bird bath base broke? I like it.

Just a little bit of moss on that there planter...

Here's the mother plant of my first Opuntia pads. Notice how the heavy branches are reaching for the ground? I bet they root there and start growing upwards again.

Finally we'll end with something you don't see much of around these parts, thankfully...

A little careful cropping communicates my feelings on the matter...

50 comments:

  1. Thanks for the careful cropping! LOVED it.

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  2. haha put a question mark with Photoshop in between those signs!!! You have an eye for details...Love the mossy pot..the guy must be good at something(golf) but the wife hates trophys
    I want a head!!!man those grassea are HUGE..but they need a wider sidewalk!!

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    1. But I have no questions! The "no" says it all for me...

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  3. Great post full of fun stuff! LOVE the floating heads and the moss covered pot; your cropping is pretty special too.

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    1. I think a few floating heads would be right at home in your garden. Maybe peeking over the fence to keep the bad guys away?

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  4. LOL. I did NOT miss your careful cropping :-).

    The trophy garage? Beauty pageant queen?

    I love posts like this one.

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    1. I think you're right. I went back to my original photo and enlarged it because I thought maybe Sharon was on to something with the golf idea but I saw a banner for the talent contest at the 2003/4 Miss America pageant and at the top of most of the trophies was a female figure. How did you know?

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    2. Watching too many episodes of Toddlers & Tiaras, LOL.

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  5. Yay! Good job, well said.

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  6. YAY on the cropping!

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  7. I never understand how republicans end up in Portland. They must be so miserable!

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    1. I was thinking the same thing, and how brave it is for them to proclaim their Republicanism right there in the front yard! I guess I've got to give them kudos for that.

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    2. I was kind of wondering the same thing...

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  8. Here's our big chance: all of us who feel like we're "preaching to the choir" can gather on these folks' lawn and smother them with love and right thinking (left is right in this context).

    Don't you love that the beauty queen is taking up all the space in the man cave?

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    1. I just know there is more to the trophy story than meets the eye...

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  9. A very nice walk you've just had there, an eclectic mix of things to see but overall a lovely neighbourhood you live in :) A pageant queen in the midst as well. And clever cropping!!

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    1. Thank you, there are certainly more "just lawn" homes than ones with interesting gardens but over all the mix is a good one.

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  10. All the best for next week's result. What's with this Mourdock character? What the hell? As for Akin, how on earth is that man standing for election? The views he has, it'd make more sense if he was standing on a street corner, swigging from a bottle.

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  11. Good job on the cropping. We have a guy here in my town who sometimes stands outside the post office with a sign saying "Impeach Obama" with one of those pictures of him with the Hitler mustache. Pisses me off every single time I see him.

    You like Echinacea seedheads even better than the flowers? I just picked all of mine to save the seeds.

    Hey, have you seen the new badge for the San Francisco Fling? It's got an Agave on it! Are you going? It's been set for June 28-30.

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    1. I wonder how many peoples minds your post office guy has changed?

      I do like the look of the dead flowers...especially this time of the year! And yes, I've seen and got the SF badge...couldn't pass up that agave. I hope to go, the only thing that might change my mind is the cost.

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  12. I think I'll have to take the dog for a walk after exam block, and when I do i'll be sure to take my camera with me to show you some of my neighbourhood

    those floating heads give me the heeby-jeebies, and that Ainsworth Linear arboretum sounds really cool

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    1. Oh that would be great Michael, I would love to see your neighborhood.

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    2. We live on acreage so not all of the gardens are able to be amazing... or at least thats what I'm using as the excuse for our weed infested monstrosity ;)

      there are some lovely gardens though, they are mainly the ones with the house close to the road, and they do a wonderful job

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  13. I like the way you crop!

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    1. Thank you. Of course they made it easy for me.

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  14. LOL, trophy garage! Incredible.

    Lots of good food for thought in these pics. REally love the birdbath in the urn. creative

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    1. The yard that the birdbath urn is in is small, but she always has something interesting going on there. I love walking by.

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  15. Here the huge clump of grass would be carefully buzzed back in a vertical line at the sidewalk edge to expose a dried up interior. They did paint their house a lovely color, though.

    On the new McMansion, that "landscaping" is hilarious. Dyed mulch?

    And you are lucky with that sign, believe it or not. This morning I saw a "Put The White Back In The White House!" bumper sticker.

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    1. No! Are you serious? I guess there are bigots everywhere aren't there.

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  16. Love the walk but even better the last photo:) You wouldn't find those signs here:) Can't wait for this election stuff to be over once and for all:)

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    1. They are very rare here to, that's why it was so surprising to see.

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  17. I'd love to do the Ainsworth Arboretum walk with you one of these days--with or without leaves.

    And, good cropping...

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    1. Yay let's do it! I wonder if Pumpkin and Lila could go on a walk together and behave?

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  18. Great pics - great to see Miscanthus flowering freely. 4th pic - 'maple?' is possibly a Fothergilla such as 'Blue Shadow' - lovely steely foliage in summer and then vivid autumn colour

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    1. I think you might be right about the Fothergilla, but it was actually referring to the taller "tree" on the left of the window. The only reason I think it might be a maple is just yesterday when I walked by it had a lovely burnt orange tinge to the leaves and I could see their outline a little bit better than when they were all green.

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  19. I love your good dog walk spot! those agaves and yuccas at that house are epic. The cordyline house = sad day. like for realz. And I'm glad you don't have to see many political signs... and just think, they will be taken down within the week (hopefully?).

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    1. Louis when you visit Portland I'll have to take you by that house with the agaves and yuccas, you'll love it!

      As for the signs coming down I hope so, but there always seem to be the folks who leave them up for another month or two.

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  20. What a good tour. The trophy garage is a hoot.

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  21. I would love to go on a dog walk with you. Quite a diversity in topics here...hmmmm....tough on the repulicans huh?

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    1. Just like with the ornamental cabbage and kale lovers I know some perfectly lovely people who are Republicans, I'm even related to one.

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  22. I always love seeing your neighborhood walks! I would take photos of my own hood more often but worry about upsetting the neighborfolk. We have some lovely Victorian style cottages and even a few raised bed veggie gardens in the front yards, so I'm thrilled to live in an old neighborhood. What is that one succulent with the loopy chalky white stems and yellow flowers?

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    1. I would love to see photos of you neighborhood Steve. Maybe if you just do an extremely complimentary photo tour? People enjoy seeing their plants and gardens in a positive manner. I think the plant you're asking about is the verbascum. It's a weed in many parts of our state, and not actually a succulent.

      http://plantlust.com/plants/verbascum-bombyciferum-arctic-summer/

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  23. Love those floating heads.

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  24. The careful cropping is awesome!}:P

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