Keeping track of Moosey's Autumn

4 May '08 9:33 pm

I've enjoyed your reports on autumn's progress, and the new stone wall et al, Moosey. And I think of early reports of Percy the Fierce, the wild kitten, and just love his current pics... I DO wonder how my dogs will respond to a kitten. Ah well, Abigail does the 'I'll get up on your lap and love you' routine when it suits her in a very cat-like way...

Now there's something that's really got me wondering: "And I've met the word 'enfilade', which I will not attempt to define." you say in your journal. You're going to have to define it! If asked in a dictionary game I would say it is 'a delicious but scandalous affaire with the son/daughter of your best friend who is Mexican and going to hunt you down.' It is probably something more prosaic like an excess of climaxes at the end of vistas. (You do realise you now have a RESPONSIBILITY to explain!)

My autumn seems to be fleeting by all too quickly as well, but your winds and hail sound a lot more destructive than anything here. Now remember you are two weeks behind me (or was that three?) My autumn is past its best by 15 May, although this year I suspect it will be earlier. That means yours must continue to glow and grow till the last week of May. Go forth and command the elements!

8 May '08 10:34 pm

I've always thought it should be easier to comment on Moosey's Journal - a sort of interactive margin. But this will do, I guess Smile

Remember what I said about the ostrich - your bleak moments about fuel and Myanmar remind me of that. But I understand the bit about Border Collies and the reason they love one. My Doubly wins bonus points for INSISTING on sitting with his head laid on my knee when I am on the toilet. Now that is what I call loyalty.

As for autumn; the laws of symmetry prescribe that if you are two weeks behind me in spring, you are two weeks ahead of me in autumn. 15 May is always my turning point. I'm afraid we peaked on the 5th this year. And this Sunday the 11th the Rotary Club is visiting for a braai (BBQ) and I have been praying for the leaves to hang in... we'll be OK but this shortest of seasons is drawing to a close.

Chin up - and thanks for all the sharing, Moosey. You and your garden and your animals (and, I guess, your humans) are in my thoughts often.

9 May '08 2:25 pm

Thanks heaps for your support, Jack. And sorry to get in a gloomy world mood. I'm probably watching too much TV news.

Our autumn could catch up with yours, and even overtake. Obviously the relationship doesn't need to be linear - we could even oscillate, though the algebra could look rather fierce. Mid-April to mid-May can be our most windless weeks of the year, and I guess that some NZ gardeners (and outdoors adventuresses) get caught up in a rosy haze - what bad weather? What southerly storm? What cold frosts?

Anyway, this word 'enfilade'. Oh dear. It looks like something yummy you'd order off a menu. I think the book said it's a view within a view. A view of a view? A view which is in itself a view - of another view? Anyway it sounds extremely applicable to analytical essays on photographic compositions, desperately trying to get at least a B+ grade.

A bit like subsiduary focal points. Now there's something you need to know about. One of these could easily turn up in an enfilade, and if you've got one and it's competing with the main one, you'd better look out! Hee hee.

I have one liquidamber - it's odd, the leaves are still 95% green and 5% yellow. That probably means that our autumn is back 2 weeks later than yours, where it should be? Can you remember how many weeks ago your liquid amber trees had this proportion of green-to-yellow? Your leaf colour is amazing.

Great talking with you, and thanks for the cheer-up. It worked!
M

9 May '08 7:05 pm

If you look at my latest pics, you will see how much my liquodambers differ. Considering that the entire avenue was grown from the seed of one tree, and I seem to remember three of the four liquodambers near my house from that same batch, you will realise how much variety there is between trees and even times of turning. Several of our trees were green and yellow I would say by mid-March, but liquodambers are considered to be the most spectacular and long-seasoned of all autumn trees in SA. Interestingly the amazing colours are repeated year after year, branch for branch. The first branch to turn remains so, the purple remains so, the predominantly orange or yellow tree remains so...

My advice to you is to plant at least 20 more liquodambers!!! Very Happy

Thanks for the answer about enfilades... in gardens our size I think there is less of a problem with conflicting focal points than in a small and over-manicured one. Which reminds me - how are things with the 'Best Mess award'? Wink

As for the seasons - bear in mind that although at high altitude, I am only 50km south of the Tropic of Capricorn; day length must play a considerable role in the seasons, and our changes aren't nearly as dramatic as yours. We had the slightest touch of frost for a few nights in mid-April, but I don't think the last three nights have dipped below 10 degrees - rather warmer than yours I would think!

Keeping track of Moosey's Autumn

Keeping track of Moosey's Autumn

My monologue with Moosey

Enfilades, Subsiduary Focal Points, and Autumn

;-))