Today in pictures

[mobertol]

Originally Posted by davemac

Today in Pictures, a brief walk around possibly the smallest park in the borough, Lowerfold Park, Gt Harwood.

1.2.3.4.5. Views around the park.
6. No.....I am not throwing the stick.
7. I said, I am not throwing the stick.
8. Wheres he gone ?
9. Top gates and home, possibly the shortest walk I have done for a while.

Is that the full set of parks now Dave? It still looks like only very slight signs of autumn there -still quite green. Here we are the same -everything seems to be about 20/25 days behind this year, they are just harvesting now what would normally have been cut by mid-September.

[mobertol]

A few more shots from the walk on Sunday including my first attempt at photographing mushrooms! There were lots of heron about but I didn't manage to catch any of them...
1 The farm where I stayed in Torre D'Isola
2 The river Ticino from above
3 Sunlight in the woodlands
4 Signs of autumn
5 These plants are known locally as "ink plants" the berries stain bright purple
6 Winter fuel
7 Sunlit path we came along
8 The mushroom! They are known as "drums and sticks" in dialect because of the long stalk and flat heads (Mazze di tamburo)
9 Coming out of the woods towards the rice fields
10 Dead thistles - back to the start of the walk over looking the harvested rice field

[davemac]

Originally Posted by mobertol

Is that the full set of parks now Dave? It still looks like only very slight signs of autumn there -still quite green. Here we are the same -everything seems to be about 20/25 days behind this year, they are just harvesting now what would normally have been cut by mid-September.

One more to go, there are 11 parks in the borough, I have to visit Rhyddings to complete this particular quest, I know I have visited Rhyddings before, but the next visit puts a full stop on that set.
The hedgerows are full of Blackberries and Oak trees are sagging with all the acorns on them, so its been a good year for fruits and berries. The trees are a bit more species specific with regard to Autumn colour, the Horse Chestnuts have gone brown and dropped most of their leaves, Beech are just starting to go brown and the rest are still very green,. I don't think Autumn will arrive on mass until we have a bit of frost to bring them all in line.

[davemac]

Originally Posted by mobertol

A few more shots from the walk on Sunday including my first attempt at photographing mushrooms! There were lots of heron about but I didn't manage to catch any of them...
1 The farm where I stayed in Torre D'Isola
2 The river Ticino from above
3 Sunlight in the woodlands
4 Signs of autumn
5 These plants are known locally as "ink plants" the berries stain bright purple
6 Winter fuel
7 Sunlit path we came along
8 The mushroom! They are known as "drums and sticks" in dialect because of the long stalk and flat heads (Mazze di tamburo)
9 Coming out of the woods towards the rice fields
10 Dead thistles - back to the start of the walk over looking the harvested rice field

Its amazing how similar the countryside is to here, number 7 could be a walk I have done, and 10 has an end of the season feel about it, nice.

[mobertol]

In the Ticino Park there is a mixture of natural deciduous and farmed Poplar woodland - there is a change in level going down and along the river and I can see what you mean about it being similar there Dave. Away from there is is very different as it's so very flat, great for cycling but it can be a bit boring for walking - most of the North of Italy is on a massive plain called the Pianura Padana. The land around Pavia is mostly a rice-growing area because of the proliferation of rivers and canals which naturally made it perfect for that kind of cultivation. Around Cremona where I now live (just 1 hours drive away from Pavia) it's mostly maize which is cultivated for producing fodder for milking cows. There is less water here though the River Po is nearby - irrigation water for the fields here comes down in canals from Lake Iseo which is near to Garda. Cremona is known as "the milk-bowl of Italy" they say that as many cows as people live in the area. It's very, very flat here too as you will have noticed from previous photos of mine. One of the things I miss most about Lankyshire is the hills and valleys - and of course the weather!!

[davemac]

Today in Pictures, a walk around the woodlands, so its a lot of trees and "stuff".

1.Start point, the woodlands gateway.
2. A right turn takes you alongside Wilson's Playing field.
3. Turn around point.
4. Theres more colour on the woodland floor than on the trees.
5. And again.
6. Out of the woods and the top of Wilson's Playing field.
7. The Ragwort is still trying its best.
8. Just a bit of fungi.
9.Back into the managed woodlands.
10. Almost back to the start point.

[mobertol]

Originally Posted by davemac

Today in Pictures, a walk around the woodlands, so its a lot of trees and "stuff".

1.Start point, the woodlands gateway.
2. A right turn takes you alongside Wilson's Playing field.
3. Turn around point.
4. Theres more colour on the woodland floor than on the trees.
5. And again.
6. Out of the woods and the top of Wilson's Playing field.
7. The Ragwort is still trying its best.
8. Just a bit of fungi.
9.Back into the managed woodlands.
10. Almost back to the start point.

Lovely colour in the leaves and nice light too!

[davemac]

Today in Pictures, I have turned off the gas jet in the torch and handed it back, the white tracksuit with the gold piping has gone in the wardrobe, and the running shoes have been cast in bronze. 11 parks visited and presented in the form of photographs, today my quest comes to a close, with one regret, I wish I had used my camera.

1. Rhyddings Park, as Autumn creeps closer to winter.
2. The trees still have green leaves, who is bringing in those brown ones.
3. Three, two, one.........back in the room...........where's my shirt.
4. There always has to be one show off.
5. I have found a new way to moisten my gusset......leaves....there is always a way if you try hard enough.
6. Once its moist you might as well just keep on.
7. Who lives in a house like this......lets look through the portcullis.
8. Tucked away in a corner, not often seen, a fountain with a story.
9. If I find that bloke with a bag of brown leaves.................
10. Have you thought about moisturising !

[mobertol]

Originally Posted by davemac

Today in Pictures, I have turned off the gas jet in the torch and handed it back, the white tracksuit with the gold piping has gone in the wardrobe, and the running shoes have been cast in bronze. 11 parks visited and presented in the form of photographs, today my quest comes to a close, with one regret, I wish I had used my camera.

1. Rhyddings Park, as Autumn creeps closer to winter.
2. The trees still have green leaves, who is bringing in those brown ones.
3. Three, two, one.........back in the room...........where's my shirt.
4. There always has to be one show off.
5. I have found a new way to moisten my gusset......leaves....there is always a way if you try hard enough.
6. Once its moist you might as well just keep on.
7. Who lives in a house like this......lets look through the portcullis.
8. Tucked away in a corner, not often seen, a fountain with a story.
9. If I find that bloke with a bag of brown leaves.................
10. Have you thought about moisturising !

It's a lovely park, 2,4,5,6 and 10 are my favourite. A very autumny feel in some of these shots. I think you are getting better at capturing the fungi -if that's possible!

[mobertol]

I have just got up after an afternoon nap as I was kept awake last night between 1-30pm and 4pm. This series of shots will illustrate why. Our doorbell went at 1-30 and our next-door-but-one neighbours were there saying their house was on fire! Husband called the fire brigade and I got next door to evacuate their house, just in case, waking 2 year old Manu who is in some of the shots -he thought it was very exciting. It seems our neighbours had left a candle alight at their Hindu prayer altar in the spare bedroom -luckily the wife woke up with coughing as their rooms were already full of smoke and they got out in time -could have been a tragedy. I only thought to get my camera once things were under control so missed the flames and much of the smoke, as well as the men going in with their axes and breathing gear... Sorry if some of the photos are a bit out of focus.

[davemac]

Originally Posted by mobertol

I have just got up after an afternoon nap as I was kept awake last night between 1-30pm and 4pm. This series of shots will illustrate why. Our doorbell went at 1-30 and our next-door-but-one neighbours were there saying their house was on fire! Husband called the fire brigade and I got next door to evacuate their house, just in case, waking 2 year old Manu who is in some of the shots -he thought it was very exciting. It seems our neighbours had left a candle alight at their Hindu prayer altar in the spare bedroom -luckily the wife woke up with coughing as their rooms were already full of smoke and they got out in time -could have been a tragedy. I only thought to get my camera once things were under control so missed the flames and much of the smoke, as well as the men going in with their axes and breathing gear... Sorry if some of the photos are a bit out of focus.

Glad no one was hurt, it could have been much worse, I don't know whether I would have thought about my camera under those circumstances.

[mobertol]

Originally Posted by davemac

Glad no one was hurt, it could have been much worse, I don't know whether I would have thought about my camera under those circumstances.

I'd been standing outside for an hour watching when it came to mind! By then the worst was over...

[Margaret Pilkington]

Glad no-one was hurt, but it is still a major event for those concerned...and think of all the clearing up, and cataloging what has been lost.

I have not been much of a contributor to this thread for a while.....I have had to blow the cobwebs off my camera, and learn how to use it all over again....but today it got an airing......we went on the bus to Southport.

1) Southport Cyclist.(close up)
2) Southport Seagull...this one won't steal your chips or bird bomb you...it's a statue!
3) Southport Shrimp - can't be a prawn, it spoils my poetic licence.
4) Southport Sun...in a hazy blue(ish) sky.
5) Wasn't sure what this was. I thought it was a cat, but turned out to be one of those owl scarer things.
6)Cyclist coming around again!

[DaveinGermany]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

we went on the bus to Southport.

Did you go down the road for a sit down fish & chips dinner at Jacksons? (That's where my piccy in the photo competition "Food & Drink" came from. )

[Margaret Pilkington]

Yes, but we had fish and chips across the road from Jacksons...that one is next on our list of eateries to try.
I had a Seniors portion of Haddock with chips, peas and I could have had bread and butter and a cup of tea.....but I like proper tea, not tea dust in a bag...so I left the bread and butter, and had Sprite to drink.
Himself had a Seniors portion of Fish and chips too, but kept stealing the chips off my plate. He was in danger of getting a serious forking to his knuckles....note....I did say forking.