Posted in Nature, Uncategorized, tagged Nature, thompson's park, Trees, winter on December 31, 2022| 4 Comments »
Dead leaves in Thompson’s Park on Boxing Day
It has been a while since I walked around Thompson’s Park, the nearest of Cardiff’s small parks to my home. But Boxing Day was a rare day of sunshine and showers in an otherwise very wet and murky festive period, so I thought I would get some fresh air.
As usual at this time of year there were still a few observations of interest. Here are my photos… (more…)
Posted in Art & Design, Traditions & Superstitions, Uncategorized, tagged art, Christmas, design, traditions on December 24, 2022| 2 Comments »
No sprout about it – a witty Christmas card from my friend and council co-worker Sue, sold by Morrisons in aid of Clic Sargent, Young Lives v Cancer (https://www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk/)
It’s rather a sorry year for Christmas cards – with the UK postal workers’ strike I am still expecting to receive quite a few more greetings long after the festive period ends…
But as usual I have chosen my favourites from those that have arrived and include the charities’ website addresses where the cards were sold for their benefit… (more…)
Posted in Cardiff, Uncategorized, Wales, tagged Cardiff on December 21, 2022| 1 Comment »
New building above the proposed bus station in Wood Street, Cardiff, and a corner of the BBC Wales HQ
Although I live just a couple of miles from Cardiff’s city centre, I have been there only a handful of times since the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020.
I would usually visit the Queen Street shopping area but last week my bus dropped me in Wood Street, at the Central Railway Station end of town. The city has been without a main bus station since 2015 but a new one may open next year.
I knew the street was being redeveloped but I must have looked like a tourist as I turned around in amazement to point my phone camera in all directions… (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, tagged Nature, Trees, tulip tree, winter on December 14, 2022| 5 Comments »
Twin trunks of the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park
I visited the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park for the last time today as we near the end of the year.
The weather has been cold since the start of December, with some frost, ice and freezing mist – but only one light dusting of snow so far. Today was very cold and raw but brighter than the dank days earlier in the week.
The tree is now stripped bare of leaves, as it was when I first started to follow it in February 2022.
Here are the photos from my visit… (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged Nature, Trees on December 7, 2022| 7 Comments »
Glossy smooth-leaved branches of a holly (Ilex) in my garden – I have yet to find a satisfactory explanation of why some of the leaves lack prickles
Welcome to the December tree-following gathering. I look forward to seeing everyone’s news and pictures once again. And newcomers are also always welcome.
Here in South Wales, after a very wet November, December has begun very cold and much drier, with winds from the north and east.
This is the time when evergreen trees start to show their winter usefulness, although there are still a few yellow autumn leaves on the bigger ash trees (Fraxinus) and the sycamores (Acer pseudoplatanus).
I will need to visit the tall tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park in the next week, to say goodbye after a year of following it.
I’m sure you regular tree followers will have something new to report. Point to any tree-related post you would like to share, using the link box below. And please don’t forget to leave a comment.
The link box is now open for contributions and will stay open until 7pm GMT on December 14.
If you are new to tree following, read all about the idea here, although, as I have been saying all year, I must update that page when I have the chance!
The Squirrelbasket 