Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Rose Hips and Autumn Days

The last rose of summer may have danced away, but in fairy kitchens the magic continues. A handful of plump and glossy rose hips, collected in the summer and lined up in a row on the windowsill, led to "Rose Hip Kitchens", one of our Illustrated Fairy Gazette contributors.


The rose hips are over now
but berries are still on the
vines,










milkweed floss is floating over the fields


and along the ravines the leaves are turning gold. I haven't been up to the woods in months, too busy between work and then surgery, but Tippy and I are back to a full walking schedule again. Some of my favourite trees were cut down this summer, they must have been in the way of Parks Improvement projects - widened paths or old tree maintenance.

My very favourite tree escaped.
A remnant from the cottage-country years before urban planning reduced the green space, it is the last of the apple trees along this particular green corridor.


It beckons young climbers and there are several doors and windows, suitable for fairy comings and goings.



Closer to home geese scattered as we came near another tree, except for these greedy two. Who knew that Canada Geese eat green apples?



(The rare four legged Canada Goose, a species not unlike Hugh Lofting's pushmi-pullyu)




More about Hugh Lofting in another post.I grew up with Dr. Dolittle, Jip the dog and company, and better book company can not be had!

Speaking of Jip the dog - time for another walk.
Best wishes all

6 comments:

  1. Good morning to you, and many thanks for this exquisite post.

    The art work is uniquely beautiful. I so love that final image!

    The photographs take me far away from my city streets. How wonderful to see that the veteran apple tree was spared.

    Glad to read that you are up and about, and able to see more of this glorious autumn.

    xo

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  2. Ooooh.. I like your blog! Seems like we have a lot in commen! :)

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  3. I love all your work but the rose hip drawing is exquisite, it's nice to be able to see it in such detail too.

    I hope you are well and not too busy to enjoy the autumn.

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  4. Apple trees are definitely the best for climbing. Just perfect for adventurous kids. And the two weeks they are in blossom in the fall are magic!

    I know, we used to have 6 of them in our backyard when I was a kid.

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  5. I do love the lettering on the advertisement! I hate it when trees are cut down; they do it in our woods and it is sometimes like losing a friend.

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  6. (PS - will not know about the thing that you asked about until after Nov 2. Is killing me).

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