Author Topic: January 2017 in the Northern Hemisphere (Read 11209 times)

Hoy · « **on:** January 03, 2017, 09:55:31 PM »

No colourful flowering here but for once a sunny albeit windy day. That was last Sunday. Yesterday we got snow for the first time this winter but it was above 0C so it melted in a day. Today it is a northwesterly storm with hail.

Sunday we made a walk to an abandoned farm. Nothing is left of this farm except a lot of stone walls. A few houses near by are still used - some as cabins.

Hoy · « **Reply #1 on:** January 03, 2017, 10:02:17 PM »

A few more pictures. The boat house is still standing by the fjord.

Gabriela · « **Reply #2 on:** January 04, 2017, 12:33:19 AM »

The moss-covered stone walls are great looking Trond; would be nice to find to buy stones with already established moss on them.

Lesley Cox · « **Reply #3 on:** January 04, 2017, 07:14:19 AM »

I was thinking the same Trond. Are these abandoned rocked available to be used elsewhere? I'm sure you could think of various good ways to use them.

Hoy · « **Reply #4 on:** January 04, 2017, 09:10:18 AM »

We have hundreds, if not thousands, of miles with such stone fences and walls. Most of them are not in use any more except as old boundaries. I do not think anybody trade them. People seem to prefer new stones or concrete blocks for walls and fences. On the other hand, if you ask the owners, I am sure you can buy such rocks!

Robert · « **Reply #5 on:** January 04, 2017, 04:11:23 PM »

Trond,

What beautiful moss rocks!

The only action in our garden at this time is the mess. The first of several major storms came through last night. There was some snow up at the farm too. I will be spending 2 weeks at the farm starting tomorrow, then I will have a better idea what is going on up there. Most likely a stormy mess too. This type of stormy, wet weather is "normal" for the wintertime in our part of California. Good news after too many years of drought conditions. There will be many mossy rocks in our shaded north facing canyons, but nothing that approaches the beauty of the rocks in your countryside.

ian mcdonald · « **Reply #6 on:** January 04, 2017, 08:37:39 PM »

Trond, it must be a wet place with so many mosses there. It has been fairly cold here but no wind. Today is my birthday and I have spent it in the house. Too cold to be outside for long. I have not been to the local patch for a couple of weeks. One way to invite mosses into the garden is to "paint" rocks with cold rice pudding or similar.

Hoy · « **Reply #7 on:** January 04, 2017, 09:45:01 PM »

Quote from: Robert on January 04, 2017, 04:11:23 PM

Trond,

What beautiful moss rocks!

The only action in our garden at this time is the mess. The first of several major storms came through last night. There was some snow up at the farm too. I will be spending 2 weeks at the farm starting tomorrow, then I will have a better idea what is going on up there. Most likely a stormy mess too. This type of stormy, wet weather is "normal" for the wintertime in our part of California. Good news after too many years of drought conditions. There will be many mossy rocks in our shaded north facing canyons, but nothing that approaches the beauty of the rocks in your countryside.

Robert,

A lot of people dislike moss (and lichen and algae) and strive to remove it $:-\$

We too had a gale yesterday and also lightening and thunder. A couple of houses were hit and a few trees fell down but no casualities. Nothing happened in my garden.

Hoy · « **Reply #8 on:** January 04, 2017, 10:01:53 PM »

Quote from: ian mcdonald on January 04, 2017, 08:37:39 PM

Trond, it must be a wet place with so many mosses there. It has been fairly cold here but no wind. Today is my birthday and I have spent it in the house. Too cold to be outside for long. I have not been to the local patch for a couple of weeks. One way to invite mosses into the garden is to "paint" rocks with cold rice pudding or similar.

ian,

Happy birthday

Although moss thrives here it is due to high humidity and not very high precipitation (well, not very high compared to the wettest places (more than 3000mm/year) near by).

I think any organic matter you apply to the rocks will do! Furthermore I have no rice pudding

Robert · « **Reply #9 on:** January 05, 2017, 04:26:25 PM »

Ian,

Yes, Happy Birthday!

Hopefully the weather will improve and you can get out to the "local patch" soon.

Trond,

I arrived at the farm this morning to a soggy wet mess. It is great!

Maybe we will have the end of drought conditions for awhile. So far there has been about 585mm of precipitation here at the farm. This is a little bit above average for this date. The next storm, to arrive this weekend, is expected to drop 250mm of precipitation in our area (the farm, not the Sacramento Valley, there less). Flooding is excepted and a flood warning is being issued. There are two more wet storms expected after this next one. The farm is safe on high ground, except down by a seasonal creek - which is also the only road out! One more reason I have all-wheel-drive. There is a much greater threat of flooding at our Sacramento home. We have to hope the levees do not break. The American and Sacramento Rivers are already running high from this last storm. If 250mm do indeed fall in the Sierra Nevada watershed there will most likely be a level failure and flooding somewhere. The question is where? Stay tuned.

We also had a trace of snow at the farm the other day. It is long gone. A place like Peavine Ridge most likely has 5 feet (approx. 1.6m) of snow now. Just like the "old days".

shelagh · « **Reply #10 on:** January 07, 2017, 01:36:27 PM »

Always a sign that the year has turned, two of my favourites. N. romieuxii and Hammamelis mollis pallida. Only trouble is now the Hammamelis is getting too tall for me to catch the scent.