Sunday, April 12, 2009

How Green is my Valley...More Photos

Just one more photo

Starting to get a little darker now

Sun starting to disappear behind tree line on top of ridge

Sun shining behind Angophora Costata also known as a 'wishing tree'

From this rocky outcrop of sandstone ledges the valley drops away, then plateaus for a distance then drops away even further; it is over 1000 feet to the valley floor where there is a creek and here I am hanging off ledges to get these photos :/

Another rock ledge...it is very decepetive this drops away for more than 200feet

Some wattles along the way

The view from my rock ledge, its a long way down

Another track to explore

Another view of my rock ledge vantage point...no high heels here...just sensible trainers...this is higher than it looks

Rock ledges with native flora where I was standing to take the photographs



Another rocky outcrop...I climbed out onto this one as well...reminds me of a crocodile


Looking back up the Track

The Beginning of the track, just before this I went down quite a slope, have to watch your balance here. :-)

View of Valley from street, weeds and all, some people have no respect and dump weeds anywhere.

I wasn't feeling particularly energetic today but I decided to go back and take some more photos...more...try about forty :-) ... I was disappointed with my efforts yesterday so I borrowed my sons camera, its a Canon EOS 350D, much better than my cell phone camera.

Instead of walking I hopped in my car and drove to the spot, you see these pics are taken from the road across the valley from where I live so you are looking in the direction of where my house is over on that far ridge.

If you want a better view please click on the image for a larger photo, I'm not forcing these on you like someone with their holiday pics, so you can either look at them or ignore them.

Please take into account that the photographer, that is me, went to a great deal of effort to get these for you, scrambling over rocks and climbing out onto ledges, dodging large spiders and being ever alert for any snakes which might be still lurking about...but rest assured I had lots of fun spending time in this wonderful place.

Yes I live in the 'sticks' as it is called but I love it, I am only half an hours drive away from civilisation in any direction and that suits me just fine.

I do hope you enjoy these. ♥

31 comments:

darkfoam said...

ohhhhhh, how beautiful! please do borrow your sons camera more often .. :)
i do appreciate all the scrambling and climbing and hanging off of cliffs and avoiding snakes (something we have to do here too) .. but, puleeeeeeeze .. don't fall!!. it would be real inconvenient for me to have to come and haul you outta that really deep ditch. i'd probably tumble in after you.

Little Lamb said...

These pictures are very nice. I like them.

dianne said...

Foamie I knew you would appreciate how beautiful it is here and yes I will borrow the camera whenever I can.
If I had gone around to the other side of the escarpment I would have taken photos of the river...next time.
I really liked the look of the wilderness area near you, I can imagine there would be so many beautiful forest trees there, all species of the America's.
Dont worry I am very cautious when I go climbing around the rocks, so you wont have to come and rescue me, but thanks for your concern.:)

dianne said...

Thank you Lil Lambie , I'm so pleased that you like them.

I think where you live is very pretty as well; is that a woodland area on the opposite side of the road to your house? ♡

boneman said...
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boneman said...
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dianne said...

Thank you Boney dear, I'm pleased you liked them and thought they were spectacular pics.

I liked the photo with the weeds as well, thats why I took it they are a pretty green and the trees framed the view...beautiful place but still its not Indiana.

Thanks for your concern, I did get a bit close to the edge and a couple of rocks were a bit wobbly...I am careful, but heights like that dont worry me.

My son was concerned that I was too close to the egde also, I think he will lend me the camera again so long as I promise to behave myself. :)

Thank you so much for the Easter wishes.. Happy Easter to you too Boney,I hope your Easter was lovely as well. ♡

Sofia-Free Ads said...

I love all the photos it was nice being close to nature:-)

puerileuwaite said...

I think how green a valley is, depends on how closely it's mowed.

dianne said...

True Puggles my sweet, if you mow the grass too short it browns off and dies.

This is not a valley with grass like a beautiful meadow, though there are some lovely grasses here. ♡

chickory said...

man. i love these. I think its gorgeous and primordial looking. still wild. you are lucky to have it and im glad you enjoy it.

i got your lovely letter today. it really brightened my day -im a bit blue lately - cant point to any concrete reason. i loved the card and the cool silver envelope but the stamps i am going to cut off and use as a collage in one of my paintings...maybe of one of your cats!!!

thank you, sweet dianne.


WHO foists their holiday pictures on people? i dont mind. if ya'll dont mind looking a chickens and chickens and more chickens. ;-)

Anonymous said...

What an amazing looking place. I am not going to start evaluating them as photographs in their own right but if I did, photos 4 and Crocodile Rock DO appeal at a pictorial level, but as a set of images they go a long way to describing a landscape I'd LOVE to visit with MY camera :-)) Thanks for sharing and the 350D is just fine for what most people need, and a great little camera it is too. You can buy them dead cheap now so you don't need to keep nicking your lad's!

Hmmm spiders and snakes, two good reasons NOT to go to Oz :-)) No such orrible beasties over here :-)

XX

ANNA-LYS said...

Lovely, especially the one with the sun shinning through ...
So much hard work for us!!!
Thanks for the effort
and the sharing support

<3

dianne said...

Thanks Chickory my sweet girl, yes it is wild and untamed,just the way I like it.

There is so much more to see if you can climb to the bottom, I'm not as young and nimble as I used to be; there is an easier path on my side of the valley, I will take photos there in the future.

I love looking at your photos of chickory, Trout and the hens, I will never tire of that.

I chose those stamps for you as I know you like to keep them for your art.
We did have a set of wildflower stamps a while back, but I was unable to find any for you...i will keep looking.

I hope you are feeling better soon! ♡ ♡ ♡

dianne said...

Thanks Glyn dear, it is an amazing place but there is so much beauty everywhere, just look at how beautiful it is where you live; I love the sea and coast as well...I was born on the coast and spent my childhood there.

You would enjoy the landscapes of OZ, there is so much diversity in the geography, we have everything here...from rugged coastlines, to beautiful beaches, mountains, rolling green plains and meadows, rain forests, the lot...plus quite a few snakes which start to hibernate for Winter.
I did encounter a few webs with spiders the other day but you just avoid them. :-)...you are lucky you dont have those 'beasties' where you live. ♡

dianne said...

Thanks Anna-Lys , I'm pleased that you liked my photos, I wanted to share a little of the wildness with all of you.

I would love to see some photos of Sweden, even more beautiful no doudt.

The effort was worth it, I had so much fun and I felt refreshed and my spirits lifted afterwards. ♡

Diane said...

They're beautiful! My valley is slowly turning green... to which my drippy nose can attest! :)

Fantastic Forrest said...

Wonderful shots! What kind of snakes do you have to worry about there? My poor mom lives in a place where the poisonous snakes of the north overlap the poisonous snakes of the south.

We are ever alert. At least there aren't scorpions. When we were in Utah a few years ago, there were scorpions on the outdoor picnic tables. Yikes.

dianne said...

Thanks Diane my dear, I hope you are feeling better.

I'm pleased that your valley is greening up, its always so lovely to see the new growth; I am very fortunate as I rarely get 'hayfever' but I can sympathise with you. ♡

dianne said...

Thanks FF Holly dear, may I call you that?

Pleased you liked my photos, I had lots of fun taking the them.

I am always wary of snakes, though they do start to hibernate now that the weather is getting cooler...but I often wonder if I will awaken one from its slumber when I am trampling around on the leaf litter and climbing on rocks.

In my area we have brown snakes and red belly black snakes, they are both very poisonous,you would have to get help quickly.

We have others like the diamond python which will give you a nasty bite but it is a consrictor.

My son and I trapped a 6ft long diamond python which was in my large eucalyptus tree out the front of my house. Took us ages to catch it and we took in down into the valley and released it there.

My younger male neighbour and I caught a very large red bellied black snake which travelled from his yard into mine, we were worried about his little dog. Boy did it put up a fight and I was very scared of tackling it, we both had to corner it and finally got it with a rake and into a large plastic box...I would never attempt it again. ♡

I feel sorry for your Mum, I hate snakes, they make my skin crawl.

dianne said...

BTW you arent allowed to kill these snakes as they are protected, who is protecting us? :/ ♡

Anonymous said...

you live
in a beautiful
part of the world, dianne

i wish i had a wishing tree...

¤ ¤ ¤

/t.

Fantastic Forrest said...

I didn't realize you were prohibited from doing away with the snakes. I can remember my dad bashing one to bits years ago. So I checked the regulations for my Mom's state:

The Commission likewise acknowledges that some wildlife, including venomous snakes, can pose a reasonable threat to the health, safety, or welfare of persons or property in certain situations. See AGFC Code of Regulations, “18.01, Hunting Wildlife in Closed Season Prohibited,” which allows the taking of nongame wildlife (excluding migratory birds and endangered species) which pose reasonable threat or endangerment to persons or property.

Maybe you should propose that to your governmental representatives. It sounds like snakes are a real problem there!

dianne said...

Thanks /t. dear, it is a beautiful part of the world, but this is just the bushland where I live, its a Hawkesbury Sandstone plateau, I am surrounded by bush and you have to cross a river in three directions when you come here.
There are so many beautiful areas in this country, our geography is very diverse.
Canada is beautiful also, I have seen many photos.

We have many 'wishing trees' at the end of my street,in the bushland that I posted last time.
I used to climb them with my children and sit there looking at the beauty and I always made a wish...I will make a wish for you. ♡

dianne said...

Yes FF Holly dear, our legislation regarding snakes, even those which are venomous is very strict.
They are not so much of a problem now, when we first moved here there were many, if you find one on your property you are supposed to contact the council or relevant authority and they will send a herpatologist out to catch it and it will be relocated.
But I tell you if any of those creepy things come slithering into my back garden again their days will be numbered.
We even have to get permission to remove native trees whose trunk is over a certain diametere otherwise you cop a huge fine. ♡

Fantastic Forrest said...

Hmmm...I hope the trees aren't poisonous too. :-) I meant that as a joke, but just realized that, of course, there is poison oak!

dianne said...

Lol...you are a funny girl Fantastic Forrest , as if I havent got enough to worry about with spiders, snakes and ticks now I'm wondering what trees might be poisonous. :-) ♡

The Mess said...

I can almost feel that autumn sun with its rich colour. The afternoon filled with lots of smells as the temperature is gradually settling.

Makes me (no not really) longing for autumn.. ;-)

dianne said...

Another message dear M
yes you can see the autumn sun as it bathes everything in its golden light, the scents of the tree canopy and the leaves on the forest floor, the coolness in the air, all add to this lovely experience. ♡

Leovi said...

Magnificent series, are seen in all its beauty of these precious wild landscapes of an enchanted forest. A hug.

dianne said...

Thank you dear Leovi , yes this is a precious, unspoliled landscape, this valley links up with the one at the end of the road where I live,amazing to think that all of this wild beauty is less than two minutes away.
A hug for you too!

xoxoxo ♡