Well, after putting in my password, I decided to test the camera again. Sure enough, this time it worked and I could down-load pictures again.
So, here are some non-quilting pictures of my time without the computer.
Each morning I sweep the street ... down one side to the corner, back up the other ... and around our corner.
This week most of the sweeping is persimmon leaves and maple leaves.
These are the ones from in front of our house ... and my little sweeping bin ... the broom hangs from the handle.
Most of them get caught up in the azalea bushes
but a few make it all the way to the new pavement.
This maple was supposed to be a snake-bark maple but that is not what it is.
My Japanese tree book shows one three-leaved maple, Acer cissifolium, but the shape of the leaves is different with smaller lobes and the stem is red. I don't think that is what this is.
I found a Paperbark Maple, Acer griseum, in the "Sibley Guide to Trees" that I picked up on my last trip to the states. The leaves in that book are also a bit different but much closer and the bark of this tree has become a bit shaggy in the past two years. The tree is still rather young. It does have pretty color in the fall and that was what I was looking for when we bought it.
It was rescued from the balcony of a friend who ad moved to a new apartment and didn't have room for it,
It sits happily on the entry step.
Our neighborhood has two other Japanese Maples and these days those three trees fill my bin before I even finish the street.
Can you tell which tree is dropping what?
For a tiny plot, we contribute plenty of leaves ... especially if we add the Plum.
Today I swept up Cherry tree leaves and Keyaki (Zelkova). The nearest cherry id two blocks away and I have no idea where the Zelkova leaves are coming from but the wind has been strong and cold.
The Great Tits were complaining that I should move so they could come back to the window feeder.
And now that the picture down-load is back to normal, I'd better get back to the "real" work.
Those leaves are gorgeous, love the shapes and colors. Imagine putting those into a quilt design.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
Hi Julie, First of all, your yard is beautiful - very lovely and obviously well cared for. Second, we share your pain re computers. It sounds as if you are using Microsoft Explorer? It seems to us that Google has decided not to play with Explorer. In short, Google is doing what they can to make Explorer non-functional. Everyone is migrating to Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome browsers. We made the switch to Firefox a long time ago because of reports of security risks cropping up on Explorer. Third and final, do you actually have persimmons? WE have a great recipe for persimmon pudding. It is a steamed pudding like plum pudding but made with 5 persimmons. Let us know. :-) Marina & Daryl at Q.I.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear your computer wants to co-operate with you again. Maybe that means that the street won't be swept as often?! The staff of the park where I do my walking are filling endless wheel barrels with fallen leaves of all colours and shapes.
ReplyDeleteI love the colors - and the idea of sweeping the street every day. We would have bushel baskets full of leaves if we did that these days. The park comes along with a big noisy leaf blower, but I can sweep my deck and ramp in peace and watch the pretty leaves fly.
ReplyDeleteSo glad the computer is behaving. Sometimes I find that just shutting it down and letting it rest seems to reset things - glad it worked this time.
I'm so glad that your computer is behaving itself. Mine is like a spoiled child at times - when it decides that it doesn't want do what it is told to do - but I have found that "time-outs" help - ;))
ReplyDeleteI love the name Three Maples. We planted a Red Maple that was never Red and it lasted about 5 years and then it was finished....:)
ReplyDeleteGood to have your computer back.
ReplyDeleteI know the trees can be a lot of work but they do look lovely.
Some of the leaves you are sweeping are very pretty.
Few things leave me more frustrated than a computer that doesn't do what it is supposed to do (or what I think it is supposed to do). The leaves have about finished falling around here... to m neighbor's great delight. He meticulously cleans up the leaves that fall from the tree in OUR yard (he has no trees) and he has hinted that maybe we'd like to get rid of the tree so that he doesn't have to sweep leaves. Yeah... no way... Then I would get to look out onto his bathroom!
ReplyDeleteJulie - I love the leaves and can just imagine you sweeping your street. Technology is great - when it works. I don't know what I would do without my 17-year old in-house tech support guy;). I agree with QI - switching to Firefox as your browser might really help.
ReplyDeleteLeaves are so fascinating to look at especially the light lacey looking ones (cut-leaf maples?). I often think I should try to add them to a quilt. They say computers make our lives easier....I'm still waiting.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous!! Love your place. That's one thing I loved about Japan, the beautiful gardens that each home had.
ReplyDeleteSo glad your computer problems seem to be fixing themselves!
Your landscaping is so pretty and colorful. The leaves of the cut leaf maple are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteMom, The leaf does look like paperbark maple, Acer griseum, but the bark doesn't look quite right. Maybe box elder, with which I am not so familiar... See my blog post on paperbark maple for images: http://portlandtreetour.wordpress.com/2013/11/28/paperbark-maple/
ReplyDeleteChasing down identification for trees can be fun. Or frustrating. Love, Julie