An October walk

On a rainy day I took my bike to the recreational area that also holds my Dump. This time my bike did not follow me all the way up, I parked it at a safe distance.

As I approach the Dump they immediately showed up and make a stand, the Giants.  

I took another way then I usually do. This slippery narrow path is another down hill course for the mountine bikers – but there were none out biking today. Instead there were lots of dog people, and that made sense since it was raining cats and dogs from time to time.

On the flat top of the Dump all the high grasses where moved down. The mechanical things at the left hand side is the ski lift. The very tiny dot in the air in the middle just above the forest is a falcon, we saw it this summer also and it is very busy catching preys. Birds of prey are still quite rare in this region of Sweden so we are always very happy when we see them!

And of course, the crow is as ever also present. Keeping an eye on its realm.

I started to walk over the hill inspecting what was left of the summer. And as expected, there were very little left J

The rose shrubs were all covered whit shiny red rosehips, but some of them looked as they were trying to slip out of the red. Are there maybe some insects that do that, or birds?

I had sturdy clothing on so I walked out in the not-so-mowed area where the thistles grow. They were all very wet and miserable and also broken. Summer is definitely over for them. I also found what was remaining of the Iris.

I took some small pieces with me home and later painted them.

Further down the slope I entered the Giant Hogsweed forest. It was an unreal feeling to walk in amongst them. All grey-brown and totally whitered and broken, but on the ground fresh green new ones emerging.

And they are big!!!

 Crashing down.

 Appaling!

The artist with a block …. J

I did a not so good sketch of some Giants, I have to practice a lot more on them before showing. And it is not a very pleasant experience painting outdoor when it rains.

Besides the birds we saw, the wildlife also offered one roebuck and something squeaking in the grass when we walk to cloes. Some small rodent of some kind. And lots of dogs.

The Acorn story, part 1

Quercus robur – almost not connected to My Dump at all, but I’m sure it grows some small oaks nearby….

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It all began yesterday, the last day of July 2014, with a museum visit (The Dump as Art). I didn’t know what to expect but found myself looking at an unsorted mess of glasses, flasks and all sorts of glass containers. Each and every one of them had an acorn or a chestnut on top, and many of them was proudly sprouting green leafs.

It was about life and death and of ethics and morality in scientific research. You could adopt one of the acorns to keep and take care of, but they were all taken.

So now I’m waiting for the autumn to kick in so I can collect my own acorns and place them in little glass containers and watch them reach for the water – start to grow – start a life.

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After the museum experience I started to look after oak leavings on windy days. This lovely green leaf and acorns was collected in August. The acorns where bright green and had a swollen appearance, full of life indeed.

Oak is rather common in parks in Göteborg, so I have many places to collect acorns. Regarding the rest of Sweden the oak grows in approximately a third of the country, below Limes Norrlandicus, a biogeographical border that’s goes through Sweden.

In the middle of September the acorn started to look more mature and got a more long-spun figure. I adore the little ones that never made it to a full acorn but still hang on to its elder brother or sister. They just have to be depicted!

And a week or so later it was time to collect, the acorns started to fall to the ground with or without their caskets. When you start to really look under an oak you will see there is a lot of acorns from this season and seasons before. And there are lots and lots of caskets lying around. They seem to withstand weather and winter well.

I put the acorns in water to kickstart the producing of the sprout, and today was the happy day. Some of my acorns have started to sprout! You can see one at the far right hand side of the saucer.

 

The white thing at the left hand side was a tiny larva which apparently had lived inside one of the acorns. Really cute but I had to say goodbye to it. My apartment is not a good living space for it. 

I have googled which insects’ larva live inside an acorn, I think it’s a Curculio glandium. 

 Now I’ll watch my little acorns produce rootlets. I have to get nice glass containers to put them in. Do they want to be placed in the windows facing west or in the one facing north? So many decisions …

I’ll be back with reports about the progress from an acorn on a saucer to a small tree in a pot-