Tales of Home

oh wow! that is stunningly beautiful, it is how I imagined it as well.   A drone is a great idea, I might try that idea myself. I love the sea mist on the trees and the forest in the distance. That house seems to be almost an island, and I can see where they have tried to protect it with big rocks. Fantastic stuff, thanks Dave.

Wow, quite a work load, have you many workers to help you out ? It certainly is a lovely place

I wouldn't mind a video climb up one of those big spruces. Do you still go up them, Dave?

No, it's been a long time since I felt invincible enough to climb one of those giants (at least any higher than I'd be comfortable falling )

Our big spruces grow something like this:

http://bobkellerphoto.com/images/Majestic_-_Sitka_Spruce1.jpg

See how some of the limbs have formed little islands in the sky of moss, ferns, berry bushes, etc whose seeds had been deposited by the many squirrels, chipmunks, birds and other little creatures who call them home?
Some of the trees have one or two big limbs that branch off sideways maybe 20 feet in the air and then turn upward to make a second trunk.
The mossy bed that forms at the crotch of these limbs 20 feet in the air can make a small boy with a large book nearly invisible {{{{especially when there are farm chores to be done.....}}}}

I guess if you're wearing overalls or something the bugs don't bug you? I've found a lot of those green inviting pillows are often inviting to others as well.

chores vs bugs....bugs vs chores....

An inordinately fine day today, so I went walking down by the Hudson River.  There's some artist who stacks up rocks somewhat like Easter Island.  Normally they end up knocked down in a few months and then he puts them back up, but always a bit different.



It's the things like this that get you to love a place.  Every place has them, but in a city they are a bit more dense.  On the way back I saw this next to a gas station I've used before, but never really registered the art.

love it!   it is majestic.

I like the stones, The birds are lovely.

{{ I just love how no matter where you stick humans, they will find a way to be creative, leave their mark (literally) and say "I lived. I was here".
Doesnt matter if its a cave million years ago or the side of a modern building. }}

Figgy - assuming you DO make it to NYC and I'm either still living here or in the area, I'll need to take you to the Cloisters.   If you look across the river you'll see that it's all wooded north of the bridge.  That's because around the turn of the century some collector went gallivanting around Europe ripping off abandoned monasteries, and when Rockefeller saw his slipshod collection of capitals, fountains, and artwork he declared it deserved to be built into a modern monastery as a museum.  And so the Cloisters was born.  



Then Rockefeller stood on the balcony looking over the river and said, "you know what?  If you were a real medieval monk looking across this river, you'd see nothing but trees."  So he bought the entire strip of land opposite Northern Manhattan, which became Palisades Park. Why would he do such a thing? Because he's Rockefeller, so he can.



But the reason it's of interest to you in particular is, apart from the architecture



It's stuffed to gills with medieval art of all forms.  You can look up the Cloisters, Manhattan.  It's biggest claim to fame is the Unicorn Tapestries.  Something like 6 panels, all 12 feet high or so.

Petty! Where you been the last few days, lad?

Pettytyrant101 wrote:{{ I just love how no matter where you stick humans, they will find a way to be creative, leave their mark (literally) and say "I lived. I was here".
Doesnt matter if its a cave million years ago or the side of a modern building. }}

  that is just what I was thinking. Where has petty been.

@ wowzer Halfy Cloisters is amazing! it is the first time I have heard of it. Going to do some reading about it.

Glad your ok Petty ?

I said I wouldn't forget but I did. Bungo left us a year in January. Had him on my mind recently.

edit.

It is incredible, and it is a real cloister.

Yep, and it's in a wonderful park that will also make you pinch yourself to recall you are in Manhattan.  They have a medieval festival there every year, jousting and everything.  Northern Manhattan is really a treasure, but the dang blasted tourist maps cut off up 2/3 of the way up Central Park.  Fine with me, keeps all the good stuff less crowded.

There's more than one way to access the park; my favorite is to start at the bottom of the hill.



Behind those facilities you see in front of you is a trail that wouldn't know about unless you snoop around like I do. It wends it's way up, wrapping around the hill.



Up and up it goes! By this time you've totally forgotten you are in Manhattan.



Now servimg informs you that you have exceeded your file uploads, so you need to take a break....

I love Mediaeval festivals.

So you continue your climbing circumnavigation, and find yourself overlooking the Hudson River!



Normally your next view would be of the Cloisters:



But on this trip, what have we here?  A harbinger of things to come, but servimg is again complaining of too many uploads in a short period, so we go back to gaze over the Hudson until it gets over its hissy fit.

Bungo left us a year in January. Had him on my mind recently- Azriel

{{ Oddly he arose in my thoughts recently too, now I know why. It been a year?

Halfy love that little trail, and yeah if you hadnt said about last place I would guess it was was New York. }}

It's Sir Drinksalot! Something must be happening...



And indeed, you find the lawns surrounding the Cloister is bespangled with a medieval atmosphere. You've hit the right weekend, and you also got here early because it will soon be packed.



Folks are dressed to the nines...



But with all these happenings servimg is on information overload. Time to sit down and sip some mead until it recovers.

There are musicians, magicians, and jugglers....



and of course, the jousting ring, though I never have enough patience with the crowds to wait until something is happening.



So there you have it, one of the most magical things to happen in NYC. But they don't advertise - no billboards, no adverts on the telly. You just have to know enough to check the park's schedule. And it's a damn good thing they don't advertise because by noon it's already like swimming upstream to get anyway through the crowds. Arrive early and pop out of there by lunch time - always easy to find a good lunch.

Maybe Petty can explain that split-screen 360 stuff. It seems to be going at right angles and i can't wrap my head around what is happening. Does the screen need to be set up different?

Mrs Figg wrote:edit.

It is incredible, and it is a real cloister.

That trail with the lamp post looks very Narnia, I bet when it is snowy, it IS Narnia!

halfwise wrote:So you continue your climbing circumnavigation, and find yourself overlooking the Hudson River!



Normally your next view would be of the Cloisters:



But on this trip, what have we here?  A harbinger of things to come, but servimg is again complaining of too many uploads in a short period, so we go back to gaze over the Hudson until it gets over its hissy fit.

  I cant see some of your photos Halfy, the problem is probably on my side, I can see about half of them, but there is a little square box with an X in the middle.