The climate crisis, not to mention the various other current insanities, is tiring. Time for a change…
Taking a leaf out of Ellen Hawley’s book, allow me to begin with an irrelevant photo. Here’s one, of the dawn sky that presented itself in all its glory a few days ago. Absolutely gorgeous; the photo doesn’t do it justice.
Onward, to the main theme of this post… From May this year, I’ve taken to taking a picture of my dwarf horse chestnut tree on the first day of each month. This tree, which I planted as a conker in 1986, is now 57% of my age – and slowly catching me up. I’m hoping that it will overtake me in the end.
As you can see, there’s a lot of growth around the base of my little tree; I’ve been meaning to repot it for some years now (I need to get a round tuit). I suspect that I’ll find that the roots need some serious trimming!
It’s never once flowered yet. I don’t know why… maybe it’s still too young? Perhaps it will, one day.
I topped this post with one irrelevant photo; I’ll tail it with another… this is one I took recently of a large bird that’s been flying overhead lately. I think it may be a kestrel, but I’m a phlyarologist, not an ornithologist.
Here’s hoping you’re enjoying a pleasant Saturnalia wherever you may be, and wishing you peace in the new year. Cheers – or, as the Klingons say, ‘IwlIj jachjaj!
Wibble 
I had to look up the definition of phlyarologist and guess whose website I was referred to: yours. So you’ve got a lock on phlyarology and you and I can work on getting a lock on irrelevance. Who says I lack ambition?
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It’s pretty ambitious to try to gain control of a current dictionary word… which is, of course, exactly why I chose such an old, unused one ;)
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The bird is a Red Kite… I’m confident it’s a Red one, even though it is only in silhouette, because that is the only variety we have in the UK. To an ornithologist, the shape is so distinctive, particularly the tail and wing shape, that it is ample for an ID.
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Wow, really? I don’t think I’ve ever seen one before. In fact I didn’t even know that there was such a bird as a ‘red kite’. Thank you!
Next question: wtf is it doing circling over my house here in Cambridgeshire? Is it lost?
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Loads of them about now, in a belt right across the middle of England/Wales mainly. They were nearly extinct in the UK, (actually were extinct in England and Scotland) but reintroduction programs 30 years ago or so were very successful. Northamptonshire and Mid-Wales mainly… and of course, they’ve spread out from them as their numbers have increased, looking for their own breeding territories and less competition for food.
I think you have a less dense population there, but they are getting to be a more common sight… I’ve seen the occasional one down here over the last three or four years too.
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Well, I’m certainly glad to hear that there’s at least one success story to end the year on!
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You planted this in the 80s and it’s still this small?
I like the idea behind the project. I once wanted to take photos of the same spot at the same time every day for a year. It lasted maybe a week before I got tired of stopping in the dead of winter as I rushed for the bus to get to work. Maybe another time another place.
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My little tree is still this small because I cut off its tap root and kept it in a pot, watering it to ensure it didn’t dry out and die. Part of me wishes that I’d found somewhere that it would have room to grow, long ago. (I still haven’t ruled out that possibility; having looked after it for so long, I really would prefer that it outlive me.)
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Sorry, Colin, here is a pedant to correct you. The proverb says, “The best time to plant a tree is 250 years ago. The second best time is now.”
Beautiful sky. Where I live, it is the sunsets that are lovely, thanks to the air pollution above the city 80 km to the west.
:)
Bob
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Bah. What’s a couple of centuries between friends? (And, though you’re absolutely not wrong, any tree planted these days has a slim chance of making it past twenty years, let alone 250… “it’s ok, we may be cutting down these hundred-year-old trees, but we’re planting new ones to replace them” is, I think, the current mantra, ignoring the reality that a ‘sapling’ is not the same as a ‘tree’.)
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Beautiful Sunrise and its great you have grown your tree from a conker .. Growth may be slow in our time line of waiting… But I am sure your tree will be growing strong for many other generations hopefully to enjoy… Sadly I have see too many trees cut down in our back gardens around me this year.. One being a Lovely Rowen, where the blackbirds and woodpigeons would feast off the berries for winter fuel… Sadly people moved into our neighbours property seem not to like nature as they have uprooted all the shubs and made a huge empty lawn space.. They told us they are not gardeners… Yet they had a ready made garden of delights.. Sign… Yes my friend respect for our natural world is lacking in many..
As for your bird of prey without seeing its size it looks like its hoovering and if so it could be a Sparrow Hawk.. or Kestrel.. you should be able to tell by their tail feathers .. But I ‘m unsure without seeing more details..
Lovely to see Nature up close.. and one who is willing to take care of it..
Many thanks for sharing your photos Colin….
Have yourself a very Merry Christmas.. and lets hope all of us are going to have a more happy and peaceful New year.. 🎄🥂💚✨
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As it’s in a pot, my conker tree wouldn’t survive long without regular watering. And I wouldn’t want to pass that obligation on to another when I’m unable to, so I do need to find somewhere it can be planted out.
D’oh. Nobody should be uprooting shrubberies to lay down lawns. The ‘not gardeners’ excuse is just that: an excuse for their lack of sense.
As for the bird… it wasn’t hovering, it was swooping about overhead: I took a video of it (not a very good one) and that picture is just a still from it. I can’t guess at its size. Bryntin seems pretty sure the bird is a red kite.
I don’t do ‘christmas’ (Bah! Humbug!) but I’ll wish you the best for the midwinter festive season, whatever you want to call it ;)
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Great you got it identified and a Bah… Humbug to you too lol 😆 enjoy…
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The tree is 57%of your age
Just wondering how young you can be.😃😃
Handsome indeed!!😃😃
I am sure the tree is going grow fast after Covid subsides.
Perfect dawn sky, beautiful moon and lovely bird
Good omen too.
More trees in 2022.
👍👍👍
Happy holidays my friend
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Well, let’s see… x=(2021-1986)/0.57. I’ll be 42 next birthday. Alternatively, here’s a hint.
A very merry yule to you, me ole china!
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I get it.
You must be the original Pythagorus reborn!!
👍👍👍
Haha….me ole china!!😃😃
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Um… ‘Pythagoras reborn’? You’ll have to explain that, I’m feeling particularly dense this afternoon…
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You are genius my friend.
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