Path down toward the Lake

[lavendertook]

Taking you now a little further along the path toward Greenbelt Lake than yesterday. I blurred the borders of the pic to deepen the depth in the center to send you on your way.

Metro decided to start the Veterans Day holiday early by sending less trains this evening, so getting home took double the time with double the crowds--thank you Metro for delaying the holiday for the rest of us. Buuuuut we have tomorrow off and I get to sleep in and catch up on lost sleep, so that makes me happy.

Comments

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

It was a push for me--I was the slowest one of the group, and really lagged behind quite a bit, and there were some challenging hills, but it was good to push myself, and get out and be social. Your weekend sounds like it was magical.

I know the term linden tree--I've never heard of "basswood"--and we may have a ton around, and they may be trees I admired this morning, but I just don't know them. I'm not well versed in all the oval-shaped leaf trees in the area. And I didn't know oaks didn't go further north. Willow oaks have to be my favorite of the big trees.

[mechtild.livejournal.com]

I was dying after some of our hikes, too, or my knees were. We did some steepies.

I looked at the hardiness zone map and saw that Duluth (which is right by the lake, which is like an inland sea) is actually is a warmer zone than some places where I've seen oaks thriving -- just as far north, but in the center of the state, away from the lake's moderating effect. I've seen oak doing well about a hundred miles south, north of the Twin Cities, too. But these places both have a lot of farm land. Farmers have to really scratch to get things to grow up here, the soil is so thin, rocky and full of clay. So our lack of oaks must be due to the lack of deep, good soil. Too bad the elms died; besides being magnificent trees, they were much less picky and thrived here.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

I'm spoiled by Jersey soil--there's a reason it's called The Garden State. When I did have space for a garden when I was in NC, the soil just wasn't up to speed.