The Natural Beauty of Your Neighborhood (page 23)

RR

Ah, I grew up in the South Bronx, such good times, and it hasn't changed much

coffee_black

I absolutely love New England. I'd move there in a minute. Will likely end up there at some point.

What parts of New England do you like best? My favorite is Vermont...used to go every summer. We had friends who owned 1000 acres...the entire top of a mountain with a 200 year old farmhouse. No running water...no electricity. Carried water from the spring...used kerocene lamps and cooked on a cast iron wood stove. Could see 50 miles.... sooooo beautiful. They sold it years ago... and passed away. I'll never forget that place.

Not practical to live there year round. I enjoy where I live... close to Boston..many historic sites, museums etc....lovely small towns...and gorgeous color in autumn. It's already starting.

Coffee

Hopscotch

Last weekend my family visited the Lamington National Park in the hinterland behind the Gold Coast (Queensland Australia). After a barbeque lunch eaten while fending off the cheeky beautiful red and blue parrots that were trying to steal the food from our plates we decided to go on the forest treetops walk.

How innocent it all looks at the start as the boardwalk merges with the bridge two feet above the ground. I can do this easily I assure myself. But two feet above soon becomes ten then twenty and thirty and my steps slow to a crawl as my hands hold on to the wires with a vice like grip. The call of the catbird in this cool lush place is fleetingly acknowledged along with my son's call of "Don't look down, just keep going".

I briefly glance up and ahead only to see that this walk has even more terrors in store for me as the span ahead turns to the left and rises another ten and then fifteen feet about the safety of the leaf and fern covered forest floor.

But wait is that a solid platform just ahead. Yes. A minute to rest and allow my legs and arms to stop their quivering and a minute to enjoy this beautiful scenery around us. Looking out through the gaps in the treetops I see the mountains and hills in row after row reaching to the horizon. Those that are closest are green and tree covered but as my gaze reaches out further and further the mountains appear bluer and bluer until they seem to merge with the sky. I see the smoke from a few small bush fires wafting into the breeze.

But there are others coming now and it's time to move on from my little refuge.

Ever so slowly, one step at a time I press on valiantly. There is no going back now; it's one way only.

I am now at the highest point of the walk of terror, 45 feet in the air. Oh how can I possibly enjoy the beauty and splendour of this majestic ancient forest when I feel utterly compelled to keep my eyes looking down, searching for the slightest evidence of weakness in each paling of timber beneath my feet.

"Don't look down" my son continues to tell me. But it is futile. My eyes have a mind of their own and the only way they are going to look is down.

Oh why wasn't I born with wings that I could effortlessly glide from tree top to tree top instead of this clumsy dance I find myself doing.

Another glance ahead and miracles of miracles I am almost there. My legs start to carry me forward at a quicker pace, faster and faster they go in a frantic dash to the safety of the boardwalk. And all of a sudden, it's over.

"I can't believe I actually did it" I hear myself saying over and over. As my heart calms and my breathing slows I can resume my leisurely stroll taking in the majesty of strangler figs and oak trees that reach high into the sky. Look, there among the fallen trees and ferns is a family of little tree runners scratching about in the leaf litter. The terror of the treetop walk is soon forgotten as I deeply breathe in the fresh cool scented air of this ancient and sacred place. And as we near the end of this walk we are greeted by those beautiful noisy cheeky parrots that call this wonderful place their home.

The start of the treetops walk

View from the safety of the platform halfway through the walk

Up in the treetops.

Hopscotch

compound complex

Thank you, Coffee and Hopscotch!

I was in New England during autumn some years ago. Leaves turned colors were at their height of glory and the kiss of frost upon the impatiens spelled good night to their long and colorful season.

My photos of the Gold Coast closely resemble yours, HS, particularly the range of mountains. I loved the cheeky parrots and the luscious jacaranda with their showy flowers in panicles ...

Wanna go back to both NE and NSW.

CoCo aka Petit Prince

beksbks

Ohhh Lucky CoCo! I've spent so much of my life just wanting to go places. Finally getting a bit, but not nearly enough.

Coffee, I did a just over a week trip..........3 years ago now. October. Kind of a whirlwind, but we loved Lexington and Concord, and Acadia, and Boston itself. Martha's Vineyard was like a dream, even though we only managed a few hours. Pretty much the entire Main coast also.........sigh.

Leolaia

Hopscotch....That scene reminds me of Taman Negara in Malaysia, although there the rope bridge goes more vertical in parts.

Hopscotch

Leolaia

I see what you mean about the resemblance between these scenes and the ones of Taman Negara. I don't think I would be brave enough to walk on the Taman Negara canopy walk though. It is much higher off the ground than the one here!

Hopscotch

coffee_black

Coffee, I did a just over a week trip..........3 years ago now. October. Kind of a whirlwind, but we loved Lexington and Concord, and Acadia, and Boston itself. Martha's Vineyard was like a dream, even though we only managed a few hours. Pretty much the entire Main coast also.........sigh.

I love it here. The leaves have just started to change....and Fall is in the air. I love Concord. Took two of my grandkids to Louisa May Alcott's house while they were here over the summer. I go to Concord often... lots of architects there. One firm I call on has her office in the original Concord Tavern. http://www.nasharch.com/Contact_Us/Contact.htm History is everywhere here...and you can miss it if your're not paying attention. I lived on Martha's Vineyard for about a year and a half in a small cape house in Edgartown. It's tough to stay all year though. Pretty much everything closes up for the winter....so it gets pretty lonely. I love Boston, but not the traffic....though I've learned ways around the worst spots. boston

View from the conference room of one of the Boston firms I call on.

I haven't travelled much in Maine. A little on business...but not enough. What I did see was beautiful...

Going to Cambridge tomorrow. Right down the street from the MIT Museum. Cambridge has it's own charm.

When you do come east again...let me know!

Coffee

compound complex

Thank you, Coffee, as we enter this season of transition: a canopy of brilliant color overhead and a decided, invigorating cooling trend about.

CoCo

The Natural Beauty of Your Neighborhood

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