Glorious Mee

So after rambling about it in numerous posts here, I finally did it on Saturday. It's now the fourth time I've done that crazy ride, and I suspect I might be finally beginning to get the hang of it. It was a surprisingly cool morning after riding out to the stat at The Gap from Fortitude Valley -- down to 9 degrees C. This didn't bother me a great deal, however, as it's infinitely preferable to the 32 degree start in 2003. The first act is the climb to Mt Nebo, quickly followed by the second climb to Mt Glorious (after a brief descent between them). For some reason I decided to launch a crazy, testosterone-fuelled attack on Mt Nebo right from the start. It wasn't that I was expecting it to do me any good, I just felt like making a statement.


After the first checkpoint, (where I pinched a couple of muesli bars for sustenance), it's a ride through the rainforest...

... before a screaming and insane descent down the western side of Mt Glorious. I'm not sure how they came up with the design for this road, a 20% descent with sharp hairpin corners. Most roads with that many corners have a much gentler gradient. Either way, it requires enormous concentration for the most part. After this the road levels out through mainly rolling hills for the next 75km or so to Kilcoy. It can sometimes be difficult to get the legs working again after such a descent.
One thing that strikes me about this stretch is the vast difference in the type of vegetation compared to Mt Glorious. It seems like it's only a few kilometres separating the rainforest on the mountain from the dry and almost treeless yellow hills. This section of the ride has it's charms, however. For several kilometres on end, the road winds along the shores of Lake Wivenhoe, the blue water again contrasting the harsh landscape.

The second checkpoint in Kilcoy is almost a watershed. After lunch here, the ride seems to take on an entirely different feel. The ride back from here almost feels more urgent, although today there is something else to consider. Smoke is billowing from the horizon, how will this affect the climb of Mt Mee?

Somehow the route manages to avoid the worst of the smoke, and it isn't long before I'm passing through Woodford and contemplating the last major climb of the day (and the most brutal). I digest a muesli bar about 2km from the start, before launching into the climb itself. The initial part of the climb kicks hard -- stalemate! It doesn't seem like I'm getting anywhere, then I see the blue sky through the trees, a sign that I'm not far below the summit. I round a corner, I never thought I'd get here this quickly or painlessly. I reach the third and final checkpoint at the top of this mountain quicker than expected. Some of the other riders are here already, and they don't seem all that keen to charge off just yet. However, I'm feeling energised, so I decide to set off relatively quickly. Maybe it was just the daisies lining the road on Mt Mee that did it?

After that, there isn't a lot to tell. The descent is an easy, almost lazy experience, then the road is virtually flat all the way to Samford. Now there are just 15km to go. There is an initial hill to climb out of Samford, it disappears easily, but I notice that all the people I expected to pass me aren't doing it -- where are they? Through Brisbane's northern suburbs, onto Settlement Road, then into The Gap. I pull up at the finish of the ride to find it deserted. I never thought I'd get here this quick, and neither it seems did anybody else. Actually, it's about the first time I've ever finished first in anything in my life.
Eventually everyone else arrives, for a quick feed to digest the ride. Today I was largely surprised by my own strength -- it seems I've finished this ride 30 minutes quicker than last year. Perhaps all those 200km rides I've been doing earlier in the year were actually helping a little.
After this, there is the small matter of the ride back to Fortitude Valley. Perhaps I should have waited another 30 minutes or so until after the Brisbane Broncos game had started. A few of the local Cletii were a little impatient (something with which I sympathise not at all), and I was a little concerned when one guy behind me decided he didn't want to stop at the red light that was in front of me. In anycase, I had the last laugh, when, as I predicted, the Broncos got OWNED hard.

TAKING A BREAK...

Hello Everyone,





Life is very busy here. The gardens are making huge demands, I need to get to work on some paintings, I have knitting, crochet and sewing projects all clamouring for attention - and there are only so many hours in a day - soI have decided to take a break from blogging.





I have met so many wonderful people through the blog, so many friendships I would like to continue. I shall, of course, continue to read your blogs at every opportunity.





This has been a really difficult decision for me, I hope you will understand.





Elaine

IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL

I was visiting a friend's website today.  She is a middleman (woman) for people selling homeschooling supplies and curriculum.  I found ABeka Fifth Grade Language and ordered it.  Come to find out, the seller is my husband's boss in Florida!  Our world just keeps getting smaller and smaller.

Counting trees

Recently it's dawned on me that every mature tree in Edinburgh city parks now sports a little blue tag with a number on it. The younger trees are free from this branding, presumably because as they grow and expand the tag might well ping off. One wonders quite why so much effort has gone into tagging each tree. Perhaps if one escapes it can be brought back to the right place. I should ask the City Council. Maybe there's a job opportunity there - I would exchange my day job for one counting trees.

Getting lost never felt better

This morning's plan was a ride up over Mt Mee, then into the Glasshouse Mountains via a little narrow road from Woodford, north of Brisbane. Everything seemed to start well enough, after negotiating the maze of one-way streets in Fortitude Valley, and onto Samford Road. Some decent ups and downs early too, have I underestimated Brisbane's northern suburbs. I was even sufficiently charitable to offer a few words of encouragement (i.e. "nearly there, mate") to a struggling cyclist that I passed on one of the early climbs. Speaking of Samford Valley, it's a very pleasant area, and there are other roads here that I might one day return to explore further.


Shortly after this it was onto the climb of Mt Mee. I sensed that I wasn't quite at my best today, a result of the illness of the last few days I suspect. In anycase, I found some form on the second half of that climb, up onto the mountain, with sweeping views.

The wind up here made things difficult at times, but it wasn't an insurmountable problem. Again I was tiring earlier than I normally do, and it's not something I'd generally associate with a hilly opening to a ride. In anycase, I persevered to get across the range, through the wind, and down the screaming descent and eventually onto Woodford. Here was a problem: There is no signage in Woodford -- no indication of the road I'd been intending to follow.
Eventually I headed west toward Kilcoy for a couple of km, where I knew there to be an alternative route. After turning off onto that road, I saw another road which might double back to meet the route I'd intended to take. I turned off onto Cove Road, now a narrow farm road which soon turned to dirt, passing through isolated terrain. There was just enough traffic to convince me that this road might go somewhere, but not enough to disturb my peace. This is what these rides are all about, taking a chance, finding new routes, discovery.

Passing through the hamlet of Commissioners Flat, taking another turn onto another farm road, I ended up at Peachester. A village atop a range in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. By now I was really feeling the pinch, experiencing the tiredness that exploration has masked for so long, but still a few km to go before Beerwah, and my train home. This final section was all down hill, a beautiful descent through the forest...

With spectacular views over the Glasshouse Mountains

I have intentions to return to Beerwah/Peachester one day. There are other roads to explore -- the back road to Maleny as well as numerous others. My legs even recovered slightly for the ride home from Nerang Railway Station too. All in all another wonderful day, which offers the promise of more to come in the future.

Sun Rays at Stairway Falls

Earlier this week Jessica and I did some hiking within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness just off the Gunflint Trail in northeast Minnesota. We did the Caribou Rock Trail all the way to where it intersects with the Border Route Trail at Rose Lake. This is NOT an easy hike! We were prepared for a tough hike, as all the guide books say it is a difficult hike and takes much more time than you would expect. Even so, the trail was much more rugged than we were expecting! You are pretty much always hiking either uphill or downhill and the hills are often very steep. So steep, in fact, that this time of year with the majority of the leaves already blanketing the ground, it can be very difficult to tell where the trail goes. Several of the slopes along the trail were more like goat trails than people trails. It's hard to believe that a trail was constructed through such demanding terrain.



The difficulty is worth it, though, as the sights along the trail are spectacular. You pass by 4 different lakes, 2 just outside the BWCA (West Bearskin and Moss) on the first half of the hike and 2 within the boundary waters (Duncan and Rose) on the second half. There are magnificent views of each lake as you hike past them on the surrounding hilltops. The last overlook of the hike is arguably the most dramatic as you sit on an open rock ledge high above Rose Lake overlooking the vast U.S./Canada border country that surrounds you.



The final reward of the hike is a visit to Stairway Falls on Stairway Portage, which connects Duncan Lake to Rose Lake. Stairway Falls is located within a beautiful rocky gorge lined with moss and cedar trees. We were there at just the right time of day to see some amazing sun rays penetrating down into the gorge from above the waterfall. According to the guide book, the hike was 4 miles from the parking area to the Rose Lake overlook, making this an 8-mile round-trip hike. According to our GPS unit, it was just over 5 miles from the parking area to Rose Lake, which would make for just over 10 miles round-trip. Whichever was right, the guide book or the GPS, one thing is for certain: this was a strenuous hike with rewards that made it well worth the effort to get there!

HOME

It was a cool, bright morning so I fed the cats outside. Bennie stalked off to do some early morning hunting as Sparky carried on eating and eating. The field is still revelling in its rest period and so are we.

I know it is only a matter of a day or two before Martin will come along with 'little red tractor' and it will be a ploughed field of mud, then the barley will be sown and we will move on deeper into autumn. That is fine, and as it should be, but still it is lovely to have this little respite, being able to take advantage of the whole field and not just the edges or the track through to the village.





We visited your aged aunt again today. She had her cleaning lady in, so amidst the clatter and the clank of the mop, hoover, and bucket, we managed an hour of chat (or to be truthful, Nicki managed to talk at us for an hour) which I hope she enjoyed. It took quite some time to clear our buzzing heads I can tell you. Her conversations get more and more circular and she cannot remember half of the words which she needs, so she expects me to fill in the gaps - quite difficult - as you know yourself, Jonny!





The drive home is always enjoyable. The deeper we get into the country the better it feels, the first landmark is Louth. From there it just gets better with each passing mile and once we turn off the A16 we both relax. The beautiful countryside and the quiet roads are very soothing and help to calm us. Your dad went into the wood and did some clearing up near the vegetable garden gate, it looks so much better now.





I grabbed your camera and took some photos of a couple of charity shop buys which I made during my trip into Louth yesterday.













I spent fifty pence on this charming little picture - isn't it lovely? I also bought a pewter jug for a couple of pounds, plus a couple of books which have gone to join the others in my winter reading stack.













I forgot to mention that I also bought three lovely glass trays/shallow dishes for two pounds (See under the jug). Photography session temporarily over I got down to some sewing and decided to turn this fabric into this

little bag - not sure what I will do with it - but I enjoyed the exercise. I made this little chap from some scrap batting, he just needs to have his nose and eye added.

This is the corner of the conservatory which I have transformed into my craft/painting area. It works well for me - though it may be a little cold in winter, we'll have to see how efficient that radiator is.





I hope all this hasn't bored you too much Jonny. I just thought you may like to see what your old Ma gets up to. Tomorrow I will probably show you some of the things your dad has been doing around the place.





Hope the teaching is going well and that you are sleeping properly. I have no doubt that you will still be enjoying all the wonderful food and the great social life.





Lots of love,





Mum

xxx

You Want This Plant: 'Lady in Red' Hydrangea

As an added benefit of scouting nurseries, I get to really study cultivar differences within plant species. For example, over the course of a year, I see hydrangeas grown at nurseries and landscapes at many locations in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Over a month, I may examine twelve "crops" of Hydrangeas at twelve different nurseries.
What has been fascinating about this for me is noticing the differences in vigor, disease resistance and flowering is very consistant from nursery to nursery. So even with the variables of soil, fertilizer, irrigation and hardiness zones, certain cultivars always outperform the others. This is not just true for Hydrangeas- I see this in Camellias, Hostas, Roses and all of the other species we favor with wide cultivar selections.
Of the Hydrangeas, there is one cultivar that has been terribly overlooked by gardeners and landscape designers. I think that it never took hold because consumers have come to associate Hydrangeas with blue, volleyball-sized mopheads. 'Lady in Red' does not satisfy that description.
Introduced by Dr. Michael Dirr from the Department of Horticulture at the University of Georgia, Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lady in Red' has many qualities that make it unique and superior to many Hydrangeas on the market.
DISEASE RESISTANCE: Most Hydrangeas are susceptible to Powdery Mildew and leaf spots caused by Colletotrichum and Cercospora. These diseases not only impact the aesthetics of the plants, but also the overall vigor. Plants that become infected with these diseases tend to lose their leaves earlier in the season and have reduced flower size (over time).
'Lady in Red' is resistant to Powdery Mildew. If a 'Lady in Red' Hydrangea is growing in the center of a group of Powdery Mildew-laden Hydrangeas (let's say 'Claudie' which is one of the worst), it will not get diseased. The same holds true for the leaf spots.The foliage alone is reason to grow this plant.
FORM: The stems, which are a gorgeous wine-red, are sturdy and upright. This plant does not flop and fall apart like some of the traditional mopheads. The flowers are smaller, so they do not pull the stems down to the ground.That being said, understand that 'Lady in Red' does not have the LARGE flowers like a blue mophead. And I just know that this is the reason it did not become the blockbuster that 'Endless Summer' has become. We are not a nation of subtleties.
USE IN THE LANDSCAPE: 'Lady in Red' should not be planted alone. This plant is going to be most effective when planted en masse. Trust me on this. Just looking at this pictures taken at a North Carolina nursery (Fair View Nursery) and you see what I mean. You really want five or ten to really make an impact.
And these pictures were taken in late October! Just look at that strong foliage; Hydrangeas are usually slowing down and turning yellow by this time of year. (The fall coloration on this cultivar is a deep, velvety reddish-purple. Divine.)I could see this plant growing in front of a thick evergreen screen or planted near the foundation of a grey or stone building. Plant a large sweep of Black-eyed Susans or 'Autumn Joy' Sedum in front of the 'Lady in Red' Hydrangeas and I think it would be really impressive.
It is time to re-examine this cultivar.
I think it is a shame that it is not used more in the industry because it has all of the qualities we tell breeders we want: compactness, multi-season interest, flower, disease resistance. Fact is, if it wasn't a Hydrangea, we would all be using it. We've just got an image in our heads of what a Hydrangea is supposed to look like.....and 'Lady in Red' doesn't fit that image.
Love, love, love this plant. And you should, too.