CloseEyeOnDecember

A ghostly icy fog smothers the pitches of Kneller Gardens just before dusk on a cold December afternoon.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:33 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
A ghostly icy fog smothers the pitches of Kneller Gardens just before dusk on a cold December afternoon.

Even in December it is possible to find wild flowers along the Crane. This Lesser Periwinkle is flowering in the protective shade of a hawthorn hedge in Mereway Nature Park.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:33 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Even in December it is possible to find wild flowers along the Crane. This Lesser Periwinkle is flowering in the protective shade of a hawthorn hedge in Mereway Nature Park.

Much of the December flora resembles a botanical graveyard as the season's growth shrivels and dies. This looks like the end of a Michaelmas Daisy at Mereway Nature Park.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:34 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Much of the December flora resembles a botanical graveyard as the season's growth shrivels and dies. This looks like the end of a Michaelmas Daisy at Mereway Nature Park.

Devoid of leaf cover this Sycamore sapling at Mereway Nature Park stretches towards the December sun and presents its newly forming buds to the weak winter sun.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:36 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Devoid of leaf cover this Sycamore sapling at Mereway Nature Park stretches towards the December sun and presents its newly forming buds to the weak winter sun.

Feast a close eye on the gnarled bark of an ancient Elder, warmly lit by the fresh light of a December afternoon.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:36 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Feast a close eye on the gnarled bark of an ancient Elder, warmly lit by the fresh light of a December afternoon.

Tansy is one of the few flowers in bloom in some of the open areas of Crane Park in December. The bright yellow flowers are a very welcome sight at this time of year.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:37 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Tansy is one of the few flowers in bloom in some of the open areas of Crane Park in December. The bright yellow flowers are a very welcome sight at this time of year.

December skies can be moody at best, providing an atmospheric background for the intricate geometry of the silhouettes of deciduous trees.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:38 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
December skies can be moody at best, providing an atmospheric background for the intricate geometry of the silhouettes of deciduous trees.

The leaf mulch is deep in Crane Park this month, with multicoloured leaves from several different species of tree forming a blanket of decomposing organic matter.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:39 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
The leaf mulch is deep in Crane Park this month, with multicoloured leaves from several different species of tree forming a blanket of decomposing organic matter.

A sharp December frost sprinkles and bows the leaves of a Tansy in Crane Park.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:40 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
A sharp December frost sprinkles and bows the leaves of a Tansy in Crane Park.

December dew drops freeze on the bent grasses of the Crane Park meadows, leaving them brittle and crisp.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:41 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
December dew drops freeze on the bent grasses of the Crane Park meadows, leaving them brittle and crisp.

The dried head of a Lesser Burdock obtains a festive coating on a freezing December morning.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:55 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
The dried head of a Lesser Burdock obtains a festive coating on a freezing December morning.

Lesser Burdock again proves an irresisitable photographic subject matter silhouetted against the December sun.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:48 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Lesser Burdock again proves an irresisitable photographic subject matter silhouetted against the December sun.

A sugary coating of frost delicately decorates some fresh leaves of Bramble in the December undergrowth of Crane Park.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:50 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
A sugary coating of frost delicately decorates some fresh leaves of Bramble in the December undergrowth of Crane Park.

A fallen oak leaf is frozen against a decaying log on a December morning in Crane Park.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:51 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
A fallen oak leaf is frozen against a decaying log on a December morning in Crane Park.

Even environmental foes take on a grudging beauty on a frozen morning, as demonstrated by this lone leaf of Japanese Knotweed in Crane Park.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:51 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Even environmental foes take on a grudging beauty on a frozen morning, as demonstrated by this lone leaf of Japanese Knotweed in Crane Park.

An icy head of Hogweed looks like an inverted crystal chandelier as it clutches at the sharp December air.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:52 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
An icy head of Hogweed looks like an inverted crystal chandelier as it clutches at the sharp December air.

One of December's greatest natural assets is the exquisite lighting of a winter afternoon. These reeds on Crane Park Island are pleasingly backlit.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:53 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
One of December's greatest natural assets is the exquisite lighting of a winter afternoon. These reeds on Crane Park Island are pleasingly backlit.

Ivy is on the march, undeterred by the short days and cold conditions. This hardy plant provides vital shelter and sustenance over the winter months in Crane Park.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:49 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Ivy is on the march, undeterred by the short days and cold conditions. This hardy plant provides vital shelter and sustenance over the winter months in Crane Park.

Some trees in Crane Park are still holding substantial numbers of leaves in December. The remaining leaves on this Oak have turned bronze and will soon be dropped.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:54 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Some trees in Crane Park are still holding substantial numbers of leaves in December. The remaining leaves on this Oak have turned bronze and will soon be dropped.

The dense patches of scrub along the Crane may have thinned very slightly in December but they still present a formidable and colourful defensive fortress that is welcomed by the Crane wildl ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:56 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
The dense patches of scrub along the Crane may have thinned very slightly in December but they still present a formidable and colourful defensive fortress that is welcomed by the Crane wildl ...

December has the shortest days of the year and so is a good month to see the moon hanging over Crane Park, framed here by the entangled bare branches of a giant Ash tree.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 10:24:57 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
December has the shortest days of the year and so is a good month to see the moon hanging over Crane Park, framed here by the entangled bare branches of a giant Ash tree.