Going, going, gone!

Another dull old day today, but no wind, so we can't complain. 

I took the car down town for a service at 8.30 this morning and walked back up. When I walked down after lunch to fetch it I noticed that the two lovely big monkey puzzle trees in a garden Ardconnel Terrace were being felled - one was gone and the other just a pole. That's all three of Oban's big monkeys gone now, plus a smaller one which was growing between these two. I think there's only a couple of small ones in the town now. I can understand that not everyone likes them, but it's a shame to see them go and it's unlikely that any more will be planted. 

I stopped for a chat with the tree surgeons and noticed that there was a stash of cones lying on the road. They said they were going to open them to see if there were any seeds inside, but they're quite unripe. I asked if I could have a couple when I came back with the car, and they said yes. 

When I'd picked up the car I drove down to Ganavan, as a passer-by who had commented on the tree fern in my garden told me that someone had planted a group of them at Ganavan. False identification - they were palms!

I called back at the monkey felling place and grabbed a few. OK, five. They're amazing things to handle, being rather spiky and hooky - they cling on to you! These are my first extra. It was from beneath this tree that I collected some seed a couple of years ago - the result is my second extra! Who wants to grow a monkey puzzle tree?

Before going home I drove to the road at the back of the monkey puzzle garden and stood with my camera on the wall for quite some time, waiting for the man to fell another section. This is my Blip today.