Indecisive trees

It's that time of year here in Aberdeen when the leaves on the trees can't quite make up their minds.

There's the optimists thinking it's not quite time to give up on the photosynthesising business, and the realists who know that colder nights and shorter daylight hours mean the energy cost is too great and are ready to call it a day. 

We've had lots of sunshine this week and I've been been out and about in the streets and parks near our home, admiring the splendid display of colours as the trees try to decide which season it is!  

Happy Nature Friday! 

Maybe we'll find out if the leaves have made up their minds in other parts of the world if we visit all the posts in the LLB Gang's wonderful weekly Nature Friday blog hop. 

Forest comparisons

So Gail has been going on and on about all the splendid forest walks she enjoyed in the Puget Sound area over Christmas and New Year.

Apparently the trees were bigger than here, the ferns and mosses more abundant, the fungi slimier and the stream crossings more challenging.

Soon I'd heard quite enough, and it was time to go out for a walk and remind Gail that we have lovely woodlands here in Aberdeenshire too. 

And there's still one thing we do even better than Washington state...

MUD!! 

Quiz time!

Quizmaster Nobby

Greeting friends! Today we have something a little different - a Nature Friday quiz just for you. 

All you have to do is look at the eight tree photos below, all taken by Gail in the past month, and decide which you think is the odd one out. Please leave your answers (preferably with workings - feel free to be creative) in the comments box. 

N.B. There is only one 'official' answer, but there might be more than one correct answer!

PS Thank you once again to our LLB Gang friends for hosting this blog. Our thoughts are with them right now as they prepare to say a final fond goodbye to their faithful pack member, dear old Jakey.