Country Life

Dont look like needles to me, have a look at araucaria bidwillii dendy.
The top of the tree seems to be growing those upswept branches, sure I've seen that before somewhere.

 

See what you mean, Pete. Needs further investigation, and close up pics, LoL!!

But the tips of the branches are very like immature Scots Pines in their habit....
http://images.google.co.uk/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=pinus+sylvestris+young&btnG=Search

although none of these pics shows what I mean all that well...... I'm not suggesting it is a Scots Pine, just that it makes me think pine..... Definitely need more pics!

 

Not any of the ones on your site, Dendro, sorry.

This is a difficult one. There is a huge beautiful one in Alcantarilha that is the best I've ever seen ... but in a difficult position for me to jump out and photgraph.

I think it could be the A heterophylla ... the Norfolk Island Pine but I will have to investigate further.

 

Just a closeup of that one would help LOL.

 

How close should I get, my sweet, right up to the needles? I was only 20 feet away from it.

 

a shot of the individual needles or spikes, or whatever they are would do nicely! Oh, and a little further back so we can see clumps, or how they are on the branch rather better.....

 

Congratulations, Pete, you win!

I e-mailed the picture to our tree specialist, Stuart Merelie and he said Araucaria heterophylla, the Norfolk Island Pine, and I guess he should know!

http://images.google.co.uk/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=Araucaria+heterophylla

There are telephone masts here now which, at a glance, you think is one of these. I'll try to get a picture of one of them.

 

Glad that's sorted out! Well done Pete!

 

It was a lucky guess, although as I said it had a monkey puzzle look to it.

 

Stu also said it could be that but I know it isn't because I have one of those ... bought from Stu, funnily enough! :D

 

We went to look at the old mill farm today. It's the cluster of red-roofed buildings in the centre and the property goes down to the end of the rows of olive trees to the left.











... and it comes complete with piggery housing estate ...



... and these chaps / chapettes were on your doorstep ... milk anyone? ...



... and there are plenty of these up in the hills, Arbutus unedo, the Strawberry Tree, almost ripe for picking and making medronho ...



But it's not for us. Much too big of a project. You would literally have to knock everything down and start from scratch.

Although in a beautiful setting, I didn't like the position as the dirt track comes right up against the buildings and onward to the two farms behind.

Also, access is poor. You can drive through the river in fine weather but it's impassable in rainy season (when we get it!). The alternative is a narrow dirt one-track lane up through the hills for 4-5kms till you get to a bridge crossing the river.

So, until we find something else of interest, the book is closed on this one.

 

What a shame, LoL! It would make a fantastic project - but as you say, LOTS of work.

Are you actively looking for something as an alternative to the current place, or is this an investment and an extra?

 

A bit of both actually, Dendro. Although we don't want to leave our little house (Casadinho means little house) if we had a renovation project and liked that better, there's nothing to say we wouldn't move.

There's so much potential with the mill .... there are five or six buildings including one 80sqm with a 20 foot ceiling. But not liking various aspects, it could tie money up for years if you fixed it up and then potential buyers had the same thoughts.

The agent just e-mailed another project, 11 hectares in lower Alentejo (the next province up) ... it's only �£87,500 but there's no house, just part of ruin so I don't know if we'll go look at that or not.

[ 09. January 2007, 05:54 PM: Message edited by: Lady of Leisure ]

 

Oh what decisions......Your landscapes LoL always remind me of summer holidays (not the pigsties)..............Oh happy days. :D

 

It does look a little daunting LOL.