Alpine Walks in Valais

[Ragged Robin]

Glad you like the Alpine pastures and Forest Gerd and Cohan and thanks for your generous comments - there is a sense of perpetuity here amongst the elements and there is time to stand and stare, most importantly 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Truly wonderful shots Robin !
You do know how to create the appropriate atmosphere !
Thanks for showing !!

[Ragged Robin]

I am pleased you like the photos Luc and that you really feel the atmosphere of the place!  Its great to be able to 'send and share' an experience via the internet; thanks to the accessibility of the Forum and the reponse from Members   

[Lvandelft]

Robin, your pictures of the alpine pastures are fantastic. I love nr. 02 most of all.
It's so difficult to show on a picture what you see yourself at the moment.
But on this picture it's if I'm walking next to you.
I hope to see at least the second swath in August in the Austrian mountains. Cannot wait, when seeing your pictures

[Ragged Robin]

Thanks Luit - the Alpine pastures do beckon and it sort of becomes an addiction as every time you visit the mood changes, light shifts and everyone has a unique view from where they are standing - I hope you enjoy Austrian Alpine pastures in August and bring back some photos of your view 

[Maggi Young]

Its great to be able to 'send and share' an experience via the internet; thanks to the accessibility of the Forum and the response from Members  

Thanks, Robin for a comment which I think sums up the value of the Forum.
While there are sometimes comments about "too much chat", I would venture to say that this is precisely the secret of this forum's success.... the warm interaction between forumists and the basic social camaraderie are vital to any meaningful relationship in my opinion and even a discussion about a serious subject is worthless if we take no cognisance of our own wider feelings and those of our fellows. Thus one would never have an instance in this place where a friend's death went without comment, as I have seen on other lists ; there is always a word of condolence here and a supportive comment or a joke there.....I do think that this is why the forum is so busy and brings so many hundreds of growers together to celebrate our love of plants and join in the friendly community that is the Scotttish Rock Garden Club. No surprise that this club has a vibrant membership and does so much to share the passion for plants and nature around the world. This is a success formed by all the hundreds of Forumists who share their knowledge and experiences so freely with eachother and the many thousands who read these pages... You are a grand bunch of folks and I am pleased to be a part of all this!  

[Ragged Robin]

Hi Maggi,

Just en route to my first experience of easyjet....thank you for your wonderful reply and I hope to be back on the forum soon!

[Ragged Robin]

During the day it's too hot to walk anywhere now but come the early evening there is  a delicate balance to catch the sunlight in the forest before it disappears over the mountain top.

At first glance the rocks still steal the scene but looking closer every nook and cranny that can support plant life has a plant in residence poking out, tumbling down or squeezed in between a cleft.  Not a single space is wasted.

[Ragged Robin]

In this light the wild flowers look amazing and each one is picked out in detail, unseen during the day.  Close up or in a group they mingle with one another and clamour for the attention of passersby.....

Even though the leaves may demand attention tiny flowers hide beneath them too!

[Paul T]

Lovely pics, Robin.  Out of interest, what is "too hot" to go out walking during the day?

[Ragged Robin]

25 degrees today Paul...glad you're enjoying the photos - posting stopped for Wimbledon and what an amazing match!  On the edge of our seats with such incredible play and either man could have won - Murray deserves his hard earned success...back to my evening stroll with heart thumping 

[Paul T]

Robin,

I'd suggest you never come and visit us here in summer (or autumn or spring for that matter)..... 25'C is a balmy evening, and sometimes at the height of summer that is our nighttime minimum.  It is amazing what we're conditioned to accept as hot or cold by our usual environment.  Myself, I find that humidity is a killer for me, not the heat.  Our heat here is usually very dry.  10 degrees cooler but with high humidity is far more uncomfortable to me than our temps in summer (not saying I enjoy 38-40'C, by any means!  ).

[Ragged Robin]

A whirr of wings and my attention is turned to this wonderful sight.....

Flowers in their peak seek attention too before they go to seed -

The sun frames plants against the dark background and chases shadows across the rocks into the the trees

[Ragged Robin]

Paul, not so much for me as my trusted four footed companion who is 14 years old!   

[Ragged Robin]

The sun slips to the base of the tree trunks and shines into flower heads waiting to close - all heads are turned in one direction in the low light.