Alpine Plant Sale

Took a drive this morning to Stone Crop Gardens for their 7th annual Alpine Plant sale, just a bit above Bear Mountain bridge. They had some of their own plants for sale and had a few other vendors also on site. After I made my purchases I took a walk around the gardens. There were a lot of alpines in troughs and in scree beds and in walls and in a huge rock ledge. There were also lots of flowers blooming along the woodland trails.

 They were just filling this pond, it must look quite natural once full.

 There were many clusters of troughs like this around the place.

 Nice detail on the edge of some of the large troughs

My two purchases
Houstonia Caerulea, Azure Bluets, planted into a trough I carved out of pumice

and 2 Cyclamen both White each with slightly different foliage, planted with my other Cyclamen in the Peony Garden.

The selection of plants at the sale was amazing, but I didn't go wild. My current focus is to get the small pond (pondlet?) in so I can landscape around it. The area will be mostly shady so I have green and white variegated types of dwarf Iris and a dwarf hosta and some ferns ready in pots for planting. I don't have the room for a wall like above, but might be able to fit in a scree bed.

Rock Collection Cleanout

Made a stop at the 2013 NY/NJ Gem and Mineral Show on the way home from work one day, saw a lot of beautiful mineral specimens and it made me want to dig up my rock collection from the attic and see what I had.

Other than disappointment, I had a lot of pebbles and nondescript stones. Along with the crap were bags with rocks and notes listing the date and place I had picked them up. I figured that I would photograph the crap rocks and then chuck them. I winnowed my rock collection down from 3 boxes to 2 boxes. I actually do have some mineral specimens in the collection, but nothing like what I saw at the show.

The photos of rocks with accompanying notes were mainly from the Hearty Boys Hiking Club (HBHC) era. Myself, Mike, Brian of DR. WA, aka "Dead Rats With AIDS" fame and Dan would get out a few times a year hiking, scrambling and spelunking. I kept a trail log for the trips and have included additional information which I thought was useful.

September 8, 1990-NJ: 5 mile hike at Norvin Green State Forest. Saw several Glacier Erratics, had some good views to High Point and did some scrambling. Parked at Otter Hole Lot.

June 1, 1991-PA: Specimens from a cave near Old Dutch Mill Campground in Kutztown, besides these rocks I took a water sample which had a PH of 7.4.  This trip included HBHC members and others. Afterwards, we visited Crystal Cave a commercial cave.

Slate and white stuff, very scientific

September 15, 1991-NY: Rocks from a 5 mile hike at Popolopen Gorge in Bear Mountain Park, the hike was shortened by rain.

November 9, 1991-NJ: 4.5 mile hike to and around Terrace Pond at 1380 feet. Saw a bunch of cub scouts, a couple of hunters and a deer from 10 feet away

April 30 to May 1 1994-PA: These were from a camping trip near Worlds End State Park in PA.

November 25, 1994-NY: Harriman State Park, 4 mile hike via Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail to Bald Mountain (1110ft), not with the HBHC. Ran across the upper workings of the Cornell mine. Parked near Jones Point north of the Anchor Monument.

Why did I pick these up? And when?

Oooh a large white pebble, if at some point it had some meaning, it doesn't now.

I had found this flint in the 1970s when I lived in Graniteville, I found it in one piece and I thought it was a fossil or a bone.

More pebbles

and some smaller pebbles and flat stones

And still more

I picked this one up on the walking path at work years ago in Middletown, NJ.

And now I have run out of things to say about non-descript rocks, though this one seems to have snuck in. I did not throw this one out.

and I think I saved this one as well.

The fate of these three is unknown.

Thank goodness that is over.

Travel? Why Not! Norway

This is not a tour of Major Norway sights, but a cruise down the coast stopping at a few small villages and spending a few days at either end. It is more of a voyage, so pick out a few books or load up the kindle.

Travel

• 7.5 hours non-stop NYC to Oslo Gardenmoen Airport
• Airport to Oslo City Station, 20 minutes by Airport Express,  Norwegian State Railways 30 minutes, less frequently
• 2.5 hour flight between Oslo and Kirkenes, Northern Norway
• 6 or 7 Day Cruise between Bergen and Kirkenes on a Hurtigruten ship
• The Bergen Railway from Bergen to Oslo Station, 6.5 to 7.5 hours, 4-5 per day
• Side trip to Flåm via the Flåm Railway, 40 minutes one way

Sights and Highlights
Oslo

Royal Palace in Oslo

Oslo has a visitor pass that includes free entrance to museums and free public transportation in zones 1 and 2.

•  Hop On/Off Bus tour, stops near all the sites listed below

City Center

• Akershus Castle and Fortress
• Viking Ship Museum
• Botanical Garden 
• Royal Palace Tours (summer only)   
• National Gallery
• Norwegian Museum of Veterinary History

 Bygdøy peninsula (20 minutes from city center)

• Norwegian Maritime Museum
• Arctic Exploration Ship Fram museum
• Kon-tiki Expeditions Museum ()

Life On Board Ship

The cabins are available in Bergen from 6PM and the ship departs just after 11:30 PM and arrives in Kirkenes after 9:45AM 7 days later. Once in Kirkenes there are several flights to Oslo before the day is out. The northbound schedule is here. Meals are included with the cabin and food is also available most of the day.

Alternatively, the southbound trip takes 6 days, leaves Kirkenes at 12:45 (2 Oslo-Kirkenes flights would work)  and arrives at Bergen at 2:30 PM 6 days later. This schedule is here.
Shorter cruises are possible, just jump ship and fly back to Oslo.

• Northern light sightings are a possibility in autumn and winter
• Rugged Fjords
• Crossing the Arctic Circle
• Visit Trondheim, the former Capital
• Glaciers and icebergs
• Time for contemplation and reading

Bergen

Sights in Bergen include;

• Fjord tours
• Bergenhus Fortress
• Bergen Maritime Museum
• Edvard Grieg Museum, 20 minutes outside Bergen
• Cable car to Mount Elriken (2110 feet)
• Funicular to Mount Fløyen (1400 feet)

Some sights would be free with the Bergen Card, as is public transportation and discounts at some restaurants.


Flåm
A visit to Flåm could just be a day excursion or an overnight.

Photos from Hurtigruten website, except for the Royal Palace which is from the royal website.