Big leaf

Went out for a stroll round the garden just before lunch today with a Blip in mind. Rather a dull day, but I spotted this leaf which had descended from above and landed on a fern frond, so that's my Blip for the day.

The leaf is from a Bigleaf Maple, sometimes called Oregon Maple, Acer macrophyllum from W North America. On the leaf lie a scattering of needles from the Japanese larches above, Larix kaempferi, it's resting on a frond of the native Dryopteris dilatata, on the far right are a couple of seedling Griselinia littoralis from Chile, and at top right are some brown, fallen leaves from Rhododendron protistum, a native of W Yunnan and NE Upper Burma.

So even a humble Blip has more to it than meets the eye!

On the way down the Glen I came across an Irish deerhound or similar, not on  a lead, with its owners far behind. I called to them to put it on a lead but it was too late - it shot off after Susie, barking furiously. When they finally caught up with it there were marks of a disturbance on the verge but no sign of the cat. I asked the couple again to make sure that their dog stayed on the lead in the garden - they were not pleased and left the garden immediately. I shall get a complaint, no doubt. 

I spent some time calling for Susie but couldn't find her and feared the worst. She turned up at the house after lunch, apparently unperturbed, so I imagine she shot up a tree to get away! Loose dogs are getting all too common unfortunately, so I may have to revert to the original 'No dogs except assistance dogs' policy. I wanted to give the relaxation of the rule a good trial period, but I'm getting a bit fed up with the few visitors who spoil it for the responsible majority!