Beech Leaves and Nuts

Well ok, so strictly speaking these aren't the nuts but the empty cases in which the nuts grow. Usually by the time they are ready to fall off the tree, they are already partly open. There follows a long descent to the ground, where, bump! and they pop fully open shedding the next generation of beech trees into the nutritious soil. Well that's the theory. In practice you will often find the nuts still intact inside their crash proof packing from where they will likely end up as a squirrell's breakfast.
Out for a walk this morning when I found these and couldn't resist. The roads are still very bad but we have tickets booked for a recital of Handel's Messiah in the new Grand Canal Dock Theatre in Dublin and she who shovels snow like a trooper has applied the necessary pressure to make me take the car out. We have cleared the driveway in front of it but I really don't fancy my chances of making it to Arklow, from where we will take a train. Will try though. We will overnight in Dublin and on the morrow will attempt to make it back home. No more blipping, commenting etc until we get back.

Have fun all. Joe