Sunday Selections #72

It's Sunday Selections time again!

Time to post photos that have been languishing in your computer files, waiting for their chance to shine.
This idea comes to us from Kim at Frog Ponds Rock, who realised one day that she takes many more photos than she uses, and wanted to show them off on her blog.

A once a week meme seemed like a good idea, so Sunday Selections was born and anyone at all can join in.

I often choose a theme for my Sunday Selections and this week my theme is:

THE OLIVE GROVE

Surrounding our lovely city is a ring of parklands dividing the city centre from the suburbs.
Along the Eastern edge of the city centre the parks begin with the Botanic Gardens at the north-east corner and continue south all the way to Greenhill Road. (and then continue along in a westerly direction along Greenhill Road towards West Terrace where the parklands turn North...) The parks are interspersed with roads leading to the suburbs; there is Rundle Park just across the road from the Botanic Gardens, then comes Rymill Park, which is in two sections divided by Bartels Road, then Victoria Park which holds the city racecourse.

A large section of Rymill Park, between Bartels Road and Wakefield Road,  holds a planned planting of olive trees and this is known locally as The Olive Grove.
Today's photos were taken within the grove.

It is part of the open parklands, anyone can walk there and there is a bike trail as well. I like this almost mirror image of the shadows of the branches on the ground.

I have no idea how old this Olive Grove is, but all of the trees have that twisted, gnarled look of age.

The run off from this storm water drain has formed a creek which has cut into the soil over many years, exposing the roots of more than a few trees. The creek runs down to join a larger creek bed which is dry more often than not.

Some of the trees have multiple trunks which adds to the beauty of the grove.

I love the misty gray-green of the leaves....

...and the way the sunlight highlights some of the trunks while others become blackened with shadow. Some of them are naturally blackened with age and/or death.

It's almost like looking through a tunnel and seeing the light at the end.

Here's a closer look at the many bumps and knot holes where branches have been trimmed off or otherwise removed, perhaps broken off in windstorms.

Another tunnel vision.

I particularly like this tree, with its heart-shaped knot hole.

To join in with Sunday Selections, simply post your photos under the Sunday Selections title, link back to Kim, then go to Frog Ponds Rock and add your name to the linky list before leaving Kim a comment.
It's that easy.