Tree rings of a giant sequoia, ancient trees that grow only in a narrow altitude band in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. They are some of the oldest living things on the planet. Can you count the years this one survived by the rings?
Join Becky’s July Squares: TreeSquare. It must be square and it must related to or contain a tree or an aspect of a tree.
Aged 20 years, Port, Villar D’Allen, Porto, Portugal
We tasted a 20-year-old tawny port during the tour of Quinta de Vilar D`Allen near Porto, Portugal. The Villar d’Allen Manor has belonged to the Allen family since 1839, when John Allen, an English businessman, bought it in a public auction. The 18th and 19th century house and gardens harken back to romanticism and grandeur. A series of formal gardens are full of flowers, especially camelias, many very old varieties. The Allen family provides guided tours to the House and Gardens and wine tasting. Mr. Allen blends and bottles his own port. The property, one of the few surviving leisure manors that surrounded the city of Porto in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, was designated a Building of Public Interest in 2010. The Allen’s are gracious and welcoming hosts, very proud of their heritage and their gardens.
Gardens, Villar d’ Allen, Porto, Portugal
Join Frank’s Tuesday Photo Challenge: Age
It finally happened, we are all over 50 years of age.
No, it’s not the tractor or the barn—it’s the sisters. As of last May, all six of us are over 50 years of age. We range from 62 to 50. I’m the oldest but I stopped doing birthdays years ago because I don’t want to be categorized by my age, I just want to be seen as a person. I think not being an age allows me to think young(er) and to be more open to change.
The New 3 Rs: Retire, Recharge, Reconnect 