Autumn air

UPDATE or Entirely superfluous details added for the benefit of persons who just have to have every last little thing pinned down... ;)

The top photo shows a macadamia plantation. At this time of year the ground beneath the trees has been swept clean ("swept" in the sense of being air-blasted, going by the sounds of the machinery used, though I'm not sure about this). The macadamia nuts grow encased in a green husk which bursts when ripe; the nuts then fall to the ground and are collected. No matter how hot the day, the cool dark green of the macas (as they're known here: pronounced MACK-az) and the long shadows always look inviting. And there's something about the regularity of the rows, all those straight lines, the way the trees are spaced out so evenly, which seems serene.

In contrast to this clean expanse of ground there is the plantation boundary where the windbreak trees grow. The macadamias no longer need a windbreak, being quite large enough to take care of themselves now. But I'm glad the windbreaks are still there. For one thing, they act as a corridor for koalas. And the mess of leaves and twigs and so on that collects under the trees (the bottom photo) looks beautiful in its own way.