What I like most about my little paradise is how varied it is. It's never boring to stroll around, watch the landscape and marvel at the little details mother nature can show.
The highest spot allows a free view all around, with a prime vista of the Llaima volcano, but the Antuco and Villarrica volcanos can be seen too.
But let the sun sink a little, and go a bit downslope, and this is how the Llaima will look now:
About three quarters of the land are covered by forest. Most of it is second-growth in several stages of development, while some of it is old growth, never touched. Different species of Nothofagus trees abound, but others are well represented too.
In the more open areas, Notro trees color the landscape in intense red.
Avellano trees are among the few that have this year's flowers and last year's fruit at the same time!
The Ulmo tree is famous for its nectar. Bees love it, and people love Ulmo honey! Given the amount of Ulmo trees in my little paradise, I will have to set up some bee boxes!
Luma trees fill the more shadowy areas in the deep forest.
Walking around (which someplaces isn't very easy!), one can find intriguing details.
The Arrayan tree is easily recognized by its deeply reddish bark.
Some trees develop truly interesting shapes.
But not only trees are interesting. Just look at this shrub, called Holy Stick for its crosses.
I have lots of Bamboo. Some of it is 12 meters tall and nearly 10cm in diameter, and completely straight! It grows in such amounts that I won't feel guilty for cutting a few rods and using them to make antennas, a winter garden, etc.
The jelly made from this fruit is delicious! It grows wild in large amounts, just like blackberries, strawberries and Murtillas.
And of course, Chile's National Flower, the Copihue, is well represented in my paradise!
Now let's have a look at the smaller things. Here is a tree trunk covered by mosses. It's a whole ecosystem in itself!
Or let's look for the mushrooms.
But there are not only the native plants. This land was farmed many years ago, and welcome remnants of that activity remain, like these apple and cherry trees.
This one will end up in front of my radio shack window.
Every day I spend here, I find new flowers probably brought here by the colonist who first settled this land.
And the insects? Well, there are quite a few ones, like this long legged guy,
Or this very busy pair of Luma bugs.
My little paradise has assorted water resources. This is the spring, which will provide drinking water. The water is so clear that it can hardly be seen.
And there is also a creek, which never dries out.
The creek is quite steep, jumping from step to step through the forest. I will use a small portion of its water to drive a turbine and generate my own electricity.
The creek leaves my property at this spot, shown in winter for a change.
Winter? Oh yes, it does snow here. In most winters the snowfall is very limited, but once every ten years or so there are colder winters, like 2007, when it didn't rain very much but snowed very much.
Unfortunately the snow accumulated on trees not used to it, breaking very many and bending others. That's nature's way of pruning trees.
This icicle might give an idea of the temperature!
But then spring comes, and even with the ice still persisting, trees will flower and sprout, and life goes on...
And finally, I have to tell my paragliding friends that my land even has a very nice airfield!
Say, if this isn't paradise, then what is?
Back to Implementing my paradise.