Clear Skies

Three days ago this hillside in late afternoon sunlight was stunning but no camera was available.  Clear skies have returned but the leaf color has moved closer to being past with little red now evident.  Between the green groomed field and the hillside is a narrow path where the grass is kept cut.  That path marks the end of our land.  The background wilderness is owned by someone else while the view is ours to enjoy. 

 This back meadow was recently given its final mowing of the season.  We stopped mowing here in early July expecting that the milkweed would regrow and nourish another generation of Monarch butterflies.  For some reason that did not happen this year.  It might be the result of the record breaking heat accompanied by totally inadequate rainfall.  It might also be the result of several years of mowing here.  We want this spot to look like a farmer still lives here.  We have other areas where the plants grow with no interference from us.  The Milkweed growing in those spots should naturally meet the needs of the butterflies.  Sharp eyes might find the two narrow paths that diagonally cross this field.  Since we have yet to see animals crossing here, we do not know if the paths are the result of our deer herd or our neighbor's horses that also graze here.  The Red Maple centered in the background still holds two of its five original trunks.  Imagine the display we formerly saw before the trunks began breaking off.  We are grateful that some of this splendid tree remains.

Frost Then Color

Without question we had several consecutive nights featuring heavy frost recently.  Now many of the trees display color that draws visitors from distant states.  We spent more than one hour just driving around while taking in the sights.  Driving while looking at the trees is risky behavior but people driving on country roads around here go slow or are  stopped.   A couple out enjoying the leaves from their recumbent tricycles pulled over so we could pass.  Not far up the road we waved as they passed us.  We were stopped to take another picture.

All of these pictures showcase trees that grow on our property.  The lone Red Maple surrounded by Norway Spruce are ours while the lawn belongs to our neighbor.

Only the foreground trees and pasture belong to us.  The distant ridge is not ours but the view is free.

When this land was farmed many decades ago, stone was dumped in the middle of what could have been a small field.  I could find no possible reason for these stones' location but the spot is now marked by a solitary Red Maple.  The row of pine trees were planted to screen out the view of activities undertaken by the first owner of what had been farm but became a camping outpost.  Both new landowner and farmer's wife feared that the other would shoot them.  That never happened but neither now live in the immediate area.

This is the view from our kame terrace.  It is the highest ground on our parcel and we frequently drive its perimeter while taking in the view.

This is the view looking down from kame terrace.  The bedrock ridge is nearly gone here but seeping water and uneven ground prevent us from mowing to the tree line.  Our many years here have been amazing and we cannot imagine living anywhere else.  

 

January Fun With Ed And Becky, Part One

We woke up this January  morning to cool dry weather that was absolutely fantastic.  No doubt about it we were going to get dressed, get the camera and go outside to play!   One of the first things to capture Ed's attention was this temporary stone pile. It had developed a big bulge and a few stones had fallen out.  Ed said "I can fix that! I'll go get my pry bar."  

If some of the stones in this picture are a bit blurry it is because they are moving.  In the contest between Ed and his pry bar and gravity, gravity was the big winner.  Our morning was off to an exciting start.  The loud grating noise of the falling stones was unforgettable.  Ed still has those catlike reflexes when he needs them.  Not a single stone touched him!

It was all over so fast!  We both decided to let gravity work by itself on this stone pile.  When spring comes Ed will be back!  He has his eye on the big stone  just to the right of the stone avalanche.  It is a perfect stone  for his rock garden project.  

We walked the path up to the big hemlock tree.  The best way to maintain a path is to walk on it. We each took our turn to relax against the big tree. Next  Ed went to get a closer look at this red maple nearby.  It's trunk has a great hollow to stand in so you can relax against the tree not unlike Ed's favorite old maple in the back.

A little moving of stones was necessary to make a really comfortable place to stand.  From there we headed back to the garden.

Ed decided to cut back the October Sky asters that were blocking the path into the stone square.  When it was blooming the billow of flowers was worth taking a detour.  Now the  dead stalks are just dropping their seeds in the path.  By the Ed finished we both realized that it was time to head inside and have lunch.  We had a fantastic morning playing outside together!