Meditation Gift

A late autumn walk in the wetlands at Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary ended with the discovery of a thoughtful gift.

A boardwalk ends with a quiet resting place.
Something caught my eye.

I found a bracelet, a branch, a stick and an acorn sensitively placed.
Later, I met the gift creator. For his meditation, he braided the bracelet using nearby cattails, then left this humble and generous gift for another to enjoy.

Cottontail Cottage

Holden, Massachusetts

The rabbits in my yard have been satisfied with clover so far this season. However, I’m still keeping a watchful eye on my:
Rainbow Chard,
Early Peppers,

Bronze Fennel,
Eggplant,
Blue Lake Pole Beans,
Pickling Cukes,

Premier Kale
Sweet 100 Tomatoes,
And Scarlet Runner Beans.

Wish me luck!

Cathedral of the Pines, Part Two

The Peter J. Booras Museum at the Cathedral of the Pines in Rindge, New Hampshire houses hundreds of artifacts that have been donated to Cathedral of the Pines over the last 60 years, most of them from WWII.
A section of the museum celebrates the service of women in Armed Forces.

A wide variety of uniforms from all the armed forces are displayed throughout the museum.

Models of important planes of WWII are featured, along with information about them.

More than 59,000 nurses served during WWII, often near the front lines. This short video contains archival footage of the nurses arriving on the beach four days after D-Day.
Rosie the Riveter was an iconic poster that inspired women to serve their country at home, as well as by joining the armed forces, much like the real life “Rosie” shown above.

Cathedral of the Pines, Part One

New Hampshire’s Cathedral of the Pines  is an open-air complex built as a memorial to the American war dead. It includes a multi-denominational sanctuary and features a scenic view of nearby Mt. Monadnock.

The Women’s Memorial Belltower is believed to be the first monument in the United States devoted to women’s service and sacrifice.

The Altar of the Nation was recognized by Congress in 1957 as a  National Memorial to American men and women who lost their lives in war. The stones that make up the main body of the Altar come from all fifty states and from every United States President since Harry Truman.

Breakfast With Mary’s Little Lamb

“Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow,
And everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go.

It followed her to school one day,
Which was against the rules,
It made the children laugh and play
To see a lamb at school.”
-John Roulstone

This beloved children’s rhyme is actually a true story, which had its origin in the little town of Sterling, Massachusetts. You can read a fascinating history of the rhyme here.

Mary Sawyer, born in 1806, did have a lamb she loved. And the lamb did indeed “follow her to school one day” (with a bit of help from Mary and her brother).

The architecture around the town common, some which dates back to the 1800s , would have been a familiar sight for Mary and the lamb.

Signs remind us of other historical links of importance, as well, such as a visit from General Lafayette…

Or that the world’s first sewing pattern featuring multi-sizing was invented in Sterling by Ebenezer Butterick over 150 years ago.

Who wouldn’t enjoy breakfast overlooking Sterling Common while imagining how a little lamb (as well as a French general and a creative sewing genius) played a part in the town’s history?
Consider this!

¡Delicioso!

Third Generation farmers from Nicaragua roast and sell coffee from around the world in this delightful Holden, Massachusetts coffee shop.

Wall murals help customers visualize coffee beans on the vine.
Brilla means “shine” in Spanish.
Learn more about the farms and coffee here.
A coffee bean ceiling!

Roasted coffee can be purchased in-store or online.
The on-site roastery.
French Toast and Huevos Rancheros on a bagel.
Traditional style furnishings.

Fall Walk

It’s delightful to explore the common flora and fauna of Central Massachusetts on a cool autumn day.

Eastern Grey Squirrel

Adult Squirrels can consume about one and a half pounds of seeds and nuts each week.
Goldenrod
Eastern Blue Jay
Oriental Bittersweet
The first Dark-eyed Junco of the season.
Common Milkweed

First Fall Color

Foliage around Wachusett Meadow’s Wildlife Pond glows in the late afternoon sun.

The beaver lodge is enveloped in color.
Canoes await at the pond edge.
Sumac trees, such as the one in the left of the photo, are among the first trees to change color.
A closer view of the beaver lodge.
The sheep graze just above the pond.
View from the Observation Pier.
A long view of the pond as the sun begins to set.

Pumpkin Patch Games

Farm-style versions of classic indoor and outdoor games are a treat for all at Bemis Farms Nursery on fall weekends.

Take a ghostly picture….

And pick a perfect pumpkin from the patch. Then test your skills on…

Squash Tic Tac Toe,
Checkers,

Milk Jug Toss,

Kan Jam (played with frisbees),
Ladder Ball (shown at the far left),
and an adaptation of the table top soccer game foosball.
Then try your hand at a farm version of Kerplunk ,
and wander around a “pumpkin tree” !
Can you toss a witch hat?
Have you ever tried pumpkin bowling?
Don’t forget to follow the Pumpkin Path!

September Sunday

My small local state park offers a variety of ways to relax and experience nature in any season.

The 300 acres of Rutland State Park provide opportunities for hiking, dog walking, swimming, boating, biking, fishing and picnicking. This family friendly park is truly a photographer’s treasure trove!

Agronomy

The American Society of Agronomy tells us that agronomy is a “science and practice that looks at agriculture from an integrated, holistic perspective”.

The Agronomy Farm Vineyard in Oakham, Massachusetts is one of over 50 wineries in the state.

Agronomy’s 1.85 acre vineyard was planted in May of 2014 with half of the vines a red varietal, Marquette and the other half a white varietal called Cayuga.

The Winery is a destination for visiting as well as catered events.

The stencil “A” Agronomy trademark can be seen throughout the grounds.

Relax under a canopied patio near the pond!

Relevant Yesterday and Today

This classic New England style church in Oakham, Massachusetts (population 1,621) dates back to 1766. The Churchyard Cemetary, circa 1790, includes Revolutionary War soldiers.

SAR stands for Sons of the American Revolution, and honors those who served in the Revolutionary War.

For over 257 years, this site has been a gathering place for solace and reverence.

Where Rabbits Run and Humans Walk and Reflect

More late summer images from Wachusett Meadow.

Eastern Cottontail Rabbits have proliferated this year at the Meadow.

Raised-Lettering on signs, as well as an audio informational program available at the visitors center, allow the visually impaired to more fully experience the meadow along the All Persons Trail.
The North Meadow is a popular easy hiking area.

Cattails in the North Meadow are vivid harbingers of fall.
A section of the All Persons Trail leads to the South Meadow.
Bas relief sculptures aid in identifying tree and barn swallows.
Visitors to the All Persons Trail can greet Wachusett’s endearing sheep on the way to the South Meadow…
…and then continue on to a sunny resting spot .

Backyard Music

Last March, I traveled to Backyard Music in Willimantic, Connecticut, to pick up my first handmade folk harp.

(Short audio at the end.)

Willimantic is famous for its frogs, which greet you as you travel across the town’s main bridge.
True to its name, the Backyard Music Shop is behind the owner’s colorful Victorian home.
Owner and musical instrument maker, Dave Magnuson, has been creating harps, banjos and dulcimers here for 35 years.
Dave has a wide variety of unique instruments in his shop, both old and new.

An hourglass shaped dulcimer hangs beside a plainer trapezoidal dulcimer. On the far left, a banjo is fashioned from a wooden box.
Dozens of harp necks stand ready to have strings added. Note the circular banjo soundboxes on the far left.
Here’s my new harp. The wooden neck is strung with 22 strings, and the soundboard is made of heavy duty cardboard. I’ve named it Maeve, which means “she who rules”. In Irish Mythology Maeve is a queen.
All harpers learn “Scarborough Fair”. Here’s my early recording of that famous folksong from the Middle Ages. Maeve and I were getting to know each other at that time.

Sorghum?

This local field is usually planted in corn. However, this year I noticed that the plants are more pointy at the top with closely planted rows, and have copious weeds in between . An internet research leads me to believe it is sorghum, which is used as silage.

WordPress farmers, feel free to comment!

A Country Road

North Brookfield and New Braintree, Massachusetts

Past the apple orchard….
By the traditional bales of hay….
Hydrangeas are in full bloom.
A willow tree has been upended by a recent storm.

Driving by spacious fields….
We must be getting close to …
A farm stand.
Do you like Butter and Sugar or Yellow Corn better?

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

To refresh and renew the front yard, combine seeds and plant cuttings collected last fall with duct tape and spray paint.

Duct tape strengthens the old resin chair, while “spring green” spray paint lends a pop of color to the furniture.
Last fall’s coleus cuttings have taken off in the recent wet weather.
Inside or outside, the succulent green kalanchoe flourishes.
Six cosmos seeds saved from last year go a long way to enliven this year’s flower bed!
Scarlet Runner bean seeds are easy to dry, and never fail in succeeding years.
Bright bean flowers are magnets for a variety of birds and insects.
Last year’s nasturtium seeds have bloomed yet again.
The “outdoor living room” under the hemlocks is a cool and breezy place to chat with friends and neighbors.

Living Local, Part Two

Worcester County, where I live, leads the state in the number of farms.

Within a few miles from me, I enjoy visiting this farm.

How pleased I was to see that it is open!

It’s sweet corn time in Massachusetts!

Aw, shucks, I’ll buy a dozen.

In order to create a super fresh vegetarian meal, I add my own home grown cukes, tomatoes, arugala,

Green and yellow beans,

Swiss chard and kale. Colorful and nutritious. I’m grateful.