The larch tree (Larix) is unusual because it is a deciduous conifer. It has needles that turn golden in the fall and then fall off. It also has little cones. In the spring the larch greens up with soft green needles on graceful branches. The photo above shows my friend's larch and a pine growing in friendly proximity. Early this spring I got a call from the brother of a friend who said he found a larch seedling…
The brilliant colors of fall have blown away, but there is still a richness to the autumnal woodlands that I drive through every day. The sun was warm and low in the sky when I took these photos yesterday, but I know that warmth is ebbing. The day began with the lowest temperatures, 26 degrees, so far this season. And yet, even though the cosmos and salvias finally gave up the ghost, there is still a bit of…
We will have more salads during the winter, but this is the last of the lettuce from our own garden. The seeds were a sample from Renee's Garden, Ruby and Emerald Duet, a combination of a small ruby leaf lettuce, and baby butterhead. They were among the very first lettuces I planted in spring and then throughout the season, and obviously the very last to be harvested. This is a wonderful combo of hardy lettuces with such good flavor!…
Today, just for today, I have nothing on my mind but getting to the polls to vote. I hope that is on your mind, too. In Heath we voted at the Community Hall, in the handicapped accessible downstairs which is also the Senior Center. A lot goes on at the Community Hall, Senior Lunches, Food Coop distribution, meetings, forums, parties - and voting. We use a low tech approach, using a 'machine' that counts the number of ballots,…
We are fortunate to live in an area where our children know where their food comes from. We have farms that grow vegetables and fruits, and sheep, beef and poultry. These farms mean there are barns and tractors - and an autumnal hayride. These hayriders came back to the Charlemont Federated Church to make lunches that included local cider and home made pumpkin cookies. The cookies just looked like pumpkins, but real pumpkins were ready for carving. Parents…