Winter Walk – White on White
For more Wordlessness this Wednesday click here.
What Comes After Thanksgiving? The First Snow
Thanksgiving Day dawned mild and sunny. There was little left to do in the morning at daughter Betsy's house so there was time for a stroll and for The Major and grandson Rory to have a tete a tete. Things got a lot busier at daughter Diane's house, especially in the Thanksgiving kitchen. Cooks and kibbitzers gathered near the stove to be there when the turkey came out of the oven. It is impossible to get everyone in the…
Priorities and Preparations for Hurricane Sandy
While Hurricane Sandy was making its slow and warning filled way to Heath we had to set priorities and make preparations to weather the storm. With so much notice, and stories about a possible Sandy snow storm (like last year) I realized it was time to plant the garlic. Fortunately I had already prepared the bed so it didn't take much to pull apart my choice garlic bulbs and plant each clove about eight inches apart in four rows. Then…
Surprising Blooms on a Gray Day
These surprising blooms are from Bluestone Perennials, one of a mum collection I bought a couple of years ago. The rabbits got to the planting of that collection and I rescued what was left and just stuck them anywhere in the garden and forgot about them. I hope I am not the only gardener in the world who sticks in anywhere and then forgets. This spring I saw what looked like chrysanthemum foliage in an odd place, and…
Sunny Saturday – On the Road in Heath
After more t han three inches of rain came sunny Saturday and the pleasure of Saturday morning rounds. Past the abandoned beaver dam and off to the Heath Free Public Library. This is the prettiest abandoned beaver dam in Heath. We are not totally sure whether beavers have left our beaver pond or not. After the library onto the paved road and the Town Transfer Station. After the Transfer Station it was down 8A and off to Avery's…
Three Woodpiles, Three Styles
Three woodpiles, two which have been of very different styles are among the most popular of my posts. We seem to be thinking about winter and warm nights in front of a crackling fire or humming woodstove even in August. The first was an artistic woodpile I passed one fall day in Hawley, a town near us. The second woodpile in Ashfield was a traditional pile designed to help air move through the pile to dry wood. Artistic and scientific.…
Kindle Edition of The Roses at the End of the Road Now Available
We continue to move into the 21st Century. The Kindle edition of The Roses at the End of the Road is now available at Amazon.com. I even have a new description. "By the time Pat and Henry Leuchtman unloaded the third U-Haul truck at their new old farmhouse at the end of a dirt road, Henry declared that this was it. He was never moving again. He had reached the end of his road. These lively essays chronicle the…
Nature Red in Tooth and Claw – and Stinger
Frank, a natural creature, is red in tooth and claw. He has caught a few of the many rabbits that have been marauding my garden, and gardens all over Heath this year, but he doesn't usually bring them in doors. This rabbit was mortally wounded. It was amazing that it had so much energy to run around the kitchen. I went out to cut flowers for an arrangement for church and I became the prey. I got…
It’s Summer – Viewing, Touring and Paddling
It's summer and I've been out viewing plants and gardens and then relaxing at a local pond. Summer doesn't get any more perfect than this. I went to the Annual Japanese Iris Show in Shelburne Falls and got to see the best and most beautiful examples of Japanese Iris grown in the area. Japanese iris are the last iris to bloom in our area. After seeing this display of irises, I had to run over to Fox Brook…
Annual Rose Viewing a Success
The Annual Rose Viewing was a success! The weather was perfect. The roses were in uproarious bloom. The guests were entranced. I got to speak to many of the guests, and then they got to wander down the Rose Walk by themselves. All the roses are labelled. The air was filled with fragrance. Adrienne, an old friend, took this great photo. I think Rachel was possibly the biggest attraction this year, blooming at the top of the Rose…