The tamaracks are finally changing color. Called akemantak by the Algonquins, the species name translates “wood used for snowshoes”. We have several in the neighborhood, and the needles dropped by the trees in the fall make the softest carpet where they fall.
As I drive along the road, I notice wasps nests in the bare trees and on Saturday we spotted a bald eagle perched atop a pine tree on the way to town. At night Orion has stepped back into plain sight in the sky above the mountains. He is one of my faves. :-)
If you are able, don’t forget to look for the lunar eclipse tomorrow morning! We are hoping the “blood moon” will be spectacular here, where there is very little light pollution. Check out all the ways an eclipse “disrupts” life here.
The weather around here has been disconcertingly mild, with highs in the low 70’s over the weekend. In November. In Vermont. Yikes.
These temperatures have allowed Batman and I to do a few more of our outdoor chores without the usual gloves and jackets of November. Today after lunch, we pulled on boots and walked the property, screwdrivers in hand. We cleaned out each of our 9 nesting boxes, each one made of an assortment of wood scraps, salvaged wire and repurposed posts. To read about whether to clean a box or not, look here. It’s fascinating to see how the nests are built inside the boxes. Some have twigs as a base, with soft grasses woven on top. Some have bits of birchbark or bits of string added to the cavity. There are teeny tiny feathers that float out of the debris as it falls from the box. While we were trekking across the meadow, the strong winds that have been blowing for days picked up a pile of fallen leaves and swirled them into a mini wind spout of golden bits. It was ethereal.
There are still a few greens growing in the hoop house. The nesting box on the post here is usually occupied by bluebirds all summer long. We also had a chance to put up the snow fencing along the blueberry patch.
The garlic has been planted and mulched and the leeks and chard came in to the kitchen yesterday.
The California poppies continue their brave vigilance and I love to watch them quiver in the wind and challenge the decay around them with their brilliant color!
These random rock piles have been tucked into the underbrush along the road since before we bought the place. Gathered and piled up, I wonder at their companionship. Each rock stacked or leaning on its neighbor, nestled with moss and lichen. As the midterm elections loom, I take comfort in their ease. I am staying away from polls and opinion pieces. I don’t care about what the “experts” prognosticate. I have filled out my ballot and look forward to dropping it into the slot at our town hall tomorrow. After that, it’s watch and wait. I hope you will vote too, if you are able. We will need to bring our best selves into whatever comes next. I will have a small pebble in my pocket no matter what happens.
A bit of quilting in my next post. Until then, dearest readers, stay the course. Vote. Hope. And don’t forget to breathe deeply. The present moment is a very special place to be.
P.S.Happy birthday #5 to Maggie!