Esperanza 20:00
If you happen (I don’t think any of my readers are, or if they are they already know) to be in the area…Esperanza’s reputation as a creative center continues: this watercolor by Holly Hall, resident of Esperanza, is currently one of several on display at the Jerram Winery in New Hartford, Ct, a nearby location.
The amaryllis in question is, naturally, one of ours as well.
Comments Off on Continuing creativity
Esperanza 10:44
I love Turkey Vultures. Rather weird I know. I’m actually not that interested with all the little song birds, hawks are cool, as are owls, but the vultures…
I suppose it comes from so many chances to watch them in flight, as they were the other day. Playing off a fast rising thunderstorm that was moving to the south of us, a dozen or so were checking out the newly mown hayfield.
Consider the view from the attic windows, out across those old blue hills. The sky: pink, gold, robin’s egg blue, except to the south where a black storm cloud rose; below lay the green fields. What one could hear was the snapping wind and the low, continuous sound of thunder. Add the turkeys’ bizarre gobbling cry and the raven’s croak. But over this scene were those great, silent, dark birds. They were playing, as they do so often, off of the wind from the storm. I’m reasonably sure I saw one that was working on hammerhead stalls just for the heck of it. Looking for food, of course, as always; but mostly just flying.
There is a bit of adrenalin too, when they start to stack up above an area, so close that you can see the feathers. Death has struck somewhere near. But they themselves? The living wind.
Esperanza and Landscapes gardening, philosophy, trees 17:47
Esperanza has a horrid, Brigadoonish*, feel about it. Alright, it isn’t horrid. It is lovely, I like the musical. But the fact is that being outside of time can’t happen, when it does…Brigadoon actually has a rather dark underside to the story and the older tales it is based on are darker still.
But I was fretfully contemplating a few trees in various stages of mature/decline/stone Dead. Trees should outlive people, that is one of the points about planting them. But they still die. Just like people, just like pets. When you have a history going back 140 plus years, some trees, important trees, will die.
It’s a long list. There was a horse chestnut on the east lawn in the 1870’s, that was gone by the 1890’s, two big maples on the north lawn, two big elms, we are on our second copper beech, at least four full sized white pines, one of the big Norway Spruces*, the old cottonwood, several white birches, several huge apple trees, several full sized sugar maples, at least one Norway maple, several hemlocks….
And those are just the trees that spring to mind and were big enough to require outside help in removal…
Sometimes I wonder, what hell would it be to live forever?
*The others are just as big now, 80-100+ feet, but this was one of the originals.
Esperanza 11:07
Esperanza has always had people who sing living at it. The pianos are stacked not only with Chopin, Sibelius, and others; but also with the ‘Fireside Book’, various hymnals, and songbooks from Yale and other places. For some years in the early/mid twentieth century singing was a regular, evening occurrence often with enough people for solid four part harmony. These days we round up a few skeptical, if game, volunteers at Christmas.
I can’t say that I am at that level; but it is rather fun to slowly start learning various songs. Who knows, someday I might even sing when other people are listening. There are so many songs from American history that are so alive and so rich in their cultural meaning. (and fun to sing) Learning them is a connection not only to the music but to the past.
Comments Off on ‘Teach me some melodious sonnet’
that this project is done! It has been raining, hard. August is either bone-dry* or exceedingly soggy. This year is soggy.
This was taken when they had done the northern (left) three quarters.
*for New England.
Esperanza and gardening connecticut, gardening 20:02
Cod, fresh corn, and green beans (from the garden) for supper. Simple gifts!
In a change from supper. There are many things in the world, both local and not, that I deplore; but there is great beauty nonetheless. The beauty of the most simple sunflower; the thistles, monarda, yarrows, a multitude of flowers loaded with bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds; the peace of the pond where the wren (pair) was busily foraging in and amongst the deadfall; and where a solitary wood-duck was taking its ease. There, uncounted frogs fled from my steps. There the young buttonbushes, spicebushes, and maples flourish. I can do little indeed, but here I can take care.
Esperanza 21:46
We have a new roof on the west side of the North Ell now, the last section that hadn’t been done in awhile (sixty years in this case). There was a reason it took our carpenter quite some time though…the lower curve of the roof where it flares out below the dormers had: two layers of shakes, a layer of tin, a layer of tar paper, another layer of tin, and a layer of asphalt shingles. No wonder it looked rather bulgy!
Above the curve it was only shakes, tar paper, and asphalt. This helps to explain the diffuse leaks at an odd point partway up: the tin must have effectively created puddles and dams that then leaked through onto the rafters and down the knee walls slowly. Thankfully, there is no structural damage.
So something accomplished this summer any way!
Comments Off on Layer Cake
Esperanza and Historical Events family history, humor 13:58
There is one problem with New England summers…as illustrated in the guestbook from 1878!
Esperanza 12:57
I don’t know how roofers do it. But do it they do. It sounds a bit like a cross between Morris dancers and woodpeckers at the moment. I think they are trying to get something down before the thunderstorms come through tonight. Which would be wise, seeing as it is the northwest corner of the house that is being re-done and it is a bit large for decent tarp coverage. It did need it….it had been closing in on sixty years before it finally really failed this summer. Which is pretty good for asphalt shingles! Never mind exposure to countless thunderstorms, snow drifts of several feet, ice, a few decent hurricanes, and a lot of sun. I bet the new ones won’t last that long. If they do, I’ll be ninety odd!
Comments Off on It is hot out there….
Esperanza and Landscapes gardening 16:09
An excellent place to quietly read. A good view of the comings and goings, while being essentially invisible, and an elegant view in and of itself. I particularly like the way the west porch rises above the trees, enough exposure to be interesting but not too much.
Comments Off on Revealing Secrets
Acair Fearann 