A walk in the woods Tuesday, May 15 2012 

Modern Photos , , acairfearann 17:18

Trillium grandiflorum

From left to right: young cornus florida, a nursery grown small leafed azalea, a tall, old ‘Windbeam’ Rhododendron.  The tree trunks are Norway spruces, the fern is predominantly Eastern Hay Scented and members of the Male fern genus.

Giant Solomon’s Seal, Trillium grandiflora, an unknown hosta, European wild ginger (just visible beneath the Solomon’s Seal).

Native Mayflower, also known as Canadian Lily of the Valley beneath Hemlocks and Pines.

Also blooming in the woods: Starflower (or Twin flower), wild phlox, False Solomon’s Seal, Silky Dogwood, Swamp Azaleas, Viburnum tomentosum, Blue Star, Jack in the Pulpit, Sasparilla, English Bluebells, and many others!

 

 

Carlesii viburnum flower Friday, May 4 2012 

gardening and Modern Photos acairfearann 20:15

Carlesii viburnum in bloom.  The shrub is full sized, at about fifteen feet in height; it is currently an arc of white blossoms against the moss-green of the cottage, Minnietrost, and in the evening (as in this photo) it is backlit by the sun slicing between the building and the big yew to the north.  But such lighting only occurs in May and again in late September, both are times when the viburnum is at its peak, either in flower or foliage.  A happy accident.

 

Weird Weather Tuesday, May 1 2012 

Modern Photos acairfearann 10:26

This picture was taken back in February: the tail end of a storm clearing out at speed.  A few minutes earlier it had been a solid fog bank, a few minutes later and it was clear blue sky.

 

All things end Friday, Apr 27 2012 

gardening and Modern Photos and Trees acairfearann 14:55

For decades the north path wove its way past the garden shed, beneath the great locusts and hemlocks, and crossed into the garden between the great square boundary pillar and the twenty foot tall remains of the big cottonwood.  The tree had been nearly three feet in diameter, after it fell about twenty years ago years the remant snag was left.  Totally hollow, it fit the image of the slightly spooky, slighty romantic ruined tree trunk; the imagination could run rampant, maybe a parliament of owls, maybe a racoon family, maybe bats, weasels, snakes, maybe a person could hide in it?  It was an elegant ruin, visible from several places in the garden, adding a sense of age, memento mori. In later years it was crowned by woodvine, crimson in the fall.  And it was the woodvine, which held it together, that in the end probably pulled it over.

I went out the other day to find that it had toppled, quietly, without fanfare, falling towards the heaviest weight of the woodbine, away from the path.  The shell had mostly crumbled, though it fell on soft ground.  The largest piece, about a third of the trunk, had fallen on a young conifer; but it was so light and thin that I could roll it off the little tree, which had only been bent.

From the path, it fell to the right, the young conifer is behind the locust’s trunk in the photo.

You can just see the trunk, directly above the middle of the viburnum (white shrub!) in this picture.

 

Eastern Redbud in full bloom Friday, Apr 20 2012 

Modern Photos acairfearann 20:31

Redbud, cercis canadensis, in full bloom; as seen through the two old Japanese maples.  Trees from three continents in this picture, actually: Japanese Maples from Asia, Redbud from North America, background of Norway Spruce from Europe.

The Redbud from the other side.  This photo was taken a few years ago, there are now several props under it.  However, currently the porch furniture is all over the lawn due to the painting, so no current pictures.  Imagine that whole thing just humming with bees though!

Showing all three of the east lawn redbuds, and the river birch; the very light green tree in the background is actually a sugar maple in full bloom.  This was taken last year, and all the sugar maples bloomed like mad.  The very tall, dark conifers are Norways, the one conifer you can see the top of is a forty year old Douglas Fir…

 

Early Spring Friday, Apr 13 2012 

Modern Photos acairfearann 13:12

 

Black bears in northwestern Connecticut Tuesday, Apr 10 2012 

Modern Photos and Uncategorized acairfearann 22:09

Over the last fifteen or twenty years, black bears have gradually become much more common in this region of Connecticut.  There is a fair bit of open space close by, most importantly the large tracts owned by the state and the water companies, so a breeding population is well established.  Last year a female denned on our property with three yearling male cubs, several other females have been seen (the females all have easily read ear tags) and there is a big male who is easily ID’d by a facial scar.    Bear sign in the woods is common.  It was, therefore, absolutely, no surprise to hear Robin (our horse) flipping out the other night, and even less of a surprise to see that the trash can was once more dragged across the lawn in the morning.*  A bear had clearly visited at about midnight.  It was a bit annoying but hardly unexpected; still I would like to figure out a location to hang a suet feeder for the woodpeckers again.  I will not hang it from a second story porch though, I don’t need them climbing the porches, they already climb the exterior stairs….

One of the young males on the front porch, they actually aren’t as big as you would think!  But nice claws there…

The young males, in a pine tree, a few months earlier.**

*Black bears are not a real threat to the horse; however, they could be and Robin knows this, he generally stands his ground halfway along the top fence line, which gives him a clear 360 degree view and plenty of space to run.  Dogs, which actually are a more serious threat to a horse, are something he has every intention of dispatching with extreme prejudice, but he knows better than to tangle with a bear.

** Not as stupid a picture as it would seem, I was with the DEP guys who were resetting the collar on the mother bear, who was solidly tranquilized at the base of the pine.  Those cubs had no intention of coming down or going anywhere at all, still we knew where they were.

 

Amongst the giants Wednesday, Apr 4 2012 

Modern Photos acairfearann 14:51

also a bank of daffodils

These two photos were taken last year, at the end of April, this year the daffodils are halfway done and the Star Magnolia is somewhat less than elegant.

 

A and B Wednesday, Mar 28 2012 

Modern Photos acairfearann 13:20

The house has a long tradition of cats; and, while I have no fondness for outdoor cats, I do like our indoor cats.*  Without further ado, therefore: A and B, brother and sister, A is the one on the left.  A more typical pose for them is curled up under the dining table, immediately above the furnace; but it makes for a poor picture, since you can’t tell where one ends and the other begins.

They are almost, but not quite impossible to pat; you certainly cannot pick them up; and a guest is unlikely to even see them.  On the other hand, they like to know exactly where we are, get terribly bothered if we leave unexpectedly, wait to eat dinner until we are eating although B requests that I put it down so she can check it earlier, and A firmly believes the lawnmower attempts to eat Jamie and will come find me if I am in and request that I save him, now. 

*Not least, I admit, because they are a practical solution to the mice, even more so because they are terribly ineffective at the actual rodent dispatch bit, giving me plenty of opportunity to remove the critter before they attempt to eat it.  My dislike for outdoor cats partly stems from this indoor usefulness.

 

 

Daffodils Saturday, Mar 24 2012 

Modern Photos acairfearann 16:20

 

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