Power and internet back, after seven days. Content later 🙂
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The old shed Friday, Oct 28 2011
Modern Photos 10:15
Two old sheds actually, the collapsed structure is the old calf shed, last used in the 1950’s, the other was built for the horses in the early ’80s.
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Hold On! Thursday, Oct 27 2011
Historic Photos 15:38
Considering the post of a few days ago (Eeek), I went looking for early automobile photos. I found this one from 1905. Not sure who all is in it, except that is WWE holding rather firmly on to his hat! I find the wooden wheeled cart rather dubious. That is a big car by the way, the mounting block is a solid four or five feet long. I haven’t a clue what it is, any suggestions as to what or where I might find that out would be great!
In the background you can see across the tennis court easily; the massive central oak may be the tree directly behind the center of the car, it has the right shape. The other, of course, hasn’t even been planted yet.
21 October Sunday, Oct 23 2011
Uncategorized 16:56
The sun dog
At the mare’s tail
Heeled
Mirrored ice
Flashed a rainbow warning
Winter coming
And golden rain
In the woods
Hanging high above grey water
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Eeek! Friday, Oct 21 2011
Historical Events 22:50
From the guestbook, 1903, a clipping from a newspaper: “an amusing feature of the automobile question in town happened last Thursday afternoon when two gentlemen driving a pair of spirited horses met an auto on Main street. The carriage, horses, and drivers took an unexpected trip around the vacant lot between the houses of T.S. Hart and C.W. Gilman, while the machine continued noisily on its way.”
Presumably, someone pasted it in the guestbook because they were involved and presumably it was in town. I think the someone was driving the horses, as a car doesn’t show up in a photo here before about 1910, but I shall have to check.
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Crocus (croci or crocuses?) Tuesday, Oct 18 2011
gardening 17:29
1200 of them to be precise, actually to be very precise 1101, as Mom planted 75 in another garden and I have reserved 24 for forcing in pots. In theory the West Meadow fence line will shift from pale violet in late March, through cream yellow and blue to true yellow, pure white, and blue in early April. In July it is orange from the daylilies I planted this spring, which are very happy. My right wrist is, I believe , mildly sprained.
I think I have mentioned that gardening is an act of faith. I have had bulbs fail completely due, probably, to problems in shipping. I rather hope that these work, but I won’t know for another five to six months. And assuming the thousand pound rabbit keeps his feet off of them…
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Knock Knock Thursday, Oct 13 2011
Projects 10:33
The west porch pillars are hollow, with ventilation holes cut about halfway up. For the last few days, a Downy woodpecker has been happily working on the inside of the pillar directly outside my window. He or she seems to be intent on enlarging the hole, as it is currently a bit of squeeze to get in. It seems to be their mid-morning job, for an hour or two. It just might drive me nuts.
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Historic Photos: WWE washing windows Wednesday, Oct 12 2011
Historic Photos 13:41
October 1921, WWE (William Webster Ellsworth) washing the windows on the north bay. Note the bowtie, vest and hat. The driveway appears to still have its upper turn-around at this point, the magnolia is quite a bit smaller, with much of the shade in the photo coming from the large red maples, long gone. Today the driveway has dropped about six inches as it goes around the curve; or it has been shifted closer to the house with a subsequently sharper and steeper bank to the lawn. It looks like it was still dirt at this time. The house was still clad with green wooden clapboards, interesting to note that it does not have a corner trim board even in the original siding: another argument for placing it in the ‘Shingle style’ camp as opposed to ‘Queen Anne’ camp of architecture, at least on that bit. It looks like the five-leaf akebia vine was at the house already, I think there is a bit of it on the downspout (which is just as peculiar these days); the fern bed is apparently just beginning, it is much larger now.
Also note that one can see Intervale’s fields very clearly in this photograph; today the hedgerow hides that low hill, and only the top of the West hill, the next ridge to the west is visible.
I am not entirely sure how the broom works into washing windows…
Amusing interludes Tuesday, Oct 11 2011
Trees 11:55
I was happily working away when I heard the doorbell ring (note to self, what do you know, it actually still works…nobody uses it, they just pound on the door). An enthusiastic individual who was a volunteer for Connecticut’s notable tree list appeared on the other side. He wanted pictures of the black locust, which he thought might well have moved up in rank, as it was last measured in 1994.
He also waxed enthusiastic about the Cucumber Magnolia and the redbud. So presumably in a few days’ time there will be some photos of them, with me as scale, on the website http://oak.conncoll.edu:8080/notabletrees/index.jsp
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Fall color Monday, Oct 10 2011
Trees 17:12
Not much this year, highly dependent on the weather patterns, the combination of a warm wet September followed by a hot, dry start to October has resulted in both the ashes and maples simply dropping their leaves. Rather reminiscent of the UK, actually. Fall color depends on a set of factors: first the changing daylight, a wonderfully consistent factor, then temperature. An early freeze means the leaves simply drop, but no frost at all (as in this year) reduces color. Then there are the individual factors, the type of species (obviously), soil type, location (including zone, exposure, elevation), stresses on the individual tree, and finally the specimen’s genetic make-up (a factor in some but not all species, red maples are highly variable but striped maple isn’t at all).
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Acair Fearann 