A Sunday Stroll As November Wanes

In fact, some of these photos were taken on Saturday because I've been wandering the forest and fields both days. Yesterday the skies began to cloud over and there was just enough nip in the air to warrant a sweater. It's been an unusually mild autumn and I've barely worn a coat at all. We've let the fire go out at night because the temperatures just haven't justified banking the stove. Of course, this has had no effect on the sun's angle to this particular cozy nook of planet earth so leaves have fallen as well as rain. Tides are backing up into the forests as you can see in this photo, and the berries on the holly trees are fat and red and Christmassy. 

The walk along the newest path - we call it the Rim Path is packed with history - for this land has been occupied by English speakers since at least the 1680's. This artifact has the distinct look of a 19th century dutch oven. There is another bit of one half eaten and half buried a little further down the path from this forked perch. I still have one of my own somewhere around here - the one I learned to bake bread in over a campfire these 36 years ago.

More than 20 years ago my archaeologist brother in law visited and excavated the old house site - bits of crockery and pipe stems came out of that hole, along with corroded buckles and other metallic bits, just to the north east of where the present tenant house wreck stands. It's the highest point on the property and it's close to a natural spring so it's the logical place for a house. We are not always logical. TheCastle is much closer to the point, where we can watch the eagles soar out over the water as they forage for a meal.

 This is the old corn crib, tucked into a corner of the property. Once BD thought he'd use it as a wood working shop but it's empty now. We used to hide Christmas presents there when LD was a little boy and we were still living in the Yurt.

 The damage from Hurricane Irene was the worst we've suffered - surpassing Isabelle by about an acre of trees. This chock pretty much did in the old chain saw - or if it didn't the next one did, because we last week had to get a new chain saw. This is a double poplar cut - It looks like an owl's face, doesn't it?

Just to give you an idea of how big the root balls of these trees are - here's a bit of scale. Imagine this tree times 30 - because that's what ThePrince has had to cut away to open up our paths again.

 Back out on the fields the sky has a wintery look even if the temperatures are in the balmy high 60's. Yes. That is a bald eagle - most likely one of the pair that used to live in the back yard. As I said - they moved south and east but they still come back to hunt and perch and call outside the window. Birds don't live in nests the way people live in houses. They only use them when they have chicks. Eagles don't kick food remains out of their nests because they don't want possums or coons or other climbing predators to nose around the base of their nursery trees. But that means there are some pretty scurvy remains that lie in the nests with their infants. To keep their babies free of parasites they pile new sticks on top of the old garbage but eventually they have to move to new trees and start fresh. I don't take it personally that mine moved away - I just miss them and love it when I see them soaring over our property, catching the thermals and rising in giant swooping circles.

Today has been very breezy and the skies have filled with mares' tales and dragons' eyes. Even if the weather is warm, we know there are cold days up ahead.

One of the best things about a walk in the country is bumping into neighbors, also out enjoying the end of autumn. Catching up on news, petting dogs, swapping stories - these are the things that add richness to our lives. What more could you ask for on the last day of a food filled, friend flocked Thanksgiving holiday.  And tomorrow? It's back to werk for TheQueen.