ring-a-ding

Fireworks stands popping up along Route 7. Cow vetch appearing. As I've mentioned before, there are some beautiful wildflowers that have some awful names. This is one of the worst. It is surprisingly beautiful when you stop and take a look at it. Ice cream truck spotted in West Rutland last night. It's the first time I've seen one of these in a long time. Passing through town with the familiar ring-a-ding song.
Gone for awhile.

clover

Another cold start to the day. Furnace kicked on this morning, sheesh. Storm last night, leaves and sticks scattered in the lane. Daisies and clover appearing. Clover is the Vermont state flower.

Serenity is when you get above all this, when it doesn't matter what they think, say or want, but when you do as you are and see God and Devil as one.
Henry Miller
Zen page-a-day calendar

day lilies

55 degrees this morning. So far it's been a cold and rainy spring and summer. Some nearby fields have only recently been planted. The cows have not yet arrived here, and I think that's because cutting has been delayed there. There are two kinds of flowers that brighten the season here on the other side of the creek. One is the wildflowers. They come from God. The second is the domesticated varieties, like the day lilies. They come from Allyn.

not seeing

One of the effects of doing this blog for so many years is that not only is one aware of what is appearing, but also what has not appeared. Bats and honey bees not at prevalent as in years past. Not seeing the usual flocks of swallows and sparrows either. I wonder why. Deer and young fawn spotted a couple of times in the Ira creek. Black-eyed Susan appearing.

Season of summer

Thunderstorms, ice coffee, salt clumping up in the salt shaker.

come and gone

First cut on fields has happened despite all the rain. Peonies have come and gone. Bluebirds tending to their second batch of babies.

noon

First day of summer, longest day of the year. Fireflies and strawberries!

Is is the noon
Orioles are crying
The river flows on in silence.
Issa

darkening

Summer Farmer's Market open. Meals on the patio. Tree leaves darkening as spring moves into summer.

No one has imagined us.
We want to live like trees,
sycamores blazing through
the sulfuric air,
dappled with scars, still
exuberantly budding
Adrienne Rich
Zen page-a-day calendar

vision in lavender

Iris and chives, a vision in lavender.

Season of reunion

Used to be I saw John and Erin almost every day. Now Erin and her family live in Brazil and John and his family are in Buffalo. For us all to be together is a rarity: season of reunion, joy and gratitude. Today was the first time ever that Eliza and Owen have actually played together as cousins. In the past, Owen was just too young for that to really happen. To see them laughing, running, playing together was a time of special happiness for me. 

byways

Drove up north the other day on Route 7, one of the main roadways in Vermont. There was the usual summer construction which delayed driving. Also, there was all manner of farm equipment using the road, combines and the like, moving from one field to another. When driving through Brandon and Middlebury there were hand made signs along the route, urging on the respective baseball and lacrosse teams as they battled for state championships. There are not many states in the country where you would see these things along one of the major byways in the state. Andy and his dad are going to be observing some of these byways up close and personal as they start out today on a bicycle trip around Lake Champlain. Good Luck!

clouds

Summer has arrived with a vengeance. Temps in the 90's. About a week ago, however, we were still dealing with cold and rainy weather. One night it rained all night. The next morning there were patches of fog and wispy, low clouds in the sky. These wispy clouds were moving from west to east, and moving into the light of the rising sun. When the clouds moved into the sunlight, they exploded. Seemingly the light and heat caused the clouds to grow exponentially and rapidly. Tendrils of the clouds branched out in all directions. Then something interesting happened. The growing branches expanded to the point that the heat and light seemed to burn them out. The growing clouds started to dissipate as quickly as they had grown. The energy that allowed for their expansion was the very same energy that led to their demise. This was the first time I've ever seen this.

I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down and still somehow
It's clouds illusions I recall.
I really don't know clouds at all.

Both Sides Now
Joni Mitchell

black locust

Over the years, this blog has revealed to me phenomena in the natural world that I have either never seen before or phenomena that I have seen, but forgotten about. It seems that every year when the shad trees blossom in early spring, I feel that it is our one and only flowering tree here in the cold and frozen Northeast. This just isn't true. Shad trees, wild cherry, viburnum, and the now flowering black locust all make a beautiful appearance here at some point as things warm up. While we may not have the variety of a region such as the Mid-Atlantic states, we do have our share.
The black locust tree may have the most beautiful blossoms of all of them. I was talking about them yesterday with a friend of mine, and he said that the wood of a black locust is very hard, that it is often used for railroad ties.
The black locust is really a scraggly looking tree for most of the year. It has a very shaggy bark, and a bottom-heavy, unappealing shape. Their blossoms, however, are delicate and beautiful. It's almost hard to believe that such a beautiful blossom could come from such an ugly looking tree. It reminds me a little of our sugar maple trees. Many of the old ones look rough, weather-beaten, and gnarled. It seems incongruous that such specimens could produce such heavenly ambrosia in the form of maple syrup.

Kayaks on Subarus

Spears of asparagus hiding under the rhubarb. Kayaks on Subarus. Viburnum appearing. These beautiful trees grow all over Vermont, but look like something cultivated in a Japanese garden.

American goldfinch

google photos

Goldfinches appearing. They are one of the high energy birds, like chickadees. I understand that they are around all year long but the males only display their bright yellow color during the summer breeding season. They breed late in the summer and feast on thistles at that time.

Indian Paintbrush

Orange hawkweed appearing. In 1972, Allyn and I spent the winter together working in the Mt. Snow area. We stayed throughout the summer there in a cabin in the woods. Growing up in California, I was totally unprepared for the profusion of wildflowers. The first one to catch my eye was the orange hawkweed, also known as Indian Paintbrush in some circles. I remember it like it was yesterday. In some ways that might have been the start of what has become this blog. 

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday dear Clarkie

Happy Birthday to you!

neighbor

The other day I was looking out the kitchen window which on many occasions has been my portal into the natural world. I noticed a tree in the back that was much whiter than the others. I didn't know what it was and pulled out the binoculars to take a look. It was a wild cherry tree in full bloom, a big one. We've lived here for over 35 years and as far as I can remember I've never noticed it before. Blossoms hanging down, like an ivory chandelier.

I consider myself an observer of the natural world. Either I had never noticed this beautiful tree before, or I had seen it, and forgotten about it. Neither a good thing. I went out to get a closer look, and take a few photos. Heraclitus said that nature loves to hide and that's true. Once the blinders come off, however, that which had previously been invisible now seems to be everywhere. I saw three other large wild cherry trees in full bloom nearby in the forest in the back.

Our surroundings, whether it's in our back yard, or in the night sky,  can seem like a part of our neighborhood. Seeing the previously unseen can provide an uplifting, orienting effect. Like being introduced to a friendly neighbor whom you've never met. Good to meet you.

Let your eyes remain empty of interpretation.
Mooji
Zen page-a-day calendar

Columbine

Had to cut up and dispose of an old tree that had fallen on our lawn. Since I was driving in the back field, I took the opportunity to head to the big rock in the back where the Columbine live. After all, now is their time in the sun. A couple of days later I was walking the property with the person who taps the sugar maple trees on our land. He has lived in the area all his life. We walked by some Columbine, and I pointed it out to him. He didn't know what it was.