American Basswood

American Basswood

Basswood blooming.

From the Ohio Division of Forestry

American Basswood, also known as American Linden. is a native to all of New England and the Midwestern United States. American Basswood is a favorite tree of bees as they extract nectar from its flowers, making a very high quality honey in the process...The stately appearance of American Basswood makes it a favorite shade tree for large areas...American Basswood has perfect small, creamy flowers that open in early summer. Flowering is obvious from a distance-not because of the actual flowers but due to the showy, lime-colored, curving bracts that contrast against the backdrop of dark-green foliage.

American Linden

little sky country

Got up early and went out to get the paper; mist was rising over a green pasture. The Ira brook whispered to me as I crossed the bridge and headed up to the main road.

5/28/10
The other day, Kathy and I drove along a ridgeline to the Eshqua Bog near Woodstock; dappled sunlight on the dirt road and surrounding greenery. Idyllic vistas of hillside, forest, and field. This morning I drove the spine of the Green Mountains on Doug Blodgett's annual mourning dove survey. Full moon setting over the Bliss farm. Steam rising over brooks and ponds. On both occasions there was the feeling, especially at the summits, that one was at the top of the world, and that heaven hovers low in the sky over the Green Mountain State. There was literally the feeling that one should hunch down in one's seat when driving along the hilltops lest one scrape up agains the Pearly Gates or some such.
I thought about Montana, and the Big Sky country. The majestic vastness of that place takes one's breath away. Vermont is kind of the little sky country. There is a lot of beauty concentrated in a small amount of space. A goodly number of heaven's tailings seem to accumulate here.

strawberries!

Strawberries!

Strawberries for breakfast.

Strawberry soup

Strawberry shortcake

Envious of the viewers from California who have fresh strawberries all year long.

the noon

Summer solstice, the longest day of the year.

It is the noon,
Orioles are crying
The river flows on in silence.
Buson

Redstarts, flickers, and fireflies

Northern Flicker

Warren Lynn

All About Birds

Redstarts battling over something in the front yard the other day. Saw this bird nosing through some leaves near the bluebird house. First time I've seen a Northern Flicker, big and beautiful. Fireflies twinkling in the yard last night.

Don't go, firefly!

Even at night Kyoto

is noisy.

Issa

peonies

Peonies
by Mary Oliver

This morning the green fists of the  peonies are getting ready
to break my heart
as the sun rises,
as the sun strokes them with his old buttery fingers.

and they open-
pools of lace
white and pink-
and all day the black ants climb all over them.

boring their deep and mysterious holes
into the curls
craving the sweet sap,
taking it away

to their dark, underground cities--
and all day
under the shifty wind
as in a dance to the great wedding,

the flowers bend their bright bodies
and tip their fragrance to the air,
and rise
their red stems holding

all that dampness and recklessness
gladly and lightly
and there it is again--
beauty, the brave, the exemplary,

blazing open.
Do you love this world?
Do you cherish your humble and silky life?
Do you adore the green grass, with its terror beneath?

Do you also hurry, half-dressed and barefoot, into the garden,
and softly,
and exclaiming of the dearness,
fill your arms with the white and pink flowers,

with their honeyed heaviness, their lush trembling,
their eagerness
to be wild and perfect for a moment, before they are
nothing, forever?

black locust blossoms

It's been very cold and wet. Many flowers and blooming trees have been behind schedule. The black locust trees usually bloom towards the end of May,  but this year it's only been within the last couple of days that I've seen any blossoms. Of all the flowering trees, the black locust blossoms are my favorite.

uncaptured

Our ability to perceive quality in nature begins, as in art, with the pretty. It expands through successive stages of the beautiful to values as yet uncaptured by language.

A Sand County Almanac
Aldo Leopold

back to the days

Looking forward to the arrival of "the two Brazilian terrorists" (Tim's words) along with their parents on Sunday.

They will be joined shortly thereafter by the two cousins from East Aurora.

There will be a lot to get done.

Flying kites.

Feeding the cows.

Eating popsicles, and so much more. One of the important activities is throwing rocks in the creek. Their kindly grandmother collects rocks for them when she is working in the gardens.

It's hard to explain how a few precious things

Seem to follow throughout all our lives

After all's said and done I was watching my son

Sleeping there with my bear by his side

So I tucked him in, I kissed him and as I was going

I swear that old bear whispered "boy welcome home"

Believe me if you can, I've finally come

Back to the house at Pooh Corner by one

What do you know, there's so much to be done

Count all the bees in the hive

Chase all the clouds from the sky

Back to the days of Christopher Robin

Back to the ways of Christopher Robin

Back to the days of Pooh

Return to Pooh Corner

Kenny Loggins

Butterflies and dragonflies

Wildflowers in the pasture behind our house. Wild turkeys traipsing through the back yard. Swallows nesting in the new bird house. Butterflies and dragonflies appearing.

marshes meadows and pastures

Wildflower activity moves from forests to marshes, meadows, and pastures. The lives of many of the wildflowers is very short, a couple of weeks. But some of the varieties are around all summer.

Phlox is a variety of wildflower that is around most of the summer. It is very common but very beautiful.

Orange Hawkweed, or Indian Paintbrush is another (Shawn calls it Native American Paintbrush). This was the first wildflower that caught my eye when Allyn and I lived near Mt. Snow back in the early 70's.

Viburnum is blooming. Looks like something you might find in a Japanese garden.

Vermont

Means Green Mountains.

Here it is

More and more I'm finding that there just isn't anything to say.

Happy Birthday, Clarkie!

It feels like summer has finally arrived here in the north country. Went out to Mount Independence on Saturday for a walking tour regarding the Revolutionary War activities there. This spot is also a great place for wildflowers.

columbine

There is Solomon Seal and there is False Solomon Seal. Can you tell which is which? Thanks, Kim for elucidating me on this.

Mostly importantly, today somebody very special turns three years old today. Happy Birthday, Clarkie! Can't wait to see you!