Rising Grey

It is a beautiful grey late autumn day. It has just finished raining and the sky is still thick with clouds. Their undulations swirl above the earth, downy forms set high in contrast to the scraggly limbs of denuded trees and waterlogged stands of juniper. Branches are trembling with water drops waiting to sprinkle you as you brush by. The field puddles are inches deep. Walk through them in tall rain boots and listen to the splash and the suction as the ground takes hold of your soles. Breathe deep now. The air has a softness and is as fresh as fresh will ever be. If your head needs clearing, this is the place to release those cluttered thoughts. If your spirit needs uplifting, this is the place to rise.

Walk Through First November Snow

First November Snow

Big snow came early this year, just long enough for a morning of beauty and then it was gone.

Mushroom Grove

 

The End of Summer

The first photo is of the beanfield across the road and the rest are from the property.

Sometimes the clouds rise like mountains.

Seemingly overnight there were hundreds of spiders' webs in this one section of the land. They were all heavy with dew and glistening in the sun and I wish I had a way to capture the scope of them.

Natural bouquets all around.

2 Month Old Field

The immediate land around the house and driveway was plowed over and graded about two months ago. From brown to green with no help from me.

Frogpocalypse

At first I thought they were flower petals or leaves scattered on the road until I realized they were all frogs. There were thousands underfoot. Most hopped towards the curb as I approached but many hopped further into the middle of road. Later, as I stood talking with a neighbour in her yard about the frogs, she said it sounded like popcorn each time a car drove by and sure enough it did.

Ducks and ducklings

From Paul and Tina's farm.

Ducks in the duck house discussing important matters with the month old ducklings:

Ducks in a jug. These two females were lying on a batch of eggs and weren't happy about me looming over them so close. Hissed at me the whole time:

Always a bossy one in the squad:

Only a day old and already making leaps:

Last embers of the day

View from the kitchen window at the end of this hottest of days.

Wellington Beach Pollen

Would this make the fish sneeze?

Thousands of dead ones washed ashore and onto the beach looking like they crawled off the Aliens movie set.

Witch Trees

On the property, casting old spells.

Power Lines

I always knew power lines bordered the eastern edge of the property but today was the first time I managed to hike in far enough to finally see them.

Swamp

Spring swamps. Dry come summer.

Deer paths

The bush is so thick I can step into it, walk twenty paces, turn around and be lost because everything looks the same in all directions: branches and thorns everywhere and up above, if it's a grey day, the sky gives away no clues.

I bought a compass then a handheld GPS. I bought rolls of orange flagging tape. I bought loppers and clippers. I wanted to make trails but had no idea how or where to start. Then I finally noticed what was there all along.

I've spent days now cutting trails into the property, guided by deer paths and streams, thankful I don't have to depend on my terrible sense of direction.

Spring moss