RDS: "With familiarity the profound becomes mundane. With passion the mundane becomes profound."...... Saul Bellow :" A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep." ......MORE PHOTOS @ saunterings.com

Monday, November 21, 2011

EMERSON’S POND-FALL-2011- WATERY WEDNESDAY #162


The week after the fall back to Eastern Standard Time is always such an eye-opener. So early comes the late, mid-day the evening time. One sunny day that week I spent an hour picturing the ravine and creek until the sunshine was beyond the ridge and the creek was all in shade.


Although well into November, the air was warm and still and in the open the sun had hours yet to shine, a perfect day for a chat with my neighbor, Walt, and to visit his pond. He doesn’t get to his pond as easily anymore, so after a brief chat on the driveway off I went.

From the spillway with the sun at my back, the water was calm and perfectly still. While walking around the pond, a stand of poplars, against the deep blue north sky, looked as if in reflection. Looking up seemed as looking down, sky seemed as water.

The ornamental grasses are at their finest in the fall, reflected in the water or catching sun rays reflected white or transmitted almost orange aglow.

High, thin clouds were moving in as the afternoon wore on. The reflections were ideal, but time was a concern, an hour or so at the pond, then I was back on the patio with Walt to talk the day away.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Nature Notes #136 THE GENUNG NATURE PRESERVE- FREEVILLE, N.Y.

Lovely is the deep blue sky with dappling sun leaking through newly opened canopy onto fresh, leaf-covered woodland ground. Who can resist this invite, every day a new masterpiece of sun and blue sky, and leafy color above one’s head and at one’s feet.


Often fall can be cold and wet and windy, especially late October and early November, this fall we have been blessed with abundant sunshine. With adequate moisture and plenty of sun fall color has already lasted a very long time this year, although the color was not as brilliant as it could have been with a few more frosty nights.
The trail into the Genung Nature Preserve in nearby Freeville, N.Y. along Fall Creek invited one fine day, a short but pleasant walk, especially on an early fall afternoon, warm and full of sun.
An open copse of American hornbeam, commonly called ironwood or blue-beech, dominated a section of the trail. The open, airy look gives an almost mature feel to the wooded area
and the reddish fall foliage, both on the ground and the few left on the trees gives a warm glow. Often recently abandoned farm fields growing into woods are a tangled mess of vines and shrubs, small trees and bramble.

A nice clump of coral mushroom was caught posing for a portrait, a brief moment basking in a spot of sun shining through a canopy break




Along the bank of Fall Creek a mature oak and younger maple held out their leaves to catch some last moments of sun for this growing season.





As the season is fall, the sun settles too quickly and with barely enough day left, Dryden Lake beckons just down the road . As the sun drops lower in the sky a fisherman, perhaps with un-baited hook to avoid being disturbed by a luckless fish, quietly sits soaking up his fair share of autumn sun.


Each moment needs to be savored, one never knows how many more, if any, warm and sunny fall days will be.


Written late-October, posted today. RDS

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

A TOAD'S VIEW OF COMING WINTER

In mid-fall are summer days when temperatures deceive, except for turn-coat leaves, shadows long and days too short, the season is remiss, each mild day a respite from reality. For soon leaves will tumble, twist and float from on high to mosaic the ground below. The week-end of mid-October was like that, two wonderful misplaced summer days.
But then a front passed through and fall breezed in right behind. The southern-sent humidity dropped, as did the temperatures too. The reign of fall returned as it must with rain drops and leaf drops and spirits dropping too! Reality of the season returned.

We all handle the season’s change in our own way. Some are more sad than others that the prospect of the long winter looms!!

As an aside, I’ve seen toads out as late as mid-December in mild wet weather. Whether they had never began hibernation or were fooled by the pleasant weather spell I don’t know. But it is quite rare!

Also in the greenhouse I had a desert planting on the ground and while weeding once in late February the sand under my hand began to move, as I jumped up, startled, a toad wiggled from the sandy soil!!

One spring when lifting pots of perennials again the soil began to move!! Again a toad was coming out. The surprising thing was how shallow he had spent the winter. Between three pots, not more than 2-3 inches below the surface I could see the hollow he had scooped out. It was obvious this was his retreat from the winter. Being so shallow it was also obvious the soil around him must have been frozen during the winter months. I was really amazed!!

About the Sauntering Recluse

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Ithaca, New York
Greenhouse operater well-rooted, now branching out. Photo and writing interests now springing from a long term dormancy.

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