Wind, Water, Cloud-filled Skies and Rain

Though I am still thinking about tree rings, 

the spinning of time and spirals, 

life has taken me on other adventures. 

My last weeks of summer break started with well 

challenges. The above photo is what ended a 

week of very little water use in the house. 

Thank goodness for the privacy of many acres 

of forest.... what DO city folks do if their 

indoor facilities are not in service? 

After a summer with almost no rain, 

my twenty year old water pump decided it 

had had enough. Most of the plants in the vegetable 

bed had to be dug up in order for the small tractor 

to dig out my well. When the men and heavy 

equipment moved into the center of my 

garden, I did my best... 

which wasn't very good!

Once the work had finished, I still had to use the 

well sparingly and wait for the chlorine to flush out

before drinking. I've been visiting a friend up the street

to fill water bottles, and taking very short showers, 

but luckily I am no longer digging little holes in the 

forest floor to use as my outhouse. As of today, 

I think the water may be safe to drink again.... yipee!

And with the start of the school semester, it was days 

before I got into the garden to repair the damage 

caused by clumsy men's feet and the huge tractor wheels. 

Finally last weekend, I graded, re-edged, spread topsoil 

and copious amounts of mulch. In the house, 

I am speaking my gratitude to the water 

as it pours from my shower, and appreciating

the quiet click of the water pressure tank 

 that replaces loud growls 

and roars of the old pump.

sprial post along the trail at Moore State Park, Paxton, Mass

Out and about in the world of teaching, 

classes are in full swing, and two days a week 

I am pulled away from RavenWood and forced into 

much more social interaction than I've had all summer!

My class, Exploring the Natural World, visits numerous 

parks, farms and ponds to draw, photograph and collect 

materials for mixed-media work. 

 

Yesterday was a breezy, cool fall day for our drawing

trip to a nearby state park. I walked the "Enchanta" 

trail from the parking lot through the forest to the pond. 

Looking up, the damage from the ice storm a few years 

ago is still very evident and many piles of limbs and brush 

sat on the side of the trail. These higher elevations 

were severely damaged in the storm and what used to 

be a relatively thick stand of trees is now open and airy

because so many trees were so severely thinned. 

At the end of the trail, a lovely pond where I became 

obsessed with photographing the clouds reflected in 

the gently moving water. 

 

I was mesmerized by the undulating surface of 

the water and the changing patterns 

of clouds forms. 

       

        

I thought of Monet's huge water lilly series and found 

myself longing for a smooth wood panel and oil paint. 

On the way back along a road, 

I thought this tree was painted with orange. 

Upon closer inspection, I discovered that it 

was hollow and the blaze of orange was 

sunlight reflecting off the interior.

 

It was really quite magical....

a tree filled with late afternoon sunshine. 

Back at our meeting place, 

a stand of American Chestnut hybrids 

is growing nicely. I've been watching 

the progress of this important project 

for years now.  Most of the native 

American Chestnuts were killed by

 disease years ago. These trees 

are a hybrid with a European Chestnut, 

I believe, and finally this year look more 

like trees than small sticks with 

big ideas.  

I'm happy to report that while I write, 

the rhythm of raindrops taps away 

on the metal roof, the first serious rain 

in weeks! I am hopeful that the garden

might last a few more weeks now. I

haven't been able to water, and 

felt horrible watching things wilt and 

dry up. Thank goodness for 

cloud-filled skies

and

RAIN!