Thursday, 8 May 2025
The benefits of staying with a friend who’s a baker are obvious…and tasty: apple pie.
Trees at night…not yet leafed out. BTW, this far north, today the mowing guys did our friends’ yard for the first time this year. As is common, the mowing guys change out their equipment and clean the driveway through the winter.
Wednesday, 7 May 2025
How do you make your state capitol building, here a state house, look more impressive when it has only two stories: put it part way up a hill with a cascade of steps below the main entrance.
Complex tiling patterns in the entry of the public library, Randolph.
Dam and falls in Bethel; mill buildings are to the right.
Exposed interior structure, Howe Covered Bridge.
Orange County Court House, Chelsea.
Oddly, Chelsea has two commons separated by a rushing creek. I spotted this chicken on the bridge connecting the two commons, which of course provoked the question: why did the chicken cross the road? Data based on this chicken is null as it did not cross while I was watching.
We visited several covered bridges along this section of the White River, and this one, Moxley, had an actively used ford just below the bridge, while none of the others did. I figure it’s used by farmers and so on with large equipment.
Cilley Covered Bridge: although the bridge dates to 1883, these boards are from perhaps the last few months.
I’ll spare you any more covered bridge photos; how ’bout some ornamental, um, apples? Guessing…that’s way too dense a flowering pattern not to be an ornamental variety, and I think it’s apple, but I’m no botanist.
Wednesday, 30 April 2025
We ventured north today, crossed the state line, and kept going. We navigated mountains, had clouds dampen us, and kept going.
With the change in latitude, we traveled back in spring. Always love dogwoods…
And this rhodo sure surprised me. However, it was in a very protected spot semi surronded by reflective walls, so I figure that’s what (it seems to me) accelerated its blooming.
Monday, 28 April 2025
Watch out, new leaf! Your neighbors show how the elements can tear into you!
Friday, 25 April 2025
I’m calling this moment a slight lull in the flush of spring. The redbuds have bloomed, yet somehow have not dropped last year’s seed pods. Now, the leaves are more than half-grown, so that the visual effect is of a mix of brown-beige verticals and green-green rounded shapes.
Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Today, we toured the Etowah mounds, all six of them. That’s the largest and second largest in the distance.
Archaeology is ever-so-cool (duh)…I also enjoyed the vetch among the planted meadow flora. Bitter vetch is one of the earliest domesticated plants in the Levant. This, however, is probably common vetch…one of my favorites for the color and the delicate foliage with probing and twining tendrils.
The sacred zone aorund the mounds buts up against the Etowah River. That riffle on this side of the river is half of a weir that certainly has been built and modified in historical times, but may date back into prehistory and the era of the mounds.
Sunday, 20 April 2025
I don’t remember ever doing a night peony inspection. Turns out they fold their petals a bit, if this sample is representative.
Saturday, 19 April 2025
Just in time for tomorrow’s bunny visits, the peonies are open! [Neighbor-peonies, not in our garden, I admit.]
Thursday, 17 April 2025
The title says it all. Although momentarily I wondered if this was a tulip poplar…but, nope, it’s a maple.
