Message from the Mountain

As the daylight diminishes a little each day, it creates some beautiful scenes in nature like brown ferns and birch trees. So much happens in each moment that it is hard to take it all in. Our minds …

This year the cool weather in the spring caused the bees to become active after the flowers on the apple tree had passed the time for pollination. Consequently, instead of an “apple a day” the tune i…

I am very grateful that I have a place where I can go away from the world for a little peace and quiet. I might be there for a minute or an hour. It is a place where I can connect with the invisible …

The summer dry spell has caused a lot of leaves to dry out and on my walk to the Lupine Field every step I take crunches. For many people “crunch time” means an action is needed to move forward. That…

A year ago, the Ormond Gardens at the Center received the donation of a small crab apple tree. It blossomed this spring, and now we have some small crab apples maturing. This act of kindness was an i…

Queen Anne’s Lace is also known as wild carrots because their roots and flowers have a taste like domestic carrots. That said, I have never tried them and do not recommend them. For me they provide a…

Fall is definitely in the air as we enter September. It is a season of change: foliage; shortening daylight; lowering temperatures; and thinking towards the seasons ahead. It is wise to approach our …

As the last rays of meteorological summer fade away, the weather is showing hints of fall. It is a time to review the accomplishments of the summer as we establish our fall and winter goals which kee…

There is a simple sign in the middle of the Orchard that says “love”. It is a place where people love to walk and often pause to meditate. Someone laid a pet to rest there a few years ago. It was a p…

The day started out expecting another drought plagued August, when about noon the sky opened up and we experienced a deluge of rain and pea-sized hail. It was, in this case, a delightful surprise. Wh…

The milkweed seed pods growing in the Orchard are maturing nicely. The butterflies enjoyed their blossoms, and soon the seeds for next year will be scattered about. As people age, their youthful thou…

I recently staked out the place where I plan to create a special memorial seating area behind the Center. The planning has been going on in my mind for several months and now the stakes are set to gu…

Leaving the Orchard, there appears to be a hole in the woods. It is actually a section of trail that is shaded by pine trees. My mind automatically starts to enter the hole as it reaches out to conne…

I often tell people I am always done and never finished. I like to think ahead on potential goals for the land such as creating new hiking trails, as well as personal goals for myself. Many of these …

All of a sudden, the weather felt like fall, even though summer is not over yet. The days are getting shorter and the evenings cooler. Summer will be back for a short time. In life we like to preview…

The common tansy, also known as golden buttons, is new to the garden this year and has grown to be over six feet tall. It is a big presence, and one would expect it would have big flowers, but they a…

The last lily to bloom at the Center is often called the resurrection lily. For several years it bloomed outside of the garden and was transplanted more recently in a different place. They can be fin…

I like to watch cloud formations, and as I looked up I saw a set of angel wings covering the sky with a definite portal in the middle. This was proof to me that I do not walk this earth alone and I k…

As the shadows grow longer each day with the diminishing daylight; there is that special moment before dusk when the Mountain is bathed in a warm quietness. It is easy to enter my heart and soar beyo…

The leaves on the mountainside are beginning to change color, indicating that summer is starting to transition into fall. Transitions of many kinds are with us all year long. I thank my invisible tea…