Message from the Mountain

While gazing at the sky, I saw a cloud sandwich, two long white clouds with a filling of blue. Some people might be reminded of eating and think of their favorite sandwiches while other might wonder …

We have not had a frost in the foothills yet, and the growing season for some flowers, both domestic and wild, as well as some types of mushrooms, continues, creating great working temperatures as we…

The leaves are just about at full color as the season progresses. The stores are already decorated for Christmas, and in the winter, they will be filled with summer clothes. If we spend all our time …

I often look to Nature to give me signs from the Cosmos that I am on the right track. We finally have begun doing long overdue trail improvement on the mountain and my wife has been working with hand…

Now that the goldenrod has gone to seed, I can see a patch of milkweed in the Lupine Field getting ready to release their own seeds to spread the nourishment next year for wildlife and for the eyes o…

It has been over a year since I have been able to do much work on the trails and several are overgrown, so my wife started out with hand clippers to open one of them up again. Each day she clears awa…

Finally, the wait for fall color is over, and each day, the landscape is changing here in the foothills. Now is the time to pause and take in Nature’s spectacle. We often wait in life for miracles to…

This summer and fall we have been subject to a constant smoky haze caused by western Canadian wildfires. It has impacted our beautiful views of the White Mountains and has been an allergy irritant fo…

The fishermen returned from the sea with their catches and came ashore in their dinghies, tying them up, side by side, ready for the next day. It reminded me of how, after a busy day, we can pause to…

I have taken many pictures over the years that I think would make great puzzles, including rocks on the shore of the ocean. Life is full of puzzles, from board games to crime investigations, to tryin…

The fall foliage is right on schedule as we reach the first day of October. It is time to put worries aside as to whether the leaves will be as beautiful as years past and enjoy the splendor of the p…

As the last day of September arrives, it is a good time to take in the beauty that still remains from summer as we prepare to take in the beauty of autumn. It is a wonderful time to reflect on everyt…

Small bright red berries with shiny green  leaves caught my eye as I walked along the trail. My mind instantly flashed back to my early childhood when my mother would make me checkerberry tea, a mixt…

At first glance we thought there was a small set of false teeth resting in the grass at the top of the Lupine Field. I wondered if they belonged to an older fairy. It was actually a mushroom, but it …

The tops of the white pine trees are loaded with pinecones that will soon cover the landscape with seeds, and some of their seeds will take root to grow the next generation. When we cast the seeds of…

Over the years I have accidentally planted invasive vines on the property, including bittersweet. My intention was for something beautiful, but they took over and choked out other beautiful growth. S…

As I walked along the edge of the Lupine Field looking for something to photograph, I found a pleasant surprise. It was a lupine flower in bloom almost three months late, after the rest went to seed.…

Our pear tree is dropping its fruit, covering the ground with succulent treats for the wildlife. The pears are the small variety, better for pickling than eating, so we really aren’t missing anything…

This is the time of year when most of the wildflowers have gone to seed, but their beauty continues on, thanks to Nature’s grand design. Older people, often overlooked by younger generations, are ful…

The first day of fall is a point in the year that people either look forward to or dread. This year the foliage seems to be developing slowly as the temperature is still above average. It is a time w…