Leaf litter seems a rather undignified term. Perhaps it is our frustration of having to empty the gutters around the house and rake the lawn this time of year. But it really does not give respect to an amazingly efficient way the forest recycles what it creates. And what I find equally amazing is that in that forest refuse there are signs of life ignoring the signals of the approaching winter. Juniper haircap moss, Polytrichum juniperinum, can be seen poking through the dried leaves on our forest floor when most of the other flora that was so bountiful during the spring and summer have disappeared. Click on the image for a larger view.
Category Archives: Our Forest
Fire
Our forest is passing peak color—leaves are predominantly red or brown and more have fallen than remain. Yesterday was a mix of strong winds and blue skies. Click on the image for a larger view.
Phantom in the Woods
Last Friday, when Naomi and I were going out, I took our dog Hikari outside to put her into the car. On the other side of the driveway, just inside the woods, I heard something walking. I thought it was the neighbor’s cat or dog. I walked to the edge of the woods to shoo it way. But in the twilight, I could not see anything, certainly not a domestic animal. I could hear where it was, but it was completely invisible. Continue reading
The Fall
With the riot of fall color, comes a melancholy. The vitality of life that burst forth in summer seems to have burnt itself out. The fern that erupted from our forest floor in May, fades back into the soil. Click on the image for a larger view.
Late Summer Fern
Our fern are coming to the end of their season. Their fronds are taking on a dull green and are marked by the insect damage incurred over the summer—they looked very different in the spring. But when the sun pierces the forest canopy in the late afternoon, it fills these plants with light, giving the appearance of renewed life. Click on the image for a larger view.
Living Forest
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Summer Milky Way
The summer is coming to an end in Maine. The night is drawing in earlier. Where Naomi and I would return in the warm light of a setting sun, now we enter our driveway under the stars. The summer milky way floats above our forest giving us hope for a little more of the season, but also signaling its departure. It, like the sun, will set earlier and earlier. Click on the image for a larger view.
Summer Wind Storm
Living on a ridge, our field and forest are in the path of all kinds of weather. Strong winds on sunny, dry days are invigorating. They seem to make our small hill much taller. Click on the image for a larger view.
Liquid Light
Summer is the season of liquid light—forms and edges seem to melt away. Our forest becomes a chapel dedicated to a goddess of color. Click in this image for a larger view.
Maple Seeds
One of the great joys of summer is maple seeds, those wonderful natural helicopters that children love to play with. This seed is from a silver maple, Acer saccharinum L., and is about 2.4 inches (6 cm) long. What can a tree know of aerodynamics? Click on the image for a larger view.
