Last evening I took a walk through our forest. The last rays of sunlight were still penetrating the forest canopy, at least for just a minute or two. Click on the image for a larger view.
Category Archives: Our Forest
Pioneers
We have a line our young beach and birch trees that are pioneering our field. When we first moved to Maine, our field had been kept cut. We stopped that practice. One benefit was the blackberry briers that sprouted. The other was to watch the forest reclaim the land. This image was taken in the near infrared, which gives the foliage its radiant appearance. Click on the image for a larger view.
Summer 2017
This is the forest at the edge of our field in the near infrared. Here are the same trees in May in natural light. Click on the image for a larger view.
Blue Spruce—Edible Plants
Blue spruce, picea pungens, is native to the Rocky Mountains, but can be found as ornamental trees throughout the United States. The young shoots can be used to make tea high in vitamin C. This bitter, resinous drink is surprisingly refreshing, although it is not uncommon for people to add a sweetener. Click on the image for a larger view.
Earth’s Endless Effort
Trees are Earth’s endless effort to speak to the listening heaven.
—Rabindranath Tagore
The Green of Spring
New foliage is so vibrant. Our forest practically glows with the yellow-green of new leaves. Our landscape was so different at the beginning of May. These last two weeks have almost made the grey winter seem like a distant memory. Click on the image for a larger view.
Spring Ablaze
This weekend was beautiful. The spring foliage is almost complete. Fern carpets our forest floor. When viewed in near infrared, this new world is incandescent. Click on the image for a larger view.
New Neighbors
I went out to our field last night to see the sunset. To my surprise, two beautiful horses trotted up to me, apparently looking for something to eat. They soon lost interest when they realized I had no food. Click on the image for a larger view.
A Spring Wind
A cold front moved our unseasonably hot weather out of Maine. Friday was a pleasant 70°F with a dry air and a strong breeze. This wind enwraps and enraptures us, as if the spirit of spring is inviting us to laugh and dance with the trees. Click on the image for a larger view.
An Explosion of Green
Our forest has transformed. The top image was taken on May 12th. The middle image was taken on May 15th. On that day, the temperatures reached 70°F. Today was even warmer. That is the last picture. The blue sky is being hidden behind a canopy of green. Click on the image for a larger view.
