Old & New

 

In just a couple of weeks, Kevin & I will be moving from our little cabin in the woods to another log home not too very far away.  Our new home backs up to parkland. It will continue to offer a bounty of natural beauty like the woodlands have here.  Moving is always a bit hard for me, as I grow very attached to home and sense of place, but I am also so excited with our new opportunities to grow and to learn to love a new place.  Our new home has a loft with skylights which will be an ideal place to paint. Once we're settled, I plan to get back to doing some of my larger artwork compositions.

 

While I still had a few quiet moments before our move really starts to get underway, I enjoyed creating a few more of my ACEOs ... and I look forward to keeping up with a favorite old activity in our new home, too ... so there will be many more paintings to come :)

 

 

Last Day of September

 

We're having picture perfect days ~ crisp and cool in the mornings and warm in the afternoons.  Most of the leaves on our trees are still green, but fall is in the air and the colors are gradually starting to turn.  The year seems to be going by so quickly with summer fun now a memory.

 

 

The Virginia Creeper is already brightening in color, portending what will surround us soon.

 

 

September is the month for our stick bug visitors.  I found this one on the side of the rock we keep on top of the trash can filled with birdseed.  The rock is there to keep the squirrels out and it provides the perfect perch!  Almost every morning the past few days we've discovered stick bugs clinging to the screen doors, too.  By next month our visitors will be on their way.

 

 

With the trees overhead reflected in the pond water, it looks like the fish are swimming through the trees :)  Our fish family increased by about 8 this past summer.  "Big Momma," the large white and orange fish in the center of the picture, produces young year after year.  She has beautiful babies, too, bright and vibrant!

 

Happy October Eve!!! 







Bridging the Gap

 

After we returned from an errand run today, Kevin and I were surprised to find this lovely, ethereal luna moth resting amongst the grape vines growing alongside the cabin.  We don't see these big pale green moths very often.  They are so enchanting!  Being creatures of the night, it's uncommon to come across moths in plain sight during the daytime.  The luna moth bridges the light of day and the dark of night.

 

 

The very vine where the luna moth is resting creates another bridge from the cabin to the oak tree about 20 feet away that houses our bird feeder.  Each year for three years now, the vine slowly crept along a wire support. It stretches the whole way now, bridging the gap from cabin to tree, creating a lush emerald green archway all the way across.

 

 

Summertime Beauty

 

It's said that we are in the "dog days" of summer, but here at the cabin it's the "fawn days."  This morning, we spotted a pair of the speckled beauties munching on the greenery in our back woods.  Fawns are such sweet and gentle creatures, totally unaware of their beauty and the awe they inspire.  We always feel so fortunate to see these precious woodland denizens!

 

Last week, we discovered a deer we named "Limpy," due to an injured front leg that makes her hobble on her remaining three healthy limbs, had not only survived through winter and spring, but was going strong in summer with a fawn of her own.  Limpy is a devoted Mom and lovingly dotes on her sweet baby who sticks by her side.  After browsing, the two of them bedded down together in a large fern bed that spreads behind our goldfish pond.  It was remarkable to see how healthy Limpy is and how happy she was with her fawn in tow. 

 

The rains have been plentiful this season, and the summertime flowers are thriving.  My wildflower garden is bursting with the color of black eyed susans and coneflowers, and the butterflies, bees, and flies are enjoying the bounty of nectar they provide.  We also get multiple daily visits from the jewel toned ruby throated hummingbirds that frequent their special feeder of sugar water ... so many sweet tooths!  We're relishing our special summertime visitors and enjoying the beauty they bring to the world around us.



MA & ME

 

Last week Kevin and I traveled up to Boston to visit Desirae and see her new apartment.  We had a great visit with our daughter and enjoyed touring the sights in and around "Southie" where she lives.  Our visit included a walk around the beach at Castle Island and lunch at "Sullivans" a Boston favorite, a trip to see the U.S.S Constitution, and an excursion to Cambridge, MA where we toured Harvard University and went to Harvard's Museum of Natural History.  Our visit went much too fast, but we had so much fun enjoying Desirae's company and seeing the sights.

 

K & D in front of Boston Harbor
 

U.S.S. Constitution with Boston Skyline Behind the Ship





Desirae poses in front of hummingbird display at Harvard's Museum of Natural History
 



John Harvard



From Boston, MA, we traveled to Bar Harbor, ME and Acadia National Park, a place of remarkable natural beauty with it's rugged, rocky seacoasts, dense forests, and many small lakes.  At one stop in the park, we sampled wild Maine blueberries right off the bush.  The berries were tasty and pretty, too!  On our last evening in ME, we were treated to a brilliant sunset in fluorescent purple, orange, and pink hues while onboard a sailboat that took us around Bar Harbor ~ a lovely way to close a wonderful summer vacation!




Acadia's Rugged Coastline





Wild Maine Blueberries

Farewell Sunset in Bar Harbor

 



 

Summer Visit

 

During her most recent visit with us, my daughter and I paid a visit to Cunningham Falls State Park.  On the pathway leading to the falls, we passed alongside large greenstone (metabasalt) formations which are among the oldest rocks on the face of the earth.  These boulder sized rocks are covered with lichen and moss.  We also came across a five lined skink with a bright blue tail basking on an old stump ... this has definitely been the season of the skink :)

 

My daughter and I both enjoyed taking photographs to remember the day.  It was so hot and muggy that it almost felt like being in a rain forest.   As we hiked, we passed groups of summer camp kids along the trails. They were bursting with energy but their counselors looked really tuckered out!

 

 

The last photograph gives you a glimpse of the falls through the trees.  To get an idea of how tall the falls and rock formation is, take a look at the upper right hand corner of the photo to see a couple of brave souls who climbed the rocks part way up to the top.



 

Super Moon

Super Moon View Through the Trees