Vermont summer was in full bloom…
The woods appeared dense and dark outside my studio window early Saturday morning. Ominous to my imagination. The canopy of trees shielded the daylight. The sounds that often wake me during the quietest hours roam freely in the deep forest. Remote living. Beautiful and wild…
A Saturday morning hike along the Ottauquechee River in Woodstock, VT would hopefully soften the weight of the week’s news. Nature would provide the reassurances I was wanting. Needing…
My husband, and I climbed the first half mile while viewing the river just off to our right. Crystal water pure, calm, and seemingly still. The movement was subtle. Quiet. The secrets of the sandy bottom were exposed.
An easy June breeze refreshed us as the sun warmed. Pockets of coolness rose from the wet gravel. An abandoned trailer stood upright in several feet of water. Out of place as it rested on the ochre riverbed. The road narrowed and the bank was steep. A mishap of some proportion left this rig underwater while the contents remained neatly placed. A hyper realistic image. A wood duck nobly sat on a rock nearby as if to monitor our investigation. His mate had paddled on…
We made our way along River Road and observed a chipmunk’s playfully erratic stonewall adventure. Up and down. Twirled to the left. Darted right. An impossibly small gap between the stacked fieldstones offered a safe refuge. Two thoroughbred horses’ copper in color found shade under a maple tree. Vermont summer was in full bloom…
The vegetation rich. Delicate wildflowers in shades of deep purple, lilac, white and yellow intermingled with ferns exploding from the earth. Roadside. The growing season is brief but lush. A landscape with extraordinary and complicated shades of green delighted this painter. A cobalt blue sky with piles of white fluffy clouds appeared impossibly perfect…
After five or so miles were hiked, we stopped at a local farmer’s market on our way home. A corner of the parking lot of our local ski mountain is dotted with tents and tables. Farmers. Makers. Baked breads. Fresh eggs. Friendly chatter.
“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” John Muir
