~*~Stargazing~*~

    I've seen some cool meteor showers in my life.  I can remember one about 8 years ago while I was living in Worcester. Three of my friends and I stayed up until 3 am, and we drove to Moore State Park in Paxton, MA to watch the meteor showers.  It was cold, and we bundled up and brought blankets and things to stay warm.  We wrapped up in blankets, and were treated to a beautiful shower of stars~  At times, it seemed like someone  was setting off fireworks the streaks in the sky were so vivid and seemed so close.  It was amazing and is a moment of my life I will not soon forget. 

     I remember seeing one while driving with Bobby one night, on the Mass Pike.  I don't remember where we had gone, but we were in western Massachusetts heading home, and we both witnessed one blast across one end of the sky to the other...  it filled us both with wonder, a truly magical moment that we shared!

 

     The past few times I have tried to watch a meteor shower, I have either fallen asleep, or the weather has been less than optimal.  There was one in August, and I headed outside late at night to try to catch the nighttime  show~  I saw one small star streak across the sky and then big, thick clouds rolled in and it started raining.  Last night was the beginning of the latest light show in the sky, but here where I stand it was again too cloudy to watch.

     
     Tonight after dinner, I took my son outside and we stood in the back yard and watched the stars for a few minutes, and we were both treated to some stars falling...  I am not sure who was more excited!  I really enjoyed watching the stars hand~in~hand with my son, and I hope it fills him with the same feelings of appreciation, magic, and wonder as it does me.  

     After I tucked my boy into bed, I decided to go back out...  I grabbed a camp chair and a blanket, and called to our dog to come with me.  Our property borders swamp and woods, and I decided it would be good to have the dog for company.  No sooner do I step outside, then I head a blood curdling screech that sends me scurrying back inside...  The dog is going nuts running circles around the yard, and I did not turn on the outside lights (since they would impede the view of the sky).  I stumble back in and flick the lights on and call the dog back...  and laugh as I realize what I heard was a screech owl, and has probably been scared off by the dog's running and barking, and probably the light now flooding the back yard.  Still too chicken to head right back out the door, I went out into the front yard and leaned on the car for a while~  no more stars at the moment.  Maybe when I am done typing (and finish my beer), I will go try again. 

Waseeka Wildlife Refuge

It started as a lazy rainy Saturday~  I spent the morning in bed with a book, and finally got up and made a pot of coffee.  While poking around on the computer, I noticed the rain had stopped, and I started thinking I should seize the opportunity to get some exercise and enjoy some time in nature.  I put on some heavy layers and grabbed a plastic bag for my camera~  just in case.  I left the house without an exact idea of where to go, there are so many great spots to walk around my area...  I decided to try out an Audubon sanctuary I had not really been to lately.  The last time I tried walking at Waseeka, the trails has been flooded and were too difficult to safely (and dryly) navigate. I had taken a quick walk there a few weeks later, and noticed improvements being made.  Years ago, I walked Waseeka's trails with friends almost every day.  It's a 1 mile loop around a small swampy area, with wooded spots, little bridges, benches, streams, and wildlife viewing areas.  

I park in the lot, and begin my journey, thinking of all the great walks I had with friends in the past.  We generally chose the same path to follow each time we went there, but today I decided to go in the reverse order, as it was on higher ground.  I was really enjoying the coloring of all the leaves on the path, and the quiet all around.  Birds called all over, and I appreciated their varied songs.  The path looked as it always had, until I reached an area where a small still pool used to be, with mossy rocks and a small stream, and a  bridge used to lay over the stream.  

          I was a little sad to see that the path and the pool had been so drastically altered by beavers and water damage.   It was still a beautiful spot on the trail, just different from its former beauty.  The little bridge was totally washed out~  the mossy rocks and bubbling stream gone.  Other hikers before me had dropped some logs over the gap, but it almost made it harder to get over to the other side.  If the logs had not been there I think I could have crossed it with a running jump~  I picked my way carefully across the logs, pausing at intervals to make sure I had secure footing, and that the next step would be safe as well.  I crossed the tangle of logs and branches triumphantly without incedent, feeling pretty good about staying dry through the challenge. 

       Over the next hill, the trail was pretty obscure.  I remembered a wooden boardwalk used to take us safely through a marshy area to an area with stepping stones~  my friends and I would almost dance our way through this beautiful spot with the stepping stones.  The boardwalk was all tipped over, so I took what looked like a newly forged path, picking my way over small puddles and streams.  All of a sudden, my foot hit rock~  and not just any rock, but my favorite stepping stone path.  I could barely make it out, with the leaves covering the rocks the way they were.  There was no barefoot dancing over this section of path today~ As I tested one rock to the next, a flock of birds lifted off from a near by tree, startling me and almost unsettling me from my precarious footing while negotiating the path.  I laughed it off, and continuned my walk.  Evidence of the beavers was everywhere~  they had carved into many of the trees along the path.  The trail was overgrown a bit, but easier to follow now.  

         I came to a bend in the trail, which leads up to a path following the edge of the small pond in the sanctuary.  A fog hung over the water, and I stopped to observe the still quiet beauty of this area for a moment. The reflections in the still pond were astounding!  I snapped photo after photo.  I could hear running water, and could see where the beavers had attempted to block the dam opening draining the pond into another area on the other side of the trail.  There was a foul smell there also, and I moved on a little further.  A crane or maybe a heron swooped over the pond at one point, beautiful to behold~ it was too far for me to try and determine exactly what it was, though.  Further out I could hear a animal call I was unfamiliar with, and saw some birds swimming on the other side of the pond.  I made a mental note to bring binoculars next time, so I could try and identify what I was seeing.  I attempted to zoom in using my camera, but the birds were too far out in the pond for it to be very effective.  The sun came out for a few minutes, and a warm almost tropical breeze blew over the pond.  I snapped more photos of the brilliant fall colors around the pond, and noticed large, low dark clouds rolling in over the sun now...  uh~oh.  Big fat drops of water started falling, rippling the large still pools' mirror surface.  I snap a couple more photos and deposit my camera into the plastic ziploc bag I had tucked into my pocket before I left the house.  I flipped my hood up, and walked leisurely back to the parking lot, still in no particular hurry to get out of the rain.  The warm breeze was still blowing, a rare treat after the cold days we have had as of late.  I drove to my next destination with the windows down, enjoying the warm wet day. 

After I got home tonight, I pulled up the Audubon Socitey's website and found the trails are still officially closed at this time (there was no documentation on-site regarding the trails being closed, I checked the bulletin board before I headed out on the trails).  Certain areas, like around the pond are still open, but the back area I had trouble crossing are closed.  There is information regarding scheduled improvements to be made to the trails during this fall and Spring of 2010, which I am eager to check out in the future!  

Fun in the Orchard...

     One of my favorite fall happenings which has become sort of a tradition is to visit Hyland Orchards in Strubridge, MA.  Not only is it an apple orchard where you can hop on a hayride and pick your own apples (and peaches and  pumpkins when in season), but there is also a on-site brewery where you can sample their various handcrafted beers.  The orchard also offers free music on certain days.  This Saturday featured Scott Murawski and Mark Mercier from Max Creek.  My son and I had been looking forward to this day for a while, not only does he enjoy the music as much as him mom (and his dad, too), but there is a playground and farm animals on the property also.  Not to mention, many of our friends come out for the day and bring their children also, so my son gets to spend time with many of his friends he does not always get to see regularly.

    I was happy to wake up to blue skies on the morning of the event~  rain, cold temps, and even snow had been predicted for this Saturday all week  Seeing a blue sky first thing made me bounce out of bed!  I arrived at the orchard a little before showtime, the traffic on the Mass Pike had been moderate and the ride smooth. Many of my friends had already arrived, and we greeted each other with hugs and smiles.  There was a chill in the air, but the sun was still out, and big puffy clouds in the sky.  The music started roughly on time, and sounded great.  I am not so great at remembering the setlists when I go to shows, but I know they opened with "That's what they say", it's such a warm, fun tune, and sounds great played acoustic. 

      Dancing, snapping pictures, talking to friends...  We passed around a card to be signed for one of Jeff's sisters, since her birthday is this week~  it was fun collecting signatures from so many people to make her smile. 

    I went on a hayride with my son and a friend of mine and her son, which I had been looking forward to~  often times it's the simple things that stand out!  I don't get to spend much "down" time with my son, as he spends the weekends with his dad~  so when I get a few minutes of fun time with him, I try to really appreciate what's going on and enjoy the moment.  Shortly after the hayride, I went into the Hyland building to grab a bag of animal feed, talk with friends, warm up for a minute, and peek at their T-shirts...  I handed the bag of animal feed to my son, who ran up the hill with his friend to feed the goats and llamas.  Just before setbreak, Mark sang Happy birthday to two of the children who had birthdays~Riley & Garrett.  We had cake also (provided by my friend Jon), which was delicious as always.  My son polished off a huge piece of cake and went right back out to play and run.  Perfect! 

     More great music for the second set, highlights for me were Lawyers, Guns, & Money, and Love Makes You Lose Your Mind.  The set passed so quickly, and I was a little sad when it was time to go~  We are so lucky to have days like this to spend with friends and form new friendships, have a beer, enjoy great music, dance, and build great memories until we can all come together for more fun in the future.  I always have a great time at the orchard, can't wait for the next one. 

  To learn more about Hyland Orchards, plan an apple picking trip or to view their products, visit http://hylandbrew.com/

Quabbin Ponderings...

So, I have not written here in a while, one reason being a friend of mine, Nikki, has passed away, and while this was very much on my mind, it didn't seem quite the appropriate forum to share in my musings about her passing here.  
     Many of us who knew Nikki befriended her while going out to see live music~  mainly at Max Creek shows.  We all come together in one place or another, from near and far, and end up at the same place to share in great music and amazing experiences...  So many of my most cherished friends have been made in this way, we often say we have two families~  our biological families, and our "Creek" family~  we have all grown so close over the years of connecting and befriending in this way, and it is a beautiful thing. 

    Sheri, Another friend of mine offered to organize a hike at a place where Nikki had taken her hiking.  27 of us met on this past sunny Saturday at the Visitor's Center of Windsor Dam at the Quabbin Reservoir in Belchertown, MA.  We chatted on the common near the parking area and waited for everyone to gather, and set off across the dam.  It was windy on top of the dam, but the view was breathtaking!  The water was slightly choppy from the wind whipping across the huge expanse of water.  Our group dispersed into smaller clusters of twos and threes, and we all chatted amiably as we crossed the dam.  Memories of Nikki were remembered and shared as we walked, and enjoyed the beauty of the place we were in.  At the end of the dam there was a small slope downhill, then a bridge that crossed to a road you can take to a lookout at the top of a rather large hill, which was our final destination.  We stopped on the bridge, and admired the rocky formations below, where water is usually running over the outcrops below.  Amy, one of my fellow hikers, observed the crystal clear reflections of the clouds from above on the still puddles down below in the ravine~  a beautiful sight indeed.  

        We continued along the road up the incline, and stopped at a vista of the reservoir from a little cove, where we snapped group photos and rested our legs for a moment...  our numbers dwindled slightly at this point, as a steep incline was coming (and one member of our group had been asked to please bring their dog back out of the reservoir area also).  The rest of us continued traveling upwards.  A large stand of tall pines lined the incline to one side of the road, and the other overlooked the reservoir with a thick stand of trees in between the road and the water. 

        Our next stop was at another overlook of the reservoir with a grassy knoll where we shared refreshments and laughs.  An apple tree that was probably planted at the turn of the century caught my eye, it was still bearing ripening fruit after all these years.  Memorials commemorating the man who helped engineer the huge undertaking that became Quabbin Reservoir stood on this landing, which were interesting to view.  

       Up the incline we went, and followed the slightly winding road up to the lookout tower at the top~  it was pretty windy at the top, but the view was astounding.  The tower was open, so some of us went up the many stairs to check out the view from this pinnacle, and we were not disappointed!  Mother Nature has been very busy with her palette the past few weeks, and the autumn colors we had been enjoying all day could be seen from a whole different angle from this tower~  One of the hikers pointed out Mount Monadnock to me, which stood with its peak hidden in the faraway clouds.  An island stood out in the middle of the reservoir, still retaining it's summer green coloring.  on the other side of the tower, the sun shone brightly in one area on the water, while the clouds covered the rest...  I tried to capture as many shots as I could with my camera, it was a bit of a challenge since other visitors before us had carved or written on the plexiglass window panes, which obsured my camera's eye somewhat~  My friend Jay offered me a look through one of the coin-op binoculars that are stationed in the lookout tower, I checked out the green hulking island from yet another perspective, I just kept seeing more and more beauty in the view the more I looked. 

    We headed back down from the tower and re-joined the rest of our group, preparing for the trek back down the hill.  I ended up walking with Jay and Shaun, we took pictures and tried to tell as many tree-related jokes as we could think of~  it was good to talk with friends I rarely get to see, and share good moments and so many laughs.  We ended up being the slowpokes of the group, stopping to compose photos and enjoy the beauty of the area.  We caught up with the group as we approached the bottom of the hill, and paused on the arch bridge to enjoy the view one more time, before we crossed back over the Winsor Dam back to the parking area.  My feet were killing me by now, and my legs like jelly, but it was worth it.  I love pushing myself to take longer walks and try new things, and it's all the more enjoyable with such great company around me on a beautiful day.  

Wire Wrapping

Tonight I was going to stay off the computer... but here I am after all! I love using the computer to connect with others, but sometimes I wonder where the time went! So I have all my jewelry supplies laid out, and decided to do some wire wrapping. I recently purchased some lovely quartz crystals from a fellow seller on etsy (No Stone Left Unturned)... I was very pleased with the products I received, as well as the fast shipping, and presentation of the items upon arrival. 

     I did get one wrap done, and am happy with the results.  I had not done any crystal wrapping before this month in quite a while.  It is feeling good to step back into this form of creation.  I like to keep the wraps I design simple with clean lines, to show off the beauty of the stone which is really the feature of the piece.  It is a great feeling when a piece turns out they way you pictured it, or even exceeds your expectations! 

     I work exclusively in silver right now, out of personal preference, and use mostly clear quartz points.  Check my etsy shop in the near future,I am excited to be offering some of my sterling & quartz wrapping very soon.

Solitary Saturdays

     I am in the process of learning to enjoy time on my own more and more~  My son has been going to visit his dad on the weekends, leaving me with much free time.  At first I was a bit overwhelmed, suddenly I had all this time to fill with whatever I wanted...  I was not used to taking time out and doing things on my own...  I am enjoying the activities that have come up to fill this time.  Since I have started having these weekends free, I have started a Etsy shop where I have my handmade jewelry for sale, taken on a wedding dress project for a friend, and taken long, rambling afternoon walks through the woods.        My creative processes have been kicked into high gear as a result of this free time...  I am loving all the ideas that have sprouted up!  Today I had a lazy morning, when the sun is shining it's harder to stay in bed~  the gray sky made me want to relax a bit~  After coffee and delicious egg breakfast, I worked on the wedding dress project again for a couple ours, and decided to take a hike.  

      I have been trying to find new local hiking spots to explore, so today I went to Broadmoor Wildlife Refuge.  I have only been there once before, and decided to explore more of the trails I have not traversed yet.  I did not really expect other people to be out today, because of the gray drizzle overhead, but a few cars were in the lot when I arrived.  I set off down the "All Persons Trail" which is a large boardwalk over a pond, which is handicap accessible (hence the name All person's Trail).  There are a couple of benches built right into the boardwalk so on nice days, you can sit and watch over the pond and marshlands for wildlife.  Waterlilies and frogs abound along this boardwalk and a solitary duck cut a trail through the green algae and duckweed that rests on the top of the water.  

     The next leg of my journey lead to a pine needle covered path along the edge of the water, the Marsh Trail.  This trail is one of my favorites, because of the view of the open water, and the network of trails and bridges used to navigate the expanse, then on the opposite side of the water, another stretch of pines and ferns awaits.  The trail takes me down to another bridge, and I hear the sound of falling water~ Some small waterfalls create a beautiful,  pictureseque scene that makes me pause and admire every time...  Rock walls created in years past allow water to pass through the cracks, down under the bath and into a stream on the other side.  As I am admiring and exploring, I notice a beaver dam tucked away a little further on~  I take a few photos but move on so as not to disturb the animals of they are nearby.  Now I turn on to the Boundary trail, which follows the other side of the marshlands and water.  

      As I get to the farthest point on the Boundary trail, the rain starts falling hard~  and caught me without a poncho or umbrella.  Oops.  I tuck my camera away under my sweatshirt, which really is a shame because I saw so many things I wanted to take pictures of.  I was planning on trying the Charles River Loop today, which branches off the Boundary trail, but change my plan due to the weather.  During the nice weather, I bet there are butterflies galore in that area.  There is a small field in front of Wildlife Pond, full of Milkweed stalks and wildflowers, perfect place to watch for butterflies and other insects.  I continue on the Boundary trail and move on toward the Wildlife Pond trail~  The cattails were exploding into damp fuzz and had grown so high I couln't see much of the pond.  All I could think was it was a perfect place to look for deer~  if I was a deer I'd live near that pond.  The Wildlife Pond Trail brings me around to Mill Pond, which is a just a short jaunt back to Marsh Trail, under the pines and over the bridges back to the Nature Center and Parking Lot.  
    As much as I enjoy my busy days with my son, I love the time I spend thinking in solitude, working on my creative projects, or observing nature and drinking in the beauty in the world around me.  These days of solitude help me to appreciate accomplishing tasks on my own, and the rich rewards that come from my time alone.  

How I spent my Labor Day Weekend...

So I took a trip out to the Eastover resort in Lenox, MA over Labor Day weekend.   I had been waiting all summer for this trip, and my experience at the resort far exceeded my expectations! I cannot say enough about what a wonderful place the Eastover resort is.  
     I felt welcome the minute I set foot on the grounds, the scenery was beautiful, and there is so much to do and see in the area. I had planned on taking day hikes, and catching the bands playing at the resort that weekend at night, but I never even left the grounds. Max Creek played great sets all three nights, as well as Flipper Dave, Caravan of Thieves, Reverend Tor Band, Domino Theory with Scott Murawski... I think I am forgetting something but there was just so much wonderful music!  Flipper Dave played on the lawn in the afternoon on Saturday, their lyrics are so fun.  Rev Tor did a solo acoustic set on the lawn in the afternoon on Sunday with Mark Mericer, and then played in the Tally Ho venue down the hill after dinner.  Caravan of Thieves played before Max Creek on Saturday, and Domino Thery with Scott M. played after Creek, which was just such a treat!  
     After all that dancing and late night-into-early morning fun, my feet were killing me. All of the music was excellent, all the bands played well, and having three Max Creek shows in three days was such a special experience. 

     The food was great, I loved going to eat a meal and seeing so many familiar, friendly faces at all the indoor and ourdoor tables. In the afternoon there was music outside, where the picnic tables were set up, and many music fans gathered to enjoy the sounds that were offered. I had brought my bead box with me, and ended up making some really nice pieces while listening to the music. 

     The weather was absolutely perfect, sunshine with little to no humidity, chilly at night with a big beautiful full moon sailing through the skies overhead ~ Watching the sun and moon rise and set over the mountains was entertainment for me, in and of itself!  I immensely enjoyed lounging by the pool one morning, relaxing and basking in the company of friends out in the sunshine, then heading to the sauna...  

     What a treat, to get away from my usual routine for a few days and spend those free moments in the company of friends, and also making new friends in the process.  Eastover also offered horseback riding and massages, both which I should have taken advantage of, but ran out of time!  They also have a driving range,  a (tiny) mini golf course, and there are bison on the property.  

    I feel extremely lucky that I was able to go to this special retreat and spend time in the company of such wonderful people and excellent music with such beautiful weather.  I turned in my key rather reluctantly on Monday, and headed back to Eastern Mass towards home.  Best.... Weekend.... EVER.