Clear Pond - Part 3

The dogs and I were exploring the shoreline of Clear Pond, a lovely Adirondack gem in the White Hill Wild Forest (see also Parts 1 and 2, posted previously). We got back to where we'd begun but then continued walking to see a bit more shoreline. We could see our parked car from this spot:

Woo-hoo!, more water. You may have noticed a dearth of Seamus photos. He was with us, but much slowed down by his age and weak hips. I want him to continue enjoying our adventures for as long as he can, and he certainly enjoyed this excursion:

We were now at the narrow end of Clear Pond, the place where people sometimes camp, but we had the whole 15,000 acres to ourselves. The dogs had a grand time:

But it was about time to go home, so we began walking back toward our car:

By this time, Seamus seemed to be doing just fine and even walked ahead of me for awhile:

And all the dogs continued to explore and sniff:

I stopped at a patch of blue flowers, which I identified as Common Speedwell:

When we got to the spillway, Daphne couldn't resist getting wet and muddy before hopping back up into the car. But with that big smile on her face, how could I complain?:

All five dogs got in the car and we began our journey home:

 But I saw a dramatic flash of purple along the side of the road and turned around to go back and investigate. There were several patches of purple Columbine:

Just as with the pink Columbine we'd seen earlier, I figured this must have been an escapee from someone's garden although there was deep forest on both sides of the road and no houses in sight:

But the flowers were numerous, dramatic and lovely - so I took pictures before getting back into the car to finish the drive home:

Clear Pond - Part 1

I woke up one morning in a rotten mood and pouted for several hours until it dawned on me that I hadn't had the dogs out to the forest in quite awhile. I knew it would be a cure for my foul mood and the dogs would be ecstatic. So I put them in the car and drove 17 miles to the Adirondacks' lovely White Hill Wild Forest. I let the dogs out of the car and Jack, Fergus and Daphne led the way down the trail:

We'd just gotten started when I came across a clump of Pink Columbine. Wild Columbine is red, so I figured these must be leftover from when a Boy Scout camp was located here:

I'd noticed Lilacs still blooming along the road to this destination, so I already knew the area had an even later spring than where I lived, only 17 miles away. Still, I was shocked to see Canada Mayflower in bloom. But when I got home, I checked my field guide and decided that these were Three-Leaved False Solomon's-Seal, a related but later blooming species:

And there were lots of Bunchberry plants, a sort of miniature Dogwood, in bloom:

We arrived at the shore of Clear Pond in short order and Seamus waded in without hesitation. Daphne rushed to join him there:

Daphne and Jack tested the water:

And Daphne decided she liked it:

Clear Pond is a wild but accessible Adirondack gem. We had the entire White Hill Wild Forest to ourselves and, according to the register book, only one other person had been there in the last several days:

This Pink Ladyslipper surprised me because it was long past its normal bloom time. It was already faded and shriveled, though, so it was almost spent:

Brilliantly orange and yellow flowers were immediately identifiable as Orange Hawkweed, and the white flowers behind it were more Bunchberry (and one Oxeye Daisy):

We returned to the trail through the forest but took the next side trail to the water's edge, where Daphne again showed what a water dog she is. There was yet much more to see here, though, and I'll post Part 2 tomorrow:

Summer Flowers Around The Farm

This has been my first full time summer at the farm. I've learned that there is much more work to be done than I'd ever imagined, but also that the beauty of summertime is infinitely more lovely. These Iris began their display very early in the summer:

And not too long after the Iris, these pink Columbines, no doubt ancestors of the former owner's plants, emerged:

And this, my one and only Bleeding Heart, had been one of the first to bloom. It continued blooming through mid-summer:

The wild Blue-Eyed Grass added color everywhere it could grow without being mowed. It's always been a favorite of mine, reminding me of my childhood. I still remember my mother looking it up in a Golden Book Guide To Wildflowers and teaching us about it:

And one of the most spectacular of all, the Mock Orange. Did you notice the Canadian Swallowtail sipping nectar in the center of the photo?:

Here's a close-up ob both the Swallowtail and the Mock Orange blossoms:

And this Rugosa Rose, mowed over for many years and overpowered by a large maple tree, has now bloomed profusely, filling the entire yard with a sweet, old-fashioned aroma. That white flower behind it was the first Peony of the summer to bloom. There were many, many more to follow:

Here's a close-up of some Rugosa Rose buds, just about to pop:

And the trees: My several Mountain Ash bloomed this year for the first time:

Everything was filled with old fashioned aromas and beauty:

And out in the hay fields were Buttercups and Ragged Robins:

Cow Vetch and Buttercups and Fragrant Bedstraw abounded. Two brothers, who farm together nearby, will be cutting and baling my hay this year. They'll split it with me and agreed to wait until July to mow in order to save the nesting birds. I'm pretty sure I saw an Eastern Meadowlark in the north hay field. Of course the incredible amount of rain we've had all through June and into early July has prevented haying until this week anyway. As of today, my fields are still uncut:

Farm Photos From The Memorial Day Weekend

I returned home from hiking the Wolf Lake Loop Trail and got the dogs comfortable. Then I took my camera and walked out to the south hay field to see what was blooming. Mostly I had lots of Buttercups and Ragged Robin, though there was some Cow Vetch and other flowers scattered throughout. The yellow and pink made for a nice picture:

A bumblebee collected nectar from Ragged Robin flowers, and the whole scene was pleasant and calming:

My newly sided barn was looking good nearby:

I walked to the gardens around the house and was surprised to find a pink Columbine in bloom. I knew the former owners had grown them because I'd found a tin of home grown seeds in the kitchen. But I've never seen one growing on the property until now. I was happy to see it:

And the Mock Orange, which had previously been chopped down to the ground, was rebounding nicely and just coming into bloom:

The Bleeding Hearts were blooming beside the pond and the strawberries had already formed, looking like they were going to be tasty:

Inside my farm apartment, the dogs all snoozed comfortably:

Clover, Daphne and Fergus hopped right up on the bed but the other dogs used the floor pillows:

Just out the side door, purple and yellow Iris was blooming:

And they were quite lovely:

These pale yellow Iris looked good next to the weather beaten old beams used as edging:

Old fashioned Spirea was blooming in front of the house. Yes, everything was feeling comfortable, healthy and welcoming. But I'd have to leave for home the next morning so it was all just a visit for me. Some day I'll retire and live there permanently:

Bennett Hill, Part 3

The dogs and I were now atop Bennett Hill. It's a flat topped hill with many pines and occasional views off into the valley below. Fergus and Daphne, still muddy from playing along the trail, were at this point enjoying the pine scented trails carpeted in needles:

I began to encounter these white flower clusters and had no idea what they were. I'd heard the name "Foam Flower" and suspected these might be them as they certainly looked foamy. But I looked it up when I got home and learned that they are Three-Leafed False Solomon's-Seal, Smilacina trifolia:

The trail hadn't been arduous enough to slow the dogs down much, and they were full of energy:

I was hopeful of finding a really good scenic overlook. So when I saw this tree on the edge of the hilltop with its horizontal limb I hurried over there. I'd intended to climb out onto it for a good view and if I'd been younger or had someone to help me in the event of a mishap, I might have done it. But at my age, and all alone, I decided it'd be wise to keep my feet on the ground and watch for scenic overlooks elsewhere:

Seamus was not only peppy, but perhaps overly so as he got numerous reprimands. We had no repeat of his "too tired to go any farther" performance on the Taconic Crest Trail recently. Or, given that I was sick and feverish, perhaps I was a bit crabby. Nothing deterred Seamus from having a grand time. That's why dogs are such marvelous company:

Daphne and Fergus rounded a bend as the hill began a slight incline:

At last, I found a scenic overlook where the farm fields we'd passed on the way up stretched out in the valley below. Seeing it all through the fragrant pines added to the experience:

Bennett Hill is a steep sided, flat topped hump and you can get an idea of its structure in this photo. The flat top is rather extensive and has many unique plants that are not found on its hillsides:

I arrived at this plant, an old friend I remembered well from previous hikes here. It's the only high-bush blueberry I've ever seen in the wild. Furthermore, it was in full bloom:

Here's a close-up of its bell flowers. They're a bit less waxy and a bit more open than the blossoms of the much more common low-bush blueberries. They were also growing all over the hilltop, but apparently their blooming season had passed:

And right next to the high-bush blueberry was this wild rose. I found it more difficult to identify it precisely, but finally decided that it is a Pasture Rose, Rosa carolina. Finding a wild rose is always a happy experience for me:

And, of course, there were strawberries. But once again, there were different species and I had to figure out which one it was. I decided it was Common Strawberry, Fragaria virginiana. Alas, I had still not seen any Pink Lady's-Slippers:

I arrived at perhaps the best scenic overlook of all. I believe that in the past, perhaps when the leaves were off the trees, I've been able to see the tall buildings of Albany from this spot. The hillside was exceedingly sandy and steep right here, but little Daphne explored down there anyway:

And while she explored, Daphne called my attention to these Columbines in bloom, Aquilegia canadensis:

I climbed down the steep bank to get a photo and all three dogs tried to join me. They're so much "help:"

And I took this video of the scenery from this vantage point and it was while shooting that I discovered the wild Columbines. Well, Daphne actually discovered them for me: