Scenes from Summer

It was not that long ago that many adventures were had - away, on new turf - exploring bits of beauty in Nature. New York City living offers many gifts, but the "Nature" score is always a bit low. So on trips this summer, I took in boulders, ponds, forests, farms, and the quieting beauty that nature so easily provides.

Blueberry Island - White Mountain National Forest, NH

  

An incredibly large and equally still pond. Frolic and a rowboat trip with friends who showed us the way, to a tiny island inhabited by countless wild blueberry bushes. We brought back almost as much as we stuffed into our mouths. Sweet, tart, out-of-this world flavor. If I had access to a kitchen during this part of the trip, there would have been crostadas for everyone. Alas - fresh, unadulterated, and amazing would have to do...

Diana's Baths, NH

Six-tenths of a mile's walk into the forest. The sight of moss covered rocks, fir trees, and pine needle strewn-soft earth everywhere. A clearing, and then, the soft roar of water. Smooth granite sculpted by all this rushing water, huge stones-turned-incredible-sculptures made for great jungle-gym adventures. Lots of children agreed this was the best way to spend an afternoon. People played on multiple levels throughout the falls, enjoying the refreshing cool of the water, and the smooth stone underfoot.

 World Fellowship Center Gardens - NH

It was a damp, on-again off-again rainy day. It was also my birthday, and I wanted to see where the bohemian retreat space that hosted us sourced its bounty of fresh greens and vegetables. Farmer Andy happily had us along to harvest, and trudging on moist earth, we visited three garden spaces. Modest, beautiful, happy gardens. In the mix of flowers, beans, salad greens, squash, and potatoes, we chased young chickens who, though outnumbered, were incredibly fast and resourceful, and ran off into the brush. They too wanted another day in the wet wilderness.

Look soon for part two in this adventure. 

There are so many photographs to share. It makes sense to simply finish up now and parcel these out, whetting your appetites for what is to come next...  ;)