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| THE COMMON IN ASHBY, MASSACHUSETTS – THE ICONIC WHITE STEEPLED CHURCH AND A BLAZING SUGAR MAPLE. SURE, THE MOTIF ON THE LEFT WITH THE GRAVESTONES IS ALMOST TOO PERFECTLY SUITED FOR A HALLOWEEN DISPLAY, BUT IT’S REAL. |
Sometimes, New England can be a cliche. Snowmen, pine trees and sleighs at Christmastime, fields of cowslips and meadows with crocus, daffodils, bunnies and tulips in the springtime, Fourth of July parades, the Cape, red-white and blue bunting and blue hydrangeas in the summer, and then – autumn. Pumpkins, sugar maples and turkeys at Thanksgiving. We even have Pilgrims. Yes, living in New England is a bit like living in a Hallmark Card store ( if there still were Hallmark Card Stores), (…are there any? I’m not even sure anymore!).
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| THE PUMPKINS AND GOURDS WERE PLANTED LATE, BUT THE VINES STILL SUPPLIED A COUPLE OF FRUITS FOR THE DOOR STEP. |
Isn’t it funny? When you live somewhere beautiful – those destination places such as Hawaii, Aspen even New York City, it can be too easy to not appreciate the beauty of ones own backyard. So today, I share a few images of ours – or, to be more exact, a 20 mile radius from our house in central Massachusetts. This past Sunday happened to be a glorious autumn day, iconic and picturesque, I mean in a calendar-sort-of-way. Sometimes. it’s just nice to tour around the block, or the neighborhood. Risking cliche, it can be surprising what one finds.
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| ANOTHER VIEW OF THE CHURCH GRAVEYARD, SOME STONES DATE BACK TO THE 1600’s. |
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| OUR HEIRLOOM TURKEYS, TYSON, ON THE LEFT, AND SARAH-LEE, ON THE RIGHT ( ONLY KIDDING – THEY ARE BOTH BOYS!), ARE BEGINNING TO LOOK LIKE THANKSGIVING SALT AND PEPPER SHAKERS. |
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| BEECH TREES ARE THE LAST TREES TO TURN COLOR, IN THE WOODLANDS AROUND WILLARD BROOK FARM. THIS WAS THE STREAM I GREW UP PLAYING IN. IT IS STILL FULL OF BROOK TROUT AND CRYSTAL CLEAR. I IMAGINE THAT THERE IS STILL CARDINAL FLOWER GROWING HERE. |
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| IN THE GARDEN, COLOR BLAZES WITHOUT AN EARLY SNOW SUCH AS LAST YEAR, WHICH RUINED MUCH OF OUR FALL FOLIAGE DISPLAY. HERE, Forthergilla gardenii PUTS ON A BRILLIANT SHOW. |
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| OUR BEAUTY BERRY IS BEAUTIFUL. Callicarpa dichotoma IS TRULY VIOLET, IN ALMOST AN ARTIFICIAL WAY. THIS SPECIES FROM CHINA IS STILL RARELY ENCOUNTERED IN HOME GARDENS. |
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| THIS WAS A NICE SURPRISE TODAY. WE WERE UNAWARE THAT LYDIA, OUR IRISH TERRIER HAD WON THIS AWARD THIS PAST WEEKEND AT THE BANQUET OF THE IRISH TERRIER CLUB OF AMERICA. WE DIDN”T GO BECAUSE SHE IS ABOUT TO GIVE BIRTH TO A LITTER OF PUPPIES. |
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| SHE DOESN’T LOOK PREGNANT IN THIS PIC, BUT FROM THE OTHER SIDE, LIDDY BUG IS AS FAT AS A SOW. DUE THIS WEEKEND, WE ARE ANXIOUSLY AWAITING HER NEW LITTER OF HALLOWEEN PUPPIES. I THINK SHE CAN’T WAIT EITHER.
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Your beautyberry is stupendous. I used to live out east and would visit different parts of New England frequently. I can suppose it can look like a cliche, but I never got tired of it and would love to go back.
Indeed there are Hallmark Stores left. And the cards are still being produced in the line of New England autumns and Currier and Ives Christmases, as you say. It is lovely, isn't it?
My husband is from upstate New York. He misses some of it from time to time, but does not miss struggling in the snow. Still, I love going back to see family.
What lovely photos you posted today. And best of luck with the impending birth of Lydia's pups!!!
Wow! I really like those colorfull leaves of trees also the pumpkin and berries looks yummy..It was totally awesome there in england during autumn..
The beauty berries are gorgeous. We have them in abundance in the wooded areas around us. My son loves to watch the certain caterpillars that feed on them during this time of year. Thanks for all of the Autumn pics – we have a lovely fall here in the Ozarks, but it's a different show from yours up north.