Black Friday Deals Stacked Up

November 29, 2019November 29, 2019 ~ lmachayes

Like most people, I look forward to the day after Thanksgiving, for it seems to mark the official beginning of the Christmas season and that means it’s time to get a head start on making and/or purchasing gifts for others. To that end, I decided to shop locally and support the neighborhood craftsmen and merchants.

Stepping into the first shop, I knew immediately I had to splurge on the Beaver Works for our oldest son. He loves to get away from Boston and spend time at camp, and these brand-spanking new sculptures will certainly increase the waterfront view.

In the flower shop, I couldn’t resist a hot deal on the delightfully woody structure of an Evening Primrose, the perfect gift for Joan. That being said, I’ve decided to give it to her as a birthday present since today is her day of celebration. I’ll have to keep looking for her Christmas gift.

In the same shop, I found an ornament for the Christmas tree . . . like we need more ornaments. Maybe I’ll decide to give it to Joan instead. Like she needs more ornaments.

Around the corner from the ornaments, a perfect display of milkweed seeds with their parachutes about ready to be sent off in the breeze and immediately I thought of Juli who has planted a love of and curiosity about the natural world in her four children. What fun it will be to continue to watch them grow and blossom.

The kind saleslady in the shop offered my a sweet treat that made my heart smile for it was a snack that would be heaven sent . . . to my dad. Had he been with me, he would have stood by the bowl of red berries and consumed all of them. Dad was never one to pass by a rosehip without sampling a tasty treat.

Having traffic jams and overcrowded sidewalks to contend with, I moved cautiously to the next store, hoping to avoid too much mayhem along the way.

Stepping into the antique shop, I practically stumbled over Jinny Mae’s gift . . . a piece of split granite which bespoke the local history. Even though it’s about my town and not hers, she appreciates all tales of yesterdays.

At the next shop, I decided to search the racks and find something for Mom. Like Dad’s gift, it would also have to be heaven-sent, but it’s the thought that counts. Mom was a bargain hunter extraordinaire, so I had to make sure I had a coupon for whatever item I chose.

In seconds I spied one that had her name on it . . . literally. And, of course, she was a “ten.” After all, she was MY mom. Memories of hours spent fishing in Clinton Harbor flashed through my mind and I knew this one would definitely get added to the cart.

Exiting the last store, loud sounds greeted me, so I did my best to bee-line to their source. Though I didn’t quite understand what the ski shop was up to given that there was only a wee bit of snow in a couple of aisles, I found two groomers moving the white elephant merchandise around.

No matter, because I was drawn to that location, I found the perfect gift for our youngest son–a map of the mountain where by the age of three he was leaving me in the flakes as he glided straight down. I have to admit, I couldn’t wait another month and so I sent him this gift already. But, knowing how slow the mail is between Maine and New York City, he probably won’t get it until then anyway.

All the while, my head was spinning as I tried to think of a gift for my guy. And then, right before my eyes it appeared in the causeway gift shop and I knew instantly that he would love a photo of a little camp beside a lake that would remind him of ours.

In the same shop, I spied a playset that would have to be shared by three, Marita, Beverly, and Lucia. I knew they would recognize the meaning behind it and have visions of selling Peonies for Playgrounds so many years ago to purchase this very item. They’d also be pleased to note that though its location has changed, the only update appeared to be a shiny new center slide.

I smiled with this find for them, especially when I saw that the climbing wall was still intact.

Bedecked in Christmas colors, the gift shop had so much to offer including refreshing scents.

On one wall I spied another photograph–this one intended for my Sweden friends since it was of Moose Pond looking toward Black Mountain and Old City in their town.

For Dorcas, I discovered a fun item she might include in her next tracking book: a perfect walker biped.

Leaving the island gift shop behind, I soon entered the aquatic sports store where I knew I had to buy a stream for my great nephews. I know their mothers will not approve, but their fathers certainly will. Little boys love to play in water and who doesn’t want a stream of their own. I can already hear the boys’ giggles as they’ll look for crayfish and macroinvertebrates. and launch Pooh sticks and probably splash each other and . . . and . . . and I can get away with giving them this because I am their Great(est) Auntie. It doesn’t matter that neither is yet two years old. Nor does it matter that they can also be called my grand nephews . . . that would just make me their Grand(est) Auntie.

My last stop of the day was the ice sculpture store where I found one that I knew would tickle the fancy of Faith and Sara because they like to look for images within images. When I gift them this, I’ll suggest they might see a dragonfly. Knowing those two, they’ll challenge me with the vision of at least one more species.

I’m not much of a shopper, but did feel like I made some doorbuster purchases and I can check a few people off my list with the exclusive specials I snagged as the Black Friday deals stacked up in my cart.

Now it’s time to brew a cup of tea and get to the gift wrapping.

From Peak to Shining Peak

April 17, 2016April 17, 2016 ~ lmachayes ~ 4 Comments

Maybe we’re a wee bit crazy. Maybe there’s no maybe about it. My guy and I climbed Pleasant Mountain again, only this time we took a much longer route than yesterday.

p-Bald sign

After leaving a truck at the Southwest Ridge trail, we drove around the mountain and began today’s trek via Bald Peak. It’s always a good way to get the heart beating, but then again, any of the trails up the mountain will accomplish that mission.

p-bald stream 2

One of my favorite features of this path is the voice of the stream–water rippled with laughter as it flowed over moss-covered rocks before splashing joyously below.

p-Sue's Way signs

And then we turned right onto Sue’s Way. We never knew Sue, but are thankful for this path carved in her honor.

p-Sue's snow on East

Across the ravine, snow still clung to the East slope at Shawnee Peak Ski Area.

p-Sue's porky

Oaks, beech, hemlock and yellow birch form most of the community, feeding the needs of their neighbors–including porcupines.

p-Sue's 2

We followed the trail as it embraced another stream and watched the landscape change.

p-Sue's polypody

Eventually, we were in the land of large boulders and ledges, all decorated with common polypody and moss–an enchanted forest.

p-shawnee chair

At the top of Sue’s Way, we detoured to our first peak–Shawnee Peak.

p-shawnee

Splotches of snow signified the end of a season.

p-Shawnee chair 1

The Pine chairlift silently rested, its duty accomplished until it snows again.

p-shawnee ski chair 2

And in the shack, the back of ski chair spoke of past adventures and adventurers.

p-signs by mtn

From there, we followed the North Ridge Trail to our first official peak.

p-north peak trail ice1

Despite today’s warmth, ice still reflected movement frozen in time.

p-north peak pines

North Peak has always been one of my favorite spots on this mountain. In the land of reindeer lichen, blueberries and dwarfed red pines, we ate lunch–day two also of ham and Swiss. This is becoming as much of a habit as climbing the mountain.

p-Mtn W from lunch rock

When we stood up on lunch rock, our view included the master of all New England mountains glowing in the distance.

p-north peak

In a few months, the treasures of this place will give forth fruitful offerings.

p-ridge line

With North Peak behind, our view encompassed the rest of the peaks.

p-Bald Peak, Mtn W and Kezar Pond

Continuing down and up again, we heard plenty of quaking coming from a vernal pool about one hundred feet off the trail. And then we were atop Bald Peak, where Mount Washington again showed its face, with Kezar Pond below.

p-bald peak causeway

The other side of the trail offered a photo opp of the Route 302 causeway that divides the north and middle basins of Moose Pond.

p-ft again

Our decision today was to hike the mountain in a backward fashion as compared to our normal routes, so we approached the main summit from the Firewarden’s Trail.

p-summit crowd

Once again, many others also took advantage. We did chuckle because except for one guy, of all the people we encountered, we were the oldest. The youngest–a baby in a backpack.

p-SW sign

At the junction below the main summit, we began to retrace yesterday’s footsteps on the Southwest Ridge Trail.

p-SW mayflower

The sunny exposure made this the warmest of all trails and the Trailing Arbutus prepared to make its proclamation about the arrival of spring.

p-SW Hancock

Near the teepee, I felt compelled to capture the ponds again. Another beautiful day in the neighborhood.

p-SW 2

After chatting with a family at the teepee, we began our descent. Of course, someone was mighty quicker than me.

p-SW 3

Where no trees grow on the bedrock, cairns showed the way.

p-SW mnts

Before slipping into the forest again, I was thankful for the opportunity to capture the blue hue of sky, mountains and ponds.

p-cairns final turn

We made our final turn at the three cairns and

p-SW final

followed the path down–though we did begin to think that maybe they’d moved the parking lot.

p-LELT

Over six miles and four hours later, we had Loon Echo Land Trust to thank once again for protecting so much of the mountain and maintaing the trails. We reminisced today about how our relationship began at a halloween party held at the ski area thirty years ago and the number of treks we’ve made along these trails since then. Whether hiking to the ledges or teepee, making a loop or walking peak to peak on a sunshiny day such as this–it never gets old.

Mountain Moments

November 8, 2015November 8, 2015 ~ lmachayes ~ 4 Comments

I took to The Mountain today, as we fondly refer to Pleasant Mountain ’round these parts, in search of what it might teach me.

It was chilly as I started up the Bald Peak Trail. Beside the stream, I thought about its life-giving capacity.

It wasn’t only the stream that was wet. The leaves were covered in droplets that acted as a hand lens–offering a closer look at the structure.

Sue’s Way is about .7 up Bald Peak. For all my treks up The Mountain, I’ve never tried her way. I don’t know Sue and had no idea what to expect.

It begins in a beech grove. As I continued, the beech and oak leaves were so thick that I couldn’t identify the trail, and sometimes had to pause and search for the next orange blaze. It slowed me down and made me pay attention.

Especially to things like this old beech. I knelt beside it, praying the wind wouldn’t decide this was the moment to shout timber, and realized the tree was hollow in the center. Somehow, with a minimum bit of sapwood under what’s left of the outer bark, this fella made enough food to leaf out. To keep on giving even when times are tough.

Its leaves looked a bit worse for wear, but they exist. This beech is. So am I.

The community soon changed and I followed a stream bed where water flowed below the rocks.

An enchanted valley–I was in the land of the evergreen ferns. Evergreen Wood Fern (Dryopteris intermedia)–first downward pointing pinnule on the lowest pinna is shorter than the pinnule next to it. Huh? In fern terms: a fern frond consists of the blade and stipe or stalk; a blade is the leafy part of one frond; each blade is divided into separate leaflets or pinna; and the pinna may be divided into smaller leaflets called pinnules.

I didn’t mention the rachis–that’s the stalk within the blade. So take a look at the rachis and the first set of pinnae. The one on the right is a big ragged, but on the left, you should see that the first downward-pointing pinnule is shorter than the second.

Marginal Wood Fern (Dryopteris marginalis) also flourishes here. Its margins are smooth, where as the Evergreen’s are toothed and have bristle tips.

I found some that were fertile, with their round sori located near the margin–thus the common name.

In some spots, they grow so close to each other, that they seem to be the same plant. Not so–Evergreen Wood on the left and Marginal Wood on the right. Teachable moment.

Polypody also grows abundantly, giving the rocks a green head of tussled hair.

At last I reached the next intersection and took a quick trip out to the Shawnee Peak ski slopes.

It won’t be long. I thought about my guy who raced yesterday in the Moose Pond Half Marathon, a fundraiser that benefits the Shawnee Peak Adaptive Ski Program. I’m so proud of him for finishing the race in 1:56:44, four minutes faster than his time last year, and for placing first in his age group (last year he was second). Not only that, but he raised $550 for the cause.

Back on the trail, heading along the North Ridge, I realized that the leaves made a louder crackling sound–ice. Winter will come again.

The North Ridge, with its white and red pines towering above and blueberries and sheep laurel below, has always been one of my favorite spots.

What I didn’t realize is that speckled alders and gray birches also manage to live in this neighborhood.

I was no longer following Sue’s Way, but trust she looped around the North Ridge often. My journey took me in the opposite direction than is my norm at this point, so it was fun to view the mountain ridge and see the fire tower halfway across–my destination.

Look what I found when I moved onto the Bald Peak Trail to follow the ridge line: SNOW!

And a parachute that flew in on the breeze. Perhaps this will grow into a healthy milkweed and the monarchs will find it. Hope is eternal.

At the summit, I couldn’t have asked for a crisper view of Mount Washington.

Like our mountain, Mount Washington always gives us a sense of location. But it provides more than that. Beauty and splendor. Awe and wonder.

Hiking down the Ledges Trail, I noticed the hieroglyphic work of bark beetles on one tree, and human beetles on another. I prefer the former, but this goes to show that natural and human forces constantly change what is before us.

And then I came to black knot fungus on a cherry tree. In a previous post, I identified a growth on a cherry tree as black knot and a friend corrected me. I wasn’t sure he was right, but turns out he was. What I saw previously was the casing of tent caterpillars–not black knot. Thanks to Alan S. for pointing that out. I still have a lot to learn. Thank goodness.

A glistening Beaver Pond in Denmark offered a brilliant reflection of this cool, crisp day.

As I continued to descend, I was ever mindful of the leaves beneath my feet. They weren’t so wet on this trail, but still slippery. I was wallowing in my good luck as I neared the road, when the earth reached up to grab me. A rock actually. Maybe two rocks. I landed with a thud. A young couple didn’t see me go down, but they heard me. I stood up and shook it off, though I can tell you right now exactly where my body made contact. Humbling for sure. It’s not my first fall. And I hope it won’t be my last. Not that I want to fall again, but I don’t want a fall to prevent me from hiking.

Five point two miles later I was back on Mountain Road and still had a mile and a half to walk before reaching my truck, which I’d left at the other trailhead.

No matter how often I climb The Mountain, I come away a better person for time spent enjoying moments in its presence.

Down Low, Up High

October 18, 2015October 18, 2015 ~ lmachayes ~ 4 Comments

I needed some time for quiet contemplation mid-morning, so I was thankful my guy was working for a few hours.

I knew exactly where to go to sort out my thoughts.

Along the way, I made discoveries like this–orange peel fungi (Aleuria aurantia), which prefers disturbed areas. Hmmm . . . and disturbed brains?

I found a Northern red oak leaf frozen in ice. But it won’t remain that way forever. Eventually, the ice will melt and the leaf will gradually break down, adding nutrients to the soil. It takes time. I need to remember that.

The witch hazels are in full bloom and they made me smile. Life is good after all.

Another reason to smile–moose tracks. Not the ice cream, but the real thing. Though the ice cream is mighty delicious. Our sons tease me because I mine a gallon for the big chunks of chocolate.

Home sweet home at last. My brain was cleared and I knew the path to take.

After lunch, my guy and I also chose a path. Our destination–the one and only Pleasant Mountain. We planned to leave one truck at the bottom of the Ledges Trail and the other at the Bald Peak trail head. Lots of other people also took advantage of the crisp air–a day meant for hiking.

The sign has been moved to the back of the new parking lot

where steps lead the way to the new trailhead. Thanks to Loon Echo Land Trust for all the work they and their volunteers and the AMC did to recreate this trail. My guy hadn’t been on it this year and he joined me in singing its praises.

Below Needle’s Eye, water cascades over the rocks.

Sometimes we followed the yellow brick road, I mean, yellow leafed bedrock

and found a thrift shop along the way. I only hope the owners of these jackets didn’t regret that they’d left them on the lower portion of the trail. The climb up is sweat inducing, but the wind at the summit–brrr.

I love this peek back at the causeway by Sabattus Island, where I had taken the photo of the mountain about an hour previously.

At the North Ridge intersection, mountain views opened.

The fall foliage is beginning to wan, but ever so slightly and the blueberry plants provide a colorful contrast.

One moment Moose Pond was clearly visible

and the next it was clouded by waves of flurries. Snow flurries 🙂

Step for step, I followed my guy who sported his Marine Corps Marathon jacket. It’s been a while since he’s run a marathon, but only a year since he last ran a half marathon. He’s in training again–the Moose Pond Half Marathon is in two weeks. He ran the course yesterday–13.1 miles around the pond. I’m mighty proud of this guy–he’s raising money for the marathon’s cause–the adaptive ski program at Shawnee Peak. If you are so inclined and want to support him, please stop by his store. This is only one of the numerous things he quietly does for others.

At last we reached the fire tower at the summit.

It was a wee bit windy as the flag indicates.

That didn’t stop us from pausing

to take in the view. Yes, that is snow falling from those clouds. But only flurries.

On our way down the Ledges Trail, Moose Pond again came into sight.

I was thankful for yet another opportunity to enjoy a mountain high with my guy–and overcome the low points of the day.

This may be a Sunday Mondate. Not sure what tomorrow will bring us. That’s the thing about life and nature–we never completely know everything. I like that. Lows and highs–it keeps us wondering and wandering.

This post is dedicated to my guy who will run in the Moose Pond Half Marathon on November 7 and to Major Kimberly Olmsted Jennings, USAF, who will run in the Marine Corps Marathon, The People’s Marathon, next Sunday. So proud of both of you.

Mondate with a Quest

October 12, 2015October 13, 2015 ~ lmachayes ~ 6 Comments

My guy and I set off on a quest this morning–not a long and arduous search, but a search none-the-less.

The setting for our quest–Rumford Whitecap made possible by the Mahoosuc Land Trust.

I couldn’t resist taking a selfie at the trailhead.

Though this is a popular trail during blueberry season, we never think of it until fall.

And this fall is particularly spectacular. The red maples are on fire everywhere we turn.

Our initial quest was two-fold: 1. to hike to the summit, and 2. to absorb as much color into our mind’s eye as we could. The palette will change soon ’round these parts and though we love winter, we relish the dance of color that seems to last only for a fleeting moment.

Aptly known as the red/orange trail, we ascended the mountain, ever mindful of the water on the rocks. Along the way, we recalled hikes along this same trail much later in the season, when crampons were a necessity.

Though an option presented itself, we stuck to our quest for the summit of Whitecap. We’re saving Black Mountain for another day.

As we moved out of the woods and onto the bald ledges, the tapestry revealed itself.

Splashes of blueberry plants and sheep laurel grace the granite landscape.

No matter where we turned, color begged to be captured.

The whitecap at the top of this photo is not the summit, but our destination was getting closer with each footstep.

We weren’t the only ones on a quest. I’m not sure of the species, but this lone caterpillar moved quickly across the bald face.

Finally, we reached the top, where the display was over the top.

It’s always fun to find the survey monument–bronze disks used by surveyors since 1879 for mapping purposes.

In the middle of this photo are the larger-than-life satellite dishes located in Andover. When I was a kid and we vacationed in Maine, our parents took us to the Andover Earth Station. It was one of the first satellite stations in the USA, built in 1961 with the Telstar 1 satellite–an experimental link between North America and Europe. The Telstar Bubble, which housed the immense horn antenna, was taken down in the 1990s.

For the past few years, these wind turbines have been visible. Today, we noticed two other ridges decorated with turbines. I’m of two minds on this topic–the old wishy washy self that I am. In Canada, wind turbines are located across the landscape and even as we hiked the Cape Mabou trails on Cape Breton Island last week, we stood below one and listened to its airplane engine-like sound, but we didn’t hear it until we were quite close. I actually think they are quite beautiful as they turn–ballet of a sort.

In the midst of the mountains, a peek at Rumford.

After our usual PB&J, I explored further along the ridge while my guy napped. You might be able to spot him in the center of the top photo. Of course, he did run this morning before hiking–he’s training for the Moose Pond Half Marathon, a race that raises $$$ for the Maine Adaptive Ski Program at Shawnee Peak in Bridgton.

It was a short nap–given that it was on a bed of rock.

We hiked down the Starr trail, where our color quest found further fulfillment.

Simply stunning.

As we descended, we switched from one community to another.

Sometimes, it was the bracken fern that lit the way.

Other times, the sugar and striped maples cast a bright light.

We took only photos and memories, and left only footprints–mine on the left, his on the right.

Before our Mondate ended, we decided an ice cream was in order. We hike so we can eat. This turned out to be the more arduous part of our quest–hiking 6 or so miles was a cinch in hindsight. A drive through Bethel revealed no ice cream shops. We continued on Route 2 for a bit and found one hopeful spot, but it had closed an hour earlier. My mouth was watering for a peppermint stick hot fudge sundae–with whipped cream and a cherry on top. Half an hour later, with my tongue hanging out, we stopped at Melby’s in North Waterford. After purchasing a pint of Hagen Daz chocolate (not a sundae, but sometimes you just have to make do), we turned and my dear friend Ursula Duve appeared before our eyes. She was on her own ice cream quest. I had the pleasure of introducing her to my guy and he instantly fell in love. As we chatted about our outdoor adventures, Ursula gave us this advice, “For as long as you can do it, do it.” Well, maybe those weren’t her exact words–after all, I did have ice cream on my brain–but they’re mighty close to it. She and her husband have hiked many more trails than we’ll ever conquer, but we’re thankful for the opportunity to wander together as often as we can–especially on a Mondate.

We finished that pint in record time. It was arduous, but someone or two had to do it.

A Mondate with quest or two or three–always brings a smile to our faces.

To Old City and Back

March 8, 2015March 9, 2015 ~ lmachayes ~ 2 Comments

From camp. To Old City. Bridgton to Sweden. Via Moose Pond.

The temp was about 40 degrees, but with the brilliant sunshine, it felt even warmer. We reminisced about kayaking and rowing as we headed north on the pond.

Beside one of the islands, a mink had made numerous trails and holes.

I love it when a critter behaves like it’s supposed to. In this case, the prints are on the slant that the weasel family is known for. A mink is a small mammal with a long body and short legs. It has partially-webbed feet, an adaptation to a near-aquatic habitat. A few years ago, an acquaintance and I were helping with the Moose Pond watershed survey. We were sitting on some rocks by the shore, with a dock in front of us, as we jotted down notes. Much to our surprise, a mink came up from under the rocks by the dock. We starred at it, it starred at us. We had cameras. Did we take a photo? Nope. Another one for the mind’s eye.

Bound and slide. Like otters. I still want to be an otter in my next life, but minks do have fun too.

Tracks tell the story about behavior, but it’s often a guessing game. I think I got this one right. Homo sapiens. Male. About 6 feet tall. Handsome. Puts up with a lot.

He borrowed a resting spot while I examined those mink tracks and holes. There were tons of holes.

At the northernmost end of the pond, we followed the snowmobile trail toward Old City. Today it’s a wooded snowmobile trail around the base of Black Mountain in Sweden, Maine, but during the 19th century a road passed by at least six homesteads. All were reportedly occupied by young men who chose not to live at home–perhaps increasing their status as eligible bachelors. Their names included Cushman, Farrington and Eastman, among others–names long associated with Sweden and Lovell. (Sweden was originally part of Lovell)

The area was abandoned at some point after the Civil War, but foundations like this one remain. This may have belonged to P. Farrington or J. Edgecomb, but I’m thrown off because it occurs on the wrong side of the current “road.” That doesn’t mean the road was originally in the same spot.

Stone walls, like this one near the I. Eastman property, formed boundaries to keep animals in or out. I suspect this guy was a major landowner.

I’m fascinated by stone walls. Not only are they beautiful and functional, but they also represent a tremendous amount of labor. And the stones have their own story to tell about the lay of our land in New England.

I’d been looking at tracks, trees (always looking for bear claw marks on beech trees and quizzing myself on bark) and stones. On the way back, this touch of color caught my eye. Red Pine bark is among my favorites. Then again, I haven’t meet a tree I didn’t like. And the contrast with the hemlock needles, beech leaves and touch of blue sky gave me pause.

This also caught my eye. Last fall, a friend had sent me a photo of a beech tree with a similar case of strange scars. I didn’t know what it was, so I sent it on to a forester I know. He sent it on to someone in the invasive insect department at the state level. It all boiled down to what they thought was wounds from bittersweet vine being wrapped around the tree at one time.

That made sense then. Today, I dunno. As I looked around, I noticed the same phenomenon on other beech trees. But I didn’t see any evidence of vines nearby. Of course, there’s still a lot of snow on the ground, as my guy can tell you since he chose not to wear snowshoes. The area had been logged at some point. But, I’m just not sure.

Back on the pond and heading toward Bridgton and camp. Shawnee Peak and Pleasant Mountain provide the perfect backdrop. Yesterday, my guy took one of our grand-nephews for another ski lesson. The young’un skied straight over moguls on the Pine, slipped off the trail into the woods several times and fell a kazillion times. On the ride home this tired seven-year-old said that his younger brother probably spent the day playing Xbox. When asked if he wished he’d done the same, he remarked, “No, this was the most fun day I’ve ever had in my ENTIRE life.” I can hear my mother-in-law guffawing in heaven. 🙂

Only another mile to go before we rest. Thanks for wondering along with us on today’s wander.

wondermyway

Wonder along with me as I wander through the woods

Shawnee Peak