I'm back now, in my studio, in Quebec, and both feel like quite a contrast to the rural, agricultural landscape and small towns of New York State's Chenango and Madison counties, right in the center of the state. I love it there, where I grew up, for many reasons, not least of which is the peacefulness of being surrounded by nature and quiet. There are other aspects of life in the U.S., particularly rural areas like this one, which are not happy or peaceful at all, and which are painfully obvious to me whenever I go back. But my family was doing well; my father at 87 is still vigorous and enjoying life and golf and good health; the lake itself was clear and seemed in better ecological balance than it has been for some time. It was a good visit, with beautiful high summer weather all the time we were there. I'll post some more photos tomorrow; these are all from the small lake where I spent my childhood and where my dad still lives.
Part of our shoreline, looking northeast. Froggy habitat in those reeds beyond the ferns!
Crown vetch.
Honeysuckle berries.
And who was eating them. (A pair of cedar waxwings: they were very unafraid, and I watched them mating on the branch just before I took this photo.)
And a portrait of an important member of the family, exactly the same age as I am. Restorative and cosmetic surgery is an ongoing project!
How lovely. This just speaks "summer" to me, having grown up in New Hampshire, not so very different from upstate NY.
Posted by: Leslee | July 03, 2012 at 03:34 PM
Very beautiful! My friend the Velveteen Rabbi pointed me here (I edit a weekly arts community section in the newspaper next door to her — and my copy of "70 Faces" is sitting here on my desk). Your green frogs and cedar waxwings, and your description of the tangible weight of a book, are familiar and marvelous both at once. Reading your last tow posts, I thought of Hal Borland's essays about his Berkshire hillside, the millions of dragonflies out after the hay is cut, the thousands of florets on a Queen Anne's Lace. They remind me how many marvels live close by.
I've just come back from my grandparents' northeastern Connecticut farm, where the water lilies are blooming on the pond I rode a farm pony down to, and the orioles dart over the sliced oranges on the terrace ... and the books I made when I was 10 are sitting in the attic. I used to spend my 50-cent allowance on a pocket notebook to take to the library and pretend I had a long project, so I could look up blue whales and the planet Mars and take notes. Thank you for waking some good old memories, and all best on a mild summer evening.
Kate
Posted by: Kate Abbott | July 03, 2012 at 06:59 PM
I think I know that frog!
Posted by: mike | July 03, 2012 at 10:35 PM
Thanks, Leslee -- yes, I think northern summers are pretty similar, and I tried to choose the pictures that made me feel that way too.
Hi Kate, good to hear from you! Thanks for coming over and for sharing your own memories, which I was very happy to read and think about...
Mike, you may know that frog, but for sure you know that jeep!
Posted by: Beth | July 04, 2012 at 09:18 AM