“Once you learn to care, you can record images with your mind or on film. There is no difference between the two.” — Anonymous
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.
Sunday, 11/19/2023: Posted photo — Moxie.
Distinctively Different since 1884. Moxie is the oldest continually produced soft drink in the United States. It is a New England tradition. Moxie was designated as the official soft drink of the State of Maine in 2005.
I like Moxie. Most of my friends and family do not like the taste. We had Moxie when I was younger since my father also liked it. “Live your Life with a little Moxie.”
Monday, 11/20/2023: Posted photo — Stars.
Today would have been my father’s 101 birthday. Miss you dad.
Nice hike tonight. The temperature was cool, and the air was brisk. Hiking keeps you warm and if you dress properly, you stay warm.
When the group was at the summit, I put my phone on a handrail and took a photo of the sky.
Tuesday, 11/21/2023: Posted photo — Compass.
During my map and compass course, I talked about the difference between a fixed declination compass and an adjustable declination compass. I have been putting together my slides for the advanced map and compass class and took a photo of the two of my compasses. The fixed declination compass (Suunto A-10) has the declination scale in the North while the adjustable declination compass (Suunto M-3) has the declination scale in the South.
I am also discussing the principle of back bearing. Back bearing is the way to backtrack to find your way back to your original location. The fixed declination compass is taking a back bearing without taking into account magnetic declination.
Wednesday, 11/22/2023: Posted photo — Flowers.
During my shopping trip, I took another photo of flowers. Always good to take photos of flowers when there is more darkness than light during the day.
Thursday, 11/23/2023: Posted photo — Desert.
Today is Thanksgiving Day. On this day we give thanks to what we have, have family gatherings, and large meals that include desert. This year we had a small dinner with my family my niece and here husband (one of my son’s friends). After dinner we invited the family over to our house for dessert.
Here are photos of a traditional apple pie, a wonderful chocolate and peanut butter pie, and the frosting on a pumpkin and chocolate chip cake. These desserts go well with ice cream and homemade whipped cream.
Friday, 11/24/2023: Post photo — Wood Delivery.
This morning we received the first of two wood deliveries. The normal length of wood we order was flooded out due to all the rain we had this summer, so we needed to purchase some wood that is longer than we do and some shorter. We received two cords of the longer pieces this morning and had them stacked in our woodshed by early afternoon. Firewood is sold by a measurement called a “cord.” A cord must equal 128 cubic feet.
In the next week or so, I will be ordering the three cords of shorter wood for us to stack in our woodshed. The woodshed can only handle four cords, so we will have to stack some outside the shed in our uncovered racks.
Saturday, 11/25/2023: Post photo — Book.
Was out blowing leaves today since the leaves were dry. Some of the leaves were, and still are, frozen to the ground. What does this have to do with the book photo? Well, I needed a photo for today and I am still putting together my advanced map reading course for the spring. This is one of the best books to get to learn navigation. I have been using it for many years now.
“There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.” — Ansel Adams
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.
Sunday, 11/12/2023: Posted photo — Training.
Today I taught 17 hikers how to use a map and compass. Some of the students were experienced hikers who needed a refresher and some never used a map and compass before today. The training was through the AMC and was held at Wachusett Mountain. This was the first of a two-part training. The second part will be in the spring when I plan to use an orienteering course to fine tune navigational skills.
During this training, the participants learned how to read a topographical map and how to determine a route on the map. Having a map and compass are part of the Ten HikeSafe Essentials. Knowing how to use a map and compass could be lifesaving. After the planning of the route, we went on the trail to enhance the training. It is one thing to just use a map and compass in a classroom setting, it is another to get out on the trail and use it. One situation that I gave them was, what if someone turned a trail junction sign to lead you in the wrong direction. Using your map and compass will guide you in the correct direction.
During the training, I discussed the differences between a reference mark, azimuth mark, magnetic station, and a benchmark. All these markers can be found on the mountain. It is surprising to me that hikers do not know the difference between a reference mark and a benchmark. I guess we all started out that way. It was a great training and there was positive feedback from the group.
Pointing out a reference markGathering at the summit
Looking forward to the advanced training in the spring. I am considering doing an introductory training in the spring also since there was many people on my waiting list and others that wanted to sign up after registration was closed.
Monday, 11/13/2023: Posted photo — First Snow Hike in a While.
Tonight, it started to snow as I was driving to the trailhead for my Monday night hike. There were eight people that hiked tonight. Wachusett Mountain is not a tall mountain in most people’s minds. It is only 2006 feet tall. A far cry from its 23,000 feet height in its youth. The mountain does still affect the weather in the area.
As we started towards the summit, there was more snow on the trail. The hike was slow due to the snow and the snow-covered maple leaves on the trail. Wet leaves are dangerous. Wet leaves covered with snow with possible ice under them are more dangerous. The group took a “safe” trail to the summit.
On the decent, four of the eight took the trail down and the other four walked the roads. I was with the group that took the trails. I was very careful on the trails, not wanting to reinjure my ankle. The trail we took had a gentler slope than others on the mountain. As expected, we arrived at the trailhead before the road walkers, but only one to two minutes before them.
Tuesday, 11/14/2023: Posted photo — Morning Snow.
Drove by one of my favorite photos locations on my way to work this morning. The sun was just rising, and I was able to practice low light photography. I wanted to get a photo of this scene just in case the snow melted today. The temperature rose a little today melting all the snow. Later this week, rain is predicted.
Wednesday, 11/15/2023: Posted photo — USGS Control Points.
Benchmarks can be divided into two general groups: the “vertical control points” are points that mark a very precise elevation above the standard datum plane (usually referred to as elevation above sea level) and the “horizontal control points” are points with precisely established latitude and longitude. The National Geodetic Survey, not the U.S. Geological Survey, is the Maintainer of federal Vertical Control Marks.
Here are photos of the control points on Wachusett Mountain.
Triangulation Stations: are markers with positions determined by measuring distances and angles from other stations. The triangulation station on Wachusett is a pin in a stone.
Wachusett Mountain Triangulation Station
Reference marks: help keep triangulation stations from being lost with arrows on their disks pointing in the direction of their referenced triangulation station.
Reference mark RM8Reference mark RM11
Azimuth marks: coupled with its triangulation station, provide a compass direction of the true north. The azimuth on Wachusett is RM13. The USGS webpage calls it an azimuth. I was wondering if they did since this mark is away from the RM11 and RM8.
RM13 an Azimuth mark
Magnetic Stations: are stamped with a six-pointed star in the center. The original purpose was to supply magnetic measurement information for the nautical charts, but later observations were extended into the interior to aid local surveyors. This is the magnetic station near the summit of Wachusett Mountain.
Wachusett Magnetic station
That was the educational portion of this week’s blog.
Thursday, 11/16/2023: Posted photo — Warmth.
The weather is cool in the morning, warm in the afternoon, and cool in the evening. Tonight, we had a fire in our woodstove to get the chill out of the house. It reminds me that I need to order the firewood that will take up through the winter. I think the way the light bounces off the phone lens give a nice feeling to this photo.
Friday, 11/17/2023: Post photo — Morning Glow.
I went to work a little earlier than I normally do on a Friday because I needed to get some work done before the Thanksgiving holiday week. Many of the workers in the shop will be on vacation next week and there was a project that needed to get done. When I arrived at work, I looked to the east and saw a glow in the sky. It was not sunrise yet. I waited a few minutes and then took this photo. Still not sunrise, but there was a nice glow in the sky.
Today in the small town of Bellows Falls, VT. There was a cube competition at the Moose Lodge.
The venue was small and cramped but the people did not mind. During lunch, two of the cubers took out their violins and played a few classical movements for the crowd. This was the first time I saw that happen at an event.
Here are a few more photos from the event.
That’s it for this week. Time to rest up for Thanksgiving.
The library is located just of the campus of Smith College. Our son had a cubing competition at Smith. Smith College is a private liberal arts women’s college in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smith and opened in 1875. It is the largest member of the historic Seven Sisters colleges, a group of women’s colleges in the Northeastern United States. The Seven Sisters are a group of seven liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern United States that are historically women’s colleges: Barnard College, Bryn Mawr College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and Wellesley College are still women’s colleges. Vassar College is currently a coeducational college and Radcliffe College was absorbed in 1999 by Harvard College. One of my sisters-in-law is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College.
“Forbes Library, the public library for Northampton, Massachusetts, provides a wide range of information, materials and services to all of the people of Northampton and Massachusetts. The library’s magnificent building offers a friendly, welcoming physical environment which encourages the civic, intellectual, and cultural pursuits of the public. Forbes serves as a community meeting place in which curiosity, free inquiry, and lifelong learning are supported and nurtured. The library is open 56 hours per week, and many resources are available online 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.” https://forbeslibrary.org/info/
Monday, 11/06/2023: Posted photo — Worcester at Night.
Worcester, MA, the second largest city in New England and my hometown, from the summit of Wachusett Mountain tonight. Since we had the time change this weekend, Monday night hikes will start in darkness giving an extra challenge to my hike. I enjoy hiking at night since it is so peaceful, and the sounds of nature are amplified.
Tuesday, 11/07/2023: Posted photo — Election Day.
Did my civil duty today and voted. Only one item on the ballet so turnout was low. My philosophy is that you should not complain about election results if you do not vote. In our town we have a town meeting and a special town meeting once a year. I also attend those meetings. Again, if you are not engaged in the town, city, state, or country politics, even doing the simple thing as voting, you should not complain or contest the outcome of elections.
Wednesday, 11/08/2023: Posted photo — David Hockney Look.
David Hockney was one of the big artists involved in the pop art movement in the 1960s. I saw a work of his a few years back in this style and wanted to do it myself. I created a script in Paint Shop Pro to make this effect for me.
Thursday, 11/09/2023: Posted photo — Saint Mary the Assumption.
“Like most other New England communities, Northampton was predominantly Protestant throughout its first few centuries, but this began to change after the Industrial Revolution, when the region saw large-scale immigration from Catholic countries. Here in Northampton, most of the early Catholics were French-Canadian, and began arriving by the mid-19th century. Within a few decades there were several Catholic parishes in Northampton, including Saint Mary of the Assumption, whose church building was built here on Elm Street in 1881.” https://lostnewengland.com/2018/07/st-marys-church-northampton-mass/
Friday, 11/10/2023: Post photo — Wood.
Just a photo of a pile of wood in our yard. This wood is some the wood from a tree that I fell that was leaning over our son’s batting cage.
Saturday, 11/11/2023: Post photo — Veteran’s Day.
This is a WWII photo of my father, a navy veteran.
Stained Glass windows two weeks in a row. This is the stained glass at a neighboring church. This is looking up into the choir loft. I just love older stained glass windows. The way the build churches now, there is not as may stained glass windows as in the past.
Stained glass windows in churches depict Biblical individuals, groups of people, stories, and/or moralizing images. Stained glass windows were once used to educate people who could not read. By looking at the painted scenes in the glass, people could learn about the stories of the Bible and religious teachings.
Monday, 10/30/2023: Posted photo — What is it?
Occasionally, I post a closeup of an item to see if anyone is reading my blog. Please identify the object in this photo.
I will respond later in the week to let you know if your answer is correct.
Tuesday, 10/31/2023: Posted photo — Colors.
I posted about the colors of flowers in my 10/15/2023 to 10/21/2023 blog. Tonight is my normal shopping night and I saw these bouquets of roses in one of the stores and wanted to show how the different colors interact, or complement, each other.
The weather is starting to cool around here. Tonight will be one of the first nights this season that the temperature will get close to the freezing point. Time to order wood for the winter. We do have wood left over from last season to take the chill out of the house.
Wednesday, 11/01/2023: Posted photo — Mass of Remembrance.
Today is the All Saints’ Day. The high school attended held a memorial mass for all alumni that passed during the year. St. John’s is a close-knit community with a very supportive alumni base. It was a moving mass in which they read the names of all the alumni, parents, and relatives of alumni that passed.
The entire school community attended, including the new junior high school (the junior high school started up recently) and all the high school students. It was great that the old-time teachers remember me and all my six brothers that have all attended the school.
This is an invasive species of plant that is in our yard. It invades fields, field edges, and forests, forming dense mats that smother trees and shrubs. I keep cutting them back and trying to eradicate, but they still grow in our yard. I cut them off trees, pull them out of bushes and plants, and mow them over. Just one of the yard cleaning tasks of homeowners in this area.
Friday, 11/03/2023: Post photo — Quick Shot of the Moon.
Walking outside on this brisk fall day, I saw the moon. The moon caught my eye just above the brown of the foliage that have gone past peak and the blue sky. I did not take a photo of the entire tree so that I could get the moon in the photo.
Hope you like it. Not sure if this photo stirs the same emotions as seeing composition live.
Saturday, 11/04/2023: Post photo — Winter Hiking Workshop.
There was a winter hiking workshop today sponsored by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Worcester Chapter. At this workshop, lessons were taught about what it needed to have a safe hike in the winter. The training was for beginner winter hikers and was a start of winter hiking series that will increase the difficulty of winter hikes. I attended as a hiking leader who wanted to brush up on my winter hiking skill and to understand what the chapter tells beginner hikers.
Two symbols of the Christian faith, wheat and grapes, which often signify the body and blood of Christ as the redeemer of mankind are shown here in this stained glass window.
This window is in our church just as you go down the stairs from the choir loft. Why did I take this photo? I took it because I liked the way the light was going through the window.
Monday, 10/23/2023: Posted photo — Point Pelee Mums.
Point Pelee Mums are a different flower to me. I may have seen them before and noticed them. Now that I am almost 14 years into my photo project, I look for more subjects to photograph. The name is derived from the warmth of the colors that come from their reflection of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess, and hot glowing volcanic lava.
Tuesday, 10/24/2023: Posted photo — Night Hike.
My normal Monday night hiking was paused yesterday due to a gathering of the hiking group that I help start. It was a great get together and was plan on doing it again. We see many faces on social media, I have run into a few of them on the trail, and it was great to get together with the for a social event. This was the first time that I met the people that hike every morning or during the day when I am at work. I have passed many on the trail, not knowing their names.
Tonight, I hiked with a different group. This group hike is by invitation only. The people in the group are fellow AMC leaders and other people that hike often. This was the second time that I hiked with this group. The first time was just before the FOT48 since one of the people in the group was co-leading the FOT48 hike with me. Tuesday night was one of the nights that I did not know an organized hike existed. I am glad I found this group. I plan on hiking with this group once a month on a week that I am not leading a Monday night hike.
Wednesday, 10/25/2023: Posted photo — Sunrise.
Once again there was a great sunrise. Unfortunately, my “good” camera was not with me when I saw the sunrise, so I had to take out my cell phone.
Information off the internet: “Because the sun is low on the horizon, sunlight passes through more air at sunset and sunrise than during the day, when the sun is higher in the sky. More atmosphere means more molecules to scatter the violet and blue light away from your eyes. If the path is long enough, all of the blue and violet light scatters out of your line of sight. The other colors continue on their way to your eyes. This is why sunsets are often yellow, orange, and red. Because red has the longest wavelength of any visible light, the sun is red when it’s on the horizon, where its extremely long path through the atmosphere blocks all other colors.” (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071108135522.htm)
Rain, not as much as in previous weeks, but the mushrooms are still growing. This is a group of mushrooms growing in the same area as the mushrooms I posted last week. According to Google Lens, they are Pholiota squarrosoides. These mushrooms grow in clusters (rarely alone or scattered) on the wood of hardwoods. These are growing on the hardwood that I am seasoning to burn this winter.
Friday, 10/27/2023: Post photo — October Full Moon.
Traditionally, people in the Northern Hemisphere spent October preparing for the coming winter by hunting, slaughtering, and preserving meats, giving this Full Moon its Anglo-Saxon name Hunter’s Moon. The name was added to the Farmer’s Almanac in North America and is used widely today. The full moon is not technically until tomorrow night, but I like to take a photo of the full moon the day before or the day after the moon is officially full. The moon tonight is a Waxing Gibbous moon at 99%.
Saturday, 10/28/2023: Post photo — Composite.
It was a warm and sunny day today. That allowed me to do some yard work today, cleaning up the remaining of the tree that I fell a few weeks ago and doing an initial racking of the yard. For my 52 week photo project, the challenge this week is using a tripod. One way to use a tripod is to do a composite photo.
“A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it.” — Edward Steichen
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.
Sunday, 10/15/2023: Posted photo — Chopping Maul.
I went out to chop some wood this afternoon and used both my axe and my maul. This is a photo of my maul. When I was chopping the wood, I had the idea for today’s photo. I wanted to let people know the difference between an axe and a maul.
An axe and maul are primarily distinguished by the fact that an axe is lightweight, has a sharper cutting edge, and has a shorter handle. A maul’s blunt, hammer-like edge is used alone or in conjunction with a wedge to pry open wood that has been cut. Sometimes I use a wedge with my axe. Using the axe with the maul is better since the maul has a better splitting action. If I need to wedge with the maul, I will hit it with the axe.
I do have a hydraulic log splitter. I have not used it in a few years since the gas line needs to be repaired and I have not had a good opportunity to fix it. I may have to bring it to a repair shop. Some of the wood that I am splitting have knots, and it is not easy to use a maul or an axe to split wood that has knots.
Monday, 10/16/2023: Posted photo — West Side Trailhead.
Tonight, for my hike, I decided to lead the group up a different trail. We have been using the same trailhead for weeks now and I wanted to mix it up a little. The West Side Trail is on what I call the back of the mountain. It is away from where most people hike. There is a rock scramble not to far in from the trailhead. It was a little more difficult to go up today since it was wet from the rain that fell earlier in the day. I decide to do a loop on the way down the mountain to avoid this section of the trail. Rain, wet leaves, and wet rocks are a safety hazard at night.
Tuesday, 10/17/2023: Posted photo — Flowers.
I have posted in the past the meaning of color in flowers. It has been a while so here is a reminder.
Red flowers: associated with feelings of true love and passion, they can also be used to convey respect, desire, and courage. Yellow flowers: are associated with spreading happiness and joy. They can also symbolize friendship. Pink flowers: are also a symbol of love, though they can also mean happiness, gentleness, and femininity. Orange flowers: are known to symbolize feelings of excitement and enthusiasm. White flowers: range in meaning from purity and innocence to sympathy. Blue flowers: are said to symbolize tranquility and peace. Purple flowers: symbolize success and even royalty, although feelings of admiration and tradition may also come through in purple flowers. Lavender flowers: typically symbolize grace, elegance, and youth. Green flowers: are associated with rebirth and renewal. Additionally, green can also symbolize good health, good fortune, and youthfulness.
Wednesday, 10/18/2023: Posted photo — Direction.
What direction am I going? How do I get from point A to point B? To answer these questions, I use a compass with a map. Many people, including very experienced hikers, do not know how to use a map and compass. The setup for this photo is the map of an orienteering course in my area that I have used for training.
I will be teaching a basic navigation class in a couple of weeks at Wachusett Mountain. After the class, I will test the student’s skills on a hike. We will plan out the hike during the course and then use it on the trail. There will be a few obstacles and a field test along the way. In the spring, I will be teaching an advanced navigational course using the orienteering course.
Here are the 10 Essentials.
1. Navigation: Map, compass, and GPS system 2. Sun Protection: Sunglasses, sunscreen, and hat 3. Insulation: Jacket, hat, gloves, and rain shell 4. Illumination: Flashlight, lanterns, and headlamp 5. First-aid supplies: First aid kit 6. Fire: Matches, lighter, and fire starters 7. Repair Kit & Tools: Duct tape, knife, and scissors 8. Nutrition: Extra food 9. Hydration: Water and water treatment supplies 10. Emergency Shelter: tent and tarp
Having these items with you will keep you prepared. Knowing how to use them could save your life.
Thursday, 10/19/2023: Posted photo — Close to Peak.
The foliage is getting close to peak in this area. I attempted to get a photo with the sun on the leaves, but it was not out very long today. Peak season means the time when most leaf have changed color.
Leaves can change their color from as early as mid-September all the way through early November. Typically, the second and third week of October are the peak times, but it shifts depending on where you live and your local weather conditions.
Foliage starts to change in the northern-tier states out West and in the Midwest by late September. By October 4, the leaves in some areas will be past their prime.
Much of New England as well as the Pacific Northwest, will be at or near peak fall color by October 11.
A little further south in the Blue Ridge Mountains, mid-October is when the leaves are near or at peak.
Friday, 10/20/2023: Post photo — Mushroom of a Stump.
Since June we have had about 65 days of rain. It is raining today. With all the rain comes fungus in the form of mushrooms. Even though I hike, I do not like mushrooms, and I cannot tell you the edible types versus the non-edible types.
Some good rules apply for avoiding poisonous mushrooms if you are a novice that I found online:
Avoid mushrooms with white gills, a skirt or ring on the stem and a bulbous or sack like base called a volva. You may be missing out on some good edible fungi, but it means you will be avoiding the deadly members of the Amanita family.
Avoid mushrooms with red on the cap or stem. Again, you will be missing out on some good mushrooms but more importantly you won’t be picking poisonous ones.
Finally, don’t consume any mushrooms unless you are 100% sure of what they are.
Saturday, 10/21/2023: Post photo — Nature’s Elements.
Here is a photo I took today in the Leominster State Forest. I have posted photos of this lonely tree in the past. This photo shows the foliage, rain, and fog. This is how most of our summer and fall has gone so far, very wet this year.
“The picture that you took with your camera is the imagination you want to create with reality.” — Scott Lorenzo
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.
Sunday, 10/08/2023: Posted photo — Cube New England.
Cube New England is an organization that was established to help organize cubing events in the area. Our son is on the Board of Directors for this non-profit. They supply venues and delegates the equipment needed to hold events.
This weekend they held the New England Championships in which cubers from New England and from other parts of the world competed in many categories. The event took place over a three day period. Our son was one of the organizers for the event and was the head of data (timing) verifying and certifying times for the competitors.
Monday, 10/09/2023: Posted photo — Clock Tower.
The Campanile Tower towers 300 feet above the Springfield, MA skyline. We walked by the tower yesterday going to the competition. Today we saw it with its lights on. With the black sky in the background, I could not resist taking a photo of the tower.
Here is a photo of the tower’s reflection in a nearby building.
Tuesday, 10/10/2023: Posted photo — Sunset.
This is the time of year that it gets darker soon. We did not make it to the summit tonight before sunset. This is the colors at the end of the golden hour. What a great time of year to hike. Headlamps were on for most of the hike. Soon we will be needed out headlamps for all the hikes.
Wednesday, 10/11/2023: Posted photo — Sunrise.
What a great sunrise this morning. As I pulled into work, I saw the red sky. It has been a while since I have seen the sunrise since the sun has risen before my drive to work. This is one of my favorite views, seeing the morning sun reflecting in the clouds.
Today I attended an advisory meeting tonight. I am the chairperson of the Engineering Technology department and have been for the last 10 years. During the meeting we discussed the current program and then make recommendations for the program in the future.
Friday, 10/13/2023: Post photo — Shadow.
This is a shadow of a tree on our lawn. As you can see, the leaves are starting to fall off the trees.
Saturday, 10/14/2023: Post photo — Our Street.
I am working on a weekly photo project. This week’s topic was street photography. I live in an area that does not have any street activity. The alternative photo is to take a photo of the street you live. Here is the photo of my street.
“When I photograph, what I’m really doing is seeking answers to things.” — Wynn Bullock
Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.
Sunday, 10/01/2023: Posted photo — Tabernacle.
The tabernacle is a liturgical furnishing used to house the Eucharist outside of Mass. This provides a location where the Eucharist can be kept for the adoration of the faithful and for later use (e.g., distribution to the sick). The word tabernacle means “dwelling place.”
This is a photo the tabernacle in our church. This looks like a new tabernacle for our parish. We had a priest that worked with the parish to bring more people to Mass.
Monday, 10/02/2023: Posted photo — Sunset.
This is one of the windmills at a trail junction on Wachusett Mountain. It is not really a trail junction; it is the location at a trailhead. This week was the first Monday in a long time that we had to use our headlamps at the end of the hike. Last week some of the members of my group made it out just in time without headlamps on. When I hike at night, my headlamp is not used until it is needed. Others turn on their headlamps too soon, just when it is starting to get dark. This could be the difference between an experienced night hiker and people who are just starting to experience hiking at night.
Tuesday, 10/03/2023: Posted photo — Mums.
Chrysanthemums (mums) are one of the most popular fall garden flowers. Most mum plants are easy to grow with their basic needs being full sun, rich soil, good drainage, and good air circulation. There are hundreds of varieties available in a range of shapes and sizes that can provide blooms from late summer through fall. Mums symbolize joy, life, friendship, luck, and rebirth.
These mums were near one of the stores I shop. The sun was shining off them almost calling me to photograph them. The color of these mums seemed bright to me.
Wednesday, 10/04/2023: Posted photo — Japanese Yew.
Japanese Yew is an evergreen tree with a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. Once again today the sun was shinning off these plants and looking very photogenic. We have not seen the sun much this summer so any photos of plants in the sunshine is worth taken.
“During the growing season, chlorophyll is continually being produced and broken down and leaves appear green. As night length increases in the autumn, chlorophyll production slows down and then stops and eventually all the chlorophyll is destroyed. The carotenoids and anthocyanin that are present in the leaf are then unmasked and show their colors.
Certain colors are characteristic of particular species:
Oaks: red, brown, or russet
Hickories: golden bronze
Aspen and yellow-poplar: golden yellow
Dogwood: purplish red
Beech: light tan
Sourwood and black tupelo: crimson
The color of maples leaves differ species by species:
Red maple: brilliant scarlet
Sugar maple: orange-red
Black maple: glowing yellow
Striped maple: almost colorless
Some leaves of some species, such as the elms simply shrivel up and fall, exhibiting little color other than drab brown.”
The leaves in this photo are of the sugar maples in our yard just starting to turn. The leaves are wet since it is raining again here in north central Massachusetts.
Friday, 10/06/2023: Post photo — Wet Leaves.
These are the same leaves as yesterday on my driveway after the rain.
Saturday, 10/07/2023: Post photo — Mushrooms.
These are mushrooms growing on a piece of wood that I have being seasoned in our yard. Most of the wood from when this tree was cut has the same mushrooms growing on them. It was a wet summer, and I am hopping that the wood is not rotten. If it is, I will use all the wood for outdoor fires either at my house or at the cottage.
Some of the Whoopie Pies made for our church bazaar.
Thursday, 09/28/2023: Posted photo — Rose.
I took this photo today to use for my other photo projects. The subject of this week’s project is red. I was going to do a selective color of the red. Instead, I used this photo.
Friday, 09/29/2023: Post photo — Discussion.
The ladies having a discussion during my Monday night hike. The rain stopped just in time for our hike.
Saturday, 09/30/2023: Post photo — Fall Fest.
Fall Fest is an Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) event. It was held by be Western Mass Chapter of the AMC. I am a leader/member for the Worcester Chapter of the AMC. I was there to teach people how to navigate using a map and compass.
Photo by Joseph Ciras 