During the past fall, we marked the trail through a newly harvested forest near our house. The remnants of the lumbering make for impromptu sculptures.
Vernal pool in winter
The signature vernal pool on the Vernal Pool Trail at the Smithfield Plantation. By the end of a typical August, this body of water is dry with a bed of damp leaves.
It could be snow
Plantation bog
Looking across the small swampy, boggy portion of the Smithfield Plantation conservation area. The colors and textures provide endless wonder.
Wall of green at the bog line
Meandering along the bog’s “shoreline” brings us to a stand of evergreens.
Bog patrol to the other side
Sitting on the edge of the bog with a low December sun filtering through the woods behind us. There is liquid water but it is cold out here.
Wintertime bog patrol
This past week included visits to the beaver bog when there was some sunlight; snowfall so far this year is just below the level requiring snow shoes.
Fall feels like Winter recon
My patrol leader looks back to see what the hold up is. Just another photo op, buddy.
Landscape security
The security set up for the almost-dead-yew in the front yard is a home-made chicken wire shield (it doubles as a crow guard for the weekly garbage bag left at the end of the driveway); this device keeps deer from eating the yew leaves during the winter. The yew itself looks a bit sad due to my not protecting it very well in the past (it is about twenty years old).
Eleven inches of snow on Thanksgiving eve is somewhat unusual but we were thankful that we had power.
The hole stump
john's f-stop 
