A Walk in the Quaker Woods
by Jean Larson with photographs by Bill Mitchell
November 20, 2011
The weather in November has been very pleasant for walking in the woods.
A week or so ago, Javier and I wandered out to the meeting for worship in nature area and
wondered why we had not scheduled meeting outside this month. Let us
do so in the spring. Sandy came early to meeting today and took a walk in the
woods — I find a walk in the woods settles me down and refreshes me.
The virgin’s bower (Clematis virginiana) bloomed on the holly at the entrance to the meeting parking lot. He has taken pictures to document how the flowers change over time.
Dick and the children have planted bok choy, lettuce, cabbage in the children’s yard,
cold weather vegetables. The nearby goldenrod is fuzzy with flowers turning into seed heads.
The light filtering through the trees as they are losing their leaves is
dappled and brightens ones mood. Fewer plants are blooming than
in the spring, but the ageratina (Ageratina altissima, white snakeroot) has been blooming
behind the splitrail fence, the salt and pepper bushes are still putting out the odd bloom,
and the rose planted by Bud had a gorgeous flower visible from my spot at lunch today.
My day was enriched by sharing my love of the woods this morning with Sandy on her
morning walk. I pointed out a flower here and there and listened to her tell of sights she
had seen in Georgia. Bill on one of his walks captured an iridescent blue damselfly
and took a portrait of the turtle we regularly seek out.
What special sights or sounds (the children explored sound today) brightened your day?