A tree that, while still standing, is being returned to the soil. This is what the fungi call a feast.
Mushroom bark
Fall leaves
The yellow leaf picture here comes from a certain tree. Can you guess below what kind? Hint: The leaves and twigs are consumed by white-tailed deer in both summer and winter. Other leaf browsers include groundhogs, marsh rabbits, and American black bears. Another hint: This tree grows throughout eastern North America, from southernmost Ontario through... Continue Reading →
Sunset on Ponkapoag
In the southernmost part of Blue Hills Reservation is a shallow, 200-acre body of water called Ponkapoag Pond, which locals pronounce punk-a-pog. The pond is home to largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, golden shiner, and the fearsome pickerel. And although my son and I fished without success one August afternoon, we were rewarded with numerous... Continue Reading →
Augustus
Near the top of what's known as Little Blue Hill is a pretty north-facing view. This bench waits stoically, in good weather and bad, for all who wish to look out and rest their feet. Augustus Hemenway was a philanthropist and public servant in Canton. He was the son of a wealthy Boston merchant by... Continue Reading →
Chickatawbut Hill
According to Massachusetts history, Plymouth Colony commander Myles Standish and his Native American guide Squanto met a Sachem named Chickatawbut in 1621. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was named after the indigenous population, the Massachusett, a word that translates roughtly into "near the great hill" and refers to Great Blue Hill in particular. One can be... Continue Reading →
Moon over Brookwood Farm
Once part of a massive estate belonging to General Samuel Parker, Brookwood Farm's 70 acres were owned and operated as a gentlemen's farm by Henry Saltonstall Howe until he donated the property to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation in 1976. Mr. Howe's goal in donating the property (and enlarging the Blue Hills Reservation... Continue Reading →
Breakneck Ridge
There are 22 hilltops in Blue Hills Reservation connected by a patchwork of more than 125 miles of trails. A few peaks, like Breakneck Ridge, afford a spectacular view. Breakneck Ridge is a somewhat rigorous climb from just behind the State Police barracks on Unquity Road. These cumulus clouds were just starting to form on... Continue Reading →
christopherlink.com 