A tree that, while still standing, is being returned to the soil. This is what the fungi call a feast.
Mushroom bark
What I learned from a rotting stump in the woods
Out of all the decay Of last century’s losses, Life persists, shouting a silencing Yes to drown out all of those no’s. These green shoots In the rotting wood Tell us nothing ever Goes for good, But gets drawn up In other forms yet unborn — The angle of your nose, The glint in your... Continue Reading →
White cap mushroom
I've written about mushrooms before in this Blue Hills blog (see Mushroom), but I had to post this pair of white cap mushrooms. The mixture of dried-up pine needles and cones, autumn leaves, and mushroom creates the foundation for much of the ground cover in the pine-dominated parts of Blue Hills Reservation.
View from Chicatawbut
This view is a familiar sight to anyone who has hiked along the skyline trail in Blue Hills. I never tire of these scenic vistas that pop up so often in the Blue Hills. It also continues to amaze me that an uninterrupted view like this can be had within 10 miles of downtown Boston.... Continue Reading →
Tracks
Winter morning on Chickatawbut Hill. The sun's shallow beams provide a fleeting warmth. The wind is gentle. And all is quiet. Time for little creatures to set out on little adventures.
Tractor
This fine old Worthington Red Seal tractor spent the winter at Brookwood Farm in the Blue Hills.
Mushroom
Unlike plants, mushrooms can't get energy from the sun because they lack chlorophyll. Instead, mushrooms live either symbiotically or parasitically with trees. Most of the mushrooms growing on the forest floor in Blue Hills — like this one on Wampatuck Hill — are coexisting with a nearby tree, specifically between the root ends of a... Continue Reading →
Branches
Have you ever noticed how much branches resemble roots? Trees are are kind of like huge hourglasses with life-sustaining ingredients coming flowing from both ends.
Hillside Meadow
Up along Unquity Road in Milton, before you get to the Blue Hills Reservation headquarters, is this meadow of long grass that drops away from the road. At the bottom of the hill is a trail marked "Border Path" on the Reservation map. Unfortunately, the path is lined with KEEP OUT and NO TRESPASSING signs... 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 →
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