A Walk in the woods

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Bird-in-prayerIt took me a while to get used to Spring in New England. In the beginning it seemed that everything looked brown this time of year.

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Bird-in-prayerThen I began to fall in love with the look of all the new budding trees appearing brown, but rich with the promise of Spring.

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Bird-in-prayerLikewise I began to be passionate about the history of the place.

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Bird-in-prayerI am reading a journal. The name of the book is A Walk Through The Year by Edwin Way Teale. It was published in 1978.

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"Seven paths lead away from the white cottage with black shutters under the hickory trees...seven paths winding away radiating toward different points of the compass.

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Houses in Concord

They cross the fields that surround the house."

A path at Tower Hill

"They carry the sunterer to Lost Spring, where deer come to drink and to a cascade foaming over the rocks, where Hampton Brook crosses Old Woods Road."

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Bird-in-prayerThe book leads through the same paths and trails from season to season. He writes:

"Henry Thoreau thought "it would be pleasant to write the history of one hillside for one year"

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and John Keats, while vacationing in the Surrey countryside wrote to a friend: "I like this place very much. There is a hill and a dale and a little river."

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Bird-in-prayerAnyone who walks through the woods and explores nature is in good company. The book escorts you through walks in each season of the year. The photographs are in black and white, but richly tell the story of a New England scene.

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Bird-in-prayerI am aware, like the author of the book, as I walk through nature here that so many have walked these trails before me. It makes me wonder about the lives of these people. What once seemed brown and uninteresting, has been changed into a vivid tapestry of history. Where color is lacking, words dance into the depth of descriptions with romantic verse.

"Now, with my walk through the woods long ended and with darkness settled down, I sit by the fireplace at the end of this April day, rubbing dressing into the leather of my tramping boots. It is a scene from the past, the simple occupation on this night of advancing spring. It occurs to me that it might be taking place on any of the 170 years of nights that have slipped by since the house was built five years after the eighteenth century ended."


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Bird-in-prayerThe inspiration for my digital embellishment came from many walks on many paths here. The song for this post is Music Box.
LiLi M. said...

Your photos are fantastic as always. Hope you had a lovely Easter too. Here we are celebrating Easter in two days, so we are having the 2nd of Easter now, the weather is nice, everyone is enjoying what he or she does, could a girl ask for more?
Have a happy day too!

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

Lovely as always my friend. How I long for New England, though my life in Minneapolis is sweet. Anita

Snap said...

Beautiful .. as always. I wonder how much most people know about the history of the place where they live ... about the people who have gone before? My guess is that most don't care. Too sad! What a wealth of information is to be had. Thanks for the reminder.

Tara said...

Hi KAren

What peaceful shots---I can see spring holds its promise by you, iy will be there soon enough!

:0)
Tara

Coralie Cederna Johnson said...

Wonderful nature walks and post! You are an artist of the woodlands, so beautiful and inspiring! Thanks for sharing these wonderful photos and words!

Unknown said...

Lovely photos, Karen! It's so nice that you are getting to know the history of the area! How enriching that must be! :)

Happy Spring! :)

Gabriela said...

Hello Karen,

What a wonderful place!


~ Gabriela ~

Joyce said...

I enjoyed the walk. Photos are beautiful.
Joyce

Cottage Rose said...

Hello Karen; WOW; what a beautiful post, and your photos are just gorgeous. What a great place to take a long thoughtful walk with nature.

Hugs;
Alaura

Elyse said...

i've been a new englander most of my life and never really thought about spring as being brown, but you are right-on, it absolutely is until it slowly blossoms. by next month, it will be amazing!

a beautiful post.

xo

Christine said...

You have a great attitude about Spring time in the Northern Hemisphere. I was feeling the same way this week. Impatient with how long everything took (will take) to bloom and how it still looks and feels like winter. But change is slow as I was observing today as the sky was a gorgeous blue while it was at the same time lightly snowing. Thanks for the reminder to appreciate what is there already:)
Hope your Easter was wonderful!

xashee's corner said...

another BEAUTIFUL journey!! Thank you for sharing! i LOVE all your photos! :) Have a GREAT day! :)

Cape Cod Rambling Rose said...

A beautiful post indeed, Karen! You've captured the true spirit of a New England spring! I love taking walks around old places in New England. Back at my old home near Boston, I wondered what revolutionary soldiers might have walked down the same streets as I; and now here on the Cape, I wonder whether I am trodding in the same footsteps as the Native Americans once did. (Kids here always dig in the ground while playing at their sandboxes, wondering whether they'll find arrowheads buried deep down)! lol

Brenda Pruitt said...

What vividly beautiful photos! I would love to visit the very picturesque New England some day.
Brenda

Mary Isabella and Kiley too! said...

Just so beautiful!!! Have a wonderful day my friend...m..

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