Having finished hiking the 57-mile Mattabesett Trail, we decide to tackle the trails at Cockaponset State Forest. At more than 16,000 acres, it is the second largest state forest, located in both Middlesex and New Haven counties. Check out the new Cockaponset blog!
Beth and Cherry’s new hiking adventure!
30 12 2011Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: Cockaponset State Forest, hiking
Categories : Hiking
Fifteen days
7 12 2011 |
| Photo Credit: Gloria Augeri |
Looking at the calendar, I realize that the solstice will be here in just over two weeks. Then, the days will start getting longer again! Maybe it’s been the balmy weather (except for Storm Albert) or my personal busy-ness, but it doesn’t seem that it’s been hard to adjust to the darkness this year.
I expect there will be more snow (in fact, some is predicted in the higher elevations for tonight) and I am certain we will have frosty nights again. For now, I am grateful it’s been a gentle November and December thus far. And I look forward to the not-so-distant day when the minutes of daylight begin to accumulate and we inch toward the time when taking an after-work walk does not include carrying a flashlight.
How do others feel? Has the darkness been difficult or not?
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Categories : Gloria Augeri, nature, Solstice, Storm Albert
Can Nature Help Us Heal?
2 12 2011
The other night, I was having dinner with several friends who spontaneously spoke about the healing value of nature. The first person talked about how she “listens to the quiet.” Just sits in the same spot and observes and listens to what is around her and how this provides her with a sense of peace and connection.
The second person said that nature was the only place that gave her a sense of power and strength after the loss of her husband and son. She would walk for hours in the woods and find solace and felt the return of her self. “It was only outside that I could find that.”
“When I’m inside, my container of troubles fills the house,” said the third friend who held out her arms in front of her, fingertips touching, to form a big circle. “But when I go outside, the world is big enough to hold them all.” She went on to say that, outdoors, she would realize how small her troubles were in the scheme of the whole universe.
Three unsolicited ideas about the importance of nature to our health. What are your experiences? Do you agree?
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Categories : Ecotherapy, healing, nature
Thanks to “Albert”
16 11 2011I am still dragging five loads of brush, limbs, and tree stumps to the curb every day. Thank you, “Albert,” for keeping my arms in shape, now that kayaking season is over.
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Categories : Uncategorized
Fall colors
14 11 2011 |
| Not in CT this year |
After “Irene,” many trees turned prematurely brown. Perhaps their leaves were damaged by heavy salt content of the accompanying rain and winds. A hint at the possibility of a dull fall.
Extended Indian Summer provided hope that, somehow, the maples might erase those previous weeks and resume their transformation into autumn brilliance. Mission impossible with no frost or cooling nights before “Albert” dumped heavy snows at the end of October.
Fall color is cancelled. All along the Connecticut coast, it’s the same story. Leaves either ripped away, shed, or clinging in dull browns, muted oranges, and pale yellows.
For me, it’s hard enough to say goodbye to summer’s delights. The usual cacophony of color soothes my disappointed and cocooning spirit. Not this year. I wonder if October’s storm suggests a brutal winter. Or perhaps that was the worst of it. Ah, time will tell. One thing I love about this Earth–certain of its secrets can’t be pried loose, even by the best of scientists.
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Categories : colors, Ecotherapy, fall, healing, nature
Water
11 11 2011
Last week, we had no power, which means, for me, no water. I considered every drop of water I used. How much do I need to brush my teeth? Wash my face? How many more toilet flushes do I have before I must trek to the creek for refills?
Now that my power is back, I can easily meet my needs. But I wonder if I should pay more attention to my water consumption. According to www.drinktap.org, each of us in the United States use 69.3 gallons of water every day. Every day! England, for example, uses only 14% of what we do (http://chartsbin.com/view/1455).
Don’t get me started on the use of bottled water (107 liters per person per year in the US) …..
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Categories : healing, nature, water
The Novel Group
9 11 2011Last week, The Novel Group had to miss its weekly meeting, because we had no power due to Storm Albert. So, today our motley crew trooped into our meeting hall, each of us with at least one story to tell about being without power or medical procedures. Or both. In fact, we were so deprived from missing our meeting, we spend the first half hour on our “I have a cat” stories.
However, we did finally get down to reviewing three submissions. Interestingly, all were generated by our efforts to meet the NaNoWriMo standards. National Novel Writing Month encourages writers to sit down daily for 30 days and write about 1,600 words in order to produce a 50K word novel at the month’s end. Although none of us were able to keep that schedule, we all admitted that the goal had at least jump-started us to set pen to paper (or rather fingers to keyboard). And two of these were brandy-new works.
We’ll see what type of pace we can continue; it’s a lofty goal. But one worth pursuing.
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Tags: NaNoWriMo, The Novel Group
Categories : The Novel Group
New Website and Blog
9 11 2011Today, I decided to try WordPress to see if it would meet my needs for a website and blog for my writing career. I am pleased! I feel that the site is easy to use and I’ve figured out how to do just about everything I want, as of now.
Interestingly, this was much easier than the other sites I’ve tried (Google, wix, weebly). I think I am all set! I will try a few more things first and then, I may purchase my domain name!
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Categories : Uncategorized
Without power, stillness
2 11 2011No electricity: no heat, no light, no water. No computer, no internet. Quiet. Still.
Only birds calling from tree to tree. Cats purring. Neighbors’ voices, as we check in with each other. It’s 30 degrees outside, 36 in, so no frozen pipes. I mindlessly flick on the light switch to the basement to retrieve bird seed. As aware as I might think I am, I am also still on autopilot. In the geothermal cellar the temp is 44. No wonder the cat spent the day on his cushion down here.
Meanwhile the Earth rebounds. Snow clods slip noisily to the ground and trees stretch their bent branches skyward. The creek collects runoff as the temperature inches its way upward into the 50s by afternoon.
Quiet, as we adjust our activities. Listen to the morning news on the battery-powered radio. Still 700,000 without power. My turn will not be soon. Read during the day, work outdoors on fallen branches and smothered bushes to generate body heat. Cook on the outside stove and clean up before dark. Then nestle under covers for a long winter’s nap. Back to the daily rhythms dictated by Nature. It’s not so bad.
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Categories : Uncategorized
Snow before first frost
28 10 2011
Yesterday, I knew I was cold, but I didn’t truly believe that we would get snow. We hadn’t even had our first frost yet! When I heard sleet pelting the windows, I brought in my begonias. Only a short while later, there it was–flakes of the white stuff filling the air, covering the ground, blanketing the rhododendron leaves.
It had been a long Indian summer; I knew I shouldn’t complain. But snow in October did not seem fair. I decided that I would sleep inside. Since June, I had been spending my nights on the back porch. I was reminded of those who don’t have shelter, the increased number of homeless and those occupying various squares and parks. I was grateful for the option.
I settled into my bed and listened to the bang-bang as one cat came in (or perhaps out) through the cat door. Bang-bang. Another. Bang. There are only two cats. It’s a revolving door for them. The noise drove me crazy and the porch was probably only 15 degrees colder. Out I went.
Sleet hit the windows, the wind blew. Ah! Sounds that put me to sleep.
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Categories : frost, healing, nature, Rhododendron, snow
Beth Lapin 