The Path - Our Walk Is Done

Just a few steps down - they're sturdier than they look!

There's a little friend waiting at the bottom.

Well hey there, friend!

You can't blame a body for pausing a moment, enjoying the scenery, getting a little Zen by the water.

Halfway across the dam is the stone cairn. I'd tell you how Mum got them balanced, but then the fairies would figure out what happened to all their dust.

That's all for the little surprises...for now...so we're done with our tour...

...except for the whole climbing back up to the house part. Groan!

The Path, Almost There

I was looking for gnomes, but found their cafe table unoccupied.

A fairy and her bluebird steed found a lovely little garden to rest in.

Someone left their umbrella...good thing it's a sunny day.

Ah, here's a gnome after my own heart - hangin' out in the woods playin' his flute. Maybe we'll jam sometime.

Just the right amount of crinoline...

The Path, Deeper In

Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go. Umm...where's the house??

Oh, good, the house is still there. Let's move on, shall we?

More of those delightful, whimsical fungi.

A fairy house? See the floaty white thing? What is it?

Eh, probably a trick of light - nothing's home.

Nature decided to add a touch of her own to the decore.

The Path, At the Trail Head

Stand with your back to the woods and you'll see Mum's cabin.

Our point of departure, the head of the path. She's not kidding about the fairies.

Just inside the treeline, we start down to the pond. See that thing in the middle of the path?


Meow!!


Please don't eat the giant, friendly, magic mushrooms- they were a birthday gift from Mum's brother and Sister-in-Law, and she adores them - the 'shrooms and the family members. Also, they are metal and would chip your teeth.

More tomorrow...

The Path

There are many paths, many ways...

Wait. I didn't mean that kind of path!

Things have been kind of heavy around here lately, so I figured I lighten up a little and share Mum's path to the pond. It's a nice path, and it deserves a little love.

A while back (don't ask me when, I don't remember exactly), Mum decided that she wanted a path down to the pond. There was a sort of game trail through the trees, but it started at the bottom of the driveway, went through some thick growth and down a steep little drop before emerging near the dam.

She wanted something a little more human friendly that started near the cabin and ended at the dam so she and her guests, family, or imaginary friends didn't have to stumble through trees, undergrowth, and crazed poison ivy vines to get to the pond.

The overgrown, somewhat cluttered pond.

That wasn't draining as it should.

Uh-oh - what started as a path became a Project.

She hired some very nice young men to sweat, swear, grunt, groan, and play with heavy equipment, and soon she had a path through the woods that didn't require the felling of trees (important - we really don't like felling trees), a cleared pond (they did remove some trees here, but only before nature got them - they were too close to the water for their own good), and a drain pipe that actually drained (although it does require constant clearing to keep doing its job).

A couple of weeks ago, we spent a family day planting some trees and clearing weeds around the pond. T worked the weed-thingy. Mum, Bird and I were finished first, so we went on back to the house. While Mum and Bird went ahead, I lingered on the path and shot some photographs. You see, Mum has some little surprises along the way, if one cares to look about.

Over the next few days, I'll walk you down that path from the house with pictures. Wear comfortable shoes and bring some water - it's not a long walk, but coming back is up hill and the humidity makes the heat feel ten times worse than it really is.