It actually hit -10 degrees last night. We burned some of the aspen that fell down in the storm earlier this year — it popped like nobody’s business, but it burned hot.
There are coyotes howling and tracks in the snow everywhere: deer, coyote, rabbit, squirrel… here are a couple of pictures from down by the barn:
The fringed gentians are blooming! This lovely late-season flower is listed as endangered throughout most of its range, but in New York State it’s “exploitably vulnerable.” Haven’t we all felt that way at times? Check out the photo (by me) and poem (by William Cullen Bryant), below:
To the Fringed Gentian.
THOU blossom bright with autumn dew,
And coloured with the heaven’s own blue,
That openest when the quiet light
Succeeds the keen and frosty night.
Thou comest not when violets lean
O’er wandering brooks and springs unseen,
Or columbines, in purple dressed,
Nod o’er the ground-bird’s hidden nest.
Thou waitest late and com’st alone,
When woods are bare and birds are flown,
And frosts and shortening days portend
The aged year is near his end.
Then doth thy sweet and quiet eye
Look through its fringes to the sky,
Blue—blue—as if that sky let fall
A flower from its cerulean wall.
I would that thus, when I shall see
The hour of death draw near to me,
Hope, blossoming within my heart,
May look to heaven as I depart.
For anyone who hasn’t been up to visit recently, Jim Chambers has been busy down on the farm. He’s selling organic tomatoes, garlic, great cukes, corn, and an assortment of peppers (the poblanos have a real kick) — and all within walking distance of the pond! He’s also converted Brennan’s old house to solar energy, and spent much of last week decorating the field across the road:
Eva Thaddeus just wrote to let me know that the New Mexico Public Education Commission today unanimously approved the charter of the Cien Aguas International School, a bilingual charter school in New Mexico. She’s one of the founders, and they’re planning to open in August 2009. Congratulations, Eva! It will be a busy year.
For those of you who want details (and I know you’re out there), you can read the full 116 page charter application online. It looks like it’s going to be a great school:
http://www.ped.state.nm.us/charter/dl09/applications/CienAguasInternationalSchool.pdf
The map is up! Follow the link to driving directions at right to see it. I got the aerial from the web, and the road map from Falcon Ridge — hope they don’t sue.
For those of you who are interested in bugs and flowers, here are some spring and summer photographs from the community. If you want to share your own pictures, let me know.
You found the website! There’s not that much here yet, but I’m open to suggestions. I think I need to do some sort of community map, plus driving directions to get here (maybe a Google/Mapquest link). I’m going to post the minutes to board meetings as soon as I can get my hands on them, as well as the by-laws. I’d like to do a brief (or not so brief) history of the community, but I’ll need help. Any other ideas?