Ashley Reservoir
Peter is taking the GREs today (please wish him luck) in an industrial park in West Springfield, MA and Cris and I have a few hours to fill. Friends had told us about the Ashley Reservoir which is nearby so we decided on a walk. This place is amazing. Less than 5 minutes off the 91 and so peaceful.
The fact that this place is so close to the Holyoke Mall and a major highway makes it even more surprising.
What is especially cool is the ability to walk across these causeways and feel like you are in the middle of a lake. Almost like walking on water!
Next time any of you are driving through Western Mass, take Exit 15 off the 91 and you are there. Sadly, no doggies though.
Olive
Today was a nice and grey day and after editing some suitcase photos and watching Fulham beat Wolves, Olive and I headed up into the woods. I have never seen a winter with so much water, and it was really wet with small rivulets running all over the place. Olive was in her element. She carried that birch log that is in front of her for most of the walk.
It is always a bit surprising to see something so colorful in the middle of winter. With all this water, it might just be a good year for mushrooming.
I wanted to do this post for Patty, who follows this site and recently asked for more pictures of the Olive. It’s probably a good time to mention that if you want to see more of her, I post on instagram as jonkcrispin. It is a nice outlet for me to put up photographs that I take with my phone. So check it out, and thanks for following.
Back in England
My friend John Wilson picked me up at Heathrow on Monday morning. After a jammed up drive to Stratford upon Avon on the M40, we made it in time for the dog’s evening walk. Here he is with Violet, and Sid and Lilly. Sid is a pup and Lilly wears a muzzle because twice now she has eaten small plastic balls that had to be removed surgically.
The next morning we all went for a nice long walk on the Welcombe Hills.
The obelisk off in the distance is very cool.
These sheep were very interested in the dogs, but the dogs couldn’t be bothered.
Here are Flora and Violet heading back to the car.
And Sid taking a bit of a break while he kept an eye out for squirrels.
Today was another warmish day so we drove to Broadway in the Cotswolds for another chance to walk the dogs.
I first met John when I was living in Berlin in the 1980s and we have been fast friends ever since. I have actually had this Barbour jacket (which he originally bought in Berlin) for the last 20 or so years. He needed it back for his dog walks so it is now his again. I hope to have it back someday.
Here is Sid patiently waiting for a treat.
I have always had a soft spot for Morgan cars. This one is sitting in front of one of the Broadway hotels, and it took my breath away when I saw it.
After our walk we ended up here for a lovely lunch. We have come to the Snowshill Arms many times, and it always makes me so happy.
While John was sorting out the dogs and Flora was getting Violet organized, I went in to see about a table. John said “Four people and two dogs”. Sid and Lilly were under the table the whole meal. Here is Siddy giving me a nuzzle. What a sweet boy.
Leaves
I took a break from the computer earlier this afternoon to take Olive up into the woods.
Somewhere deep in my memory lives the idea that I have seen something like this before. But I find it quite amazing and wondrous that I saw two different instances of leaves attached to what appears to be a thin strand of spider thread floating in midair and moving with the light breeze. This made me really happy.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Big Stick / Water / Crocus
Now that the winter is (maybe…probably) over, it is nice to be able to walk in the woods without snow shoes.
Olive always has a funny look on her face when she is carrying a big stick. Once she has ventured into the woods and made the difficult decision as to her preference, she is all business.
This time of the year is great for her as she gets the opportunity to spend a lot of time romping in the streams that surround our neighborhood. By August, this waterfall is usually just a trickle.
These little guys are starting to pop up through the pine needles. Nice.
Olive in the Woods
We had a very dry Summer and Autumn this past year and there has been hardly any water in the woods above the house. Olive has really missed splashing around. After the heavy snow of two weeks ago, the warm temperatures, and the recent rains, she is now back in luck.
She is amazing when it comes to chasing sticks.
It’s colder today so she is spending time next to the wood stove.
Wishing you all a great week.
Warmth
The past few days have provided what might be the last warmth before the autumn ends. Olive and I had a nice walk in the woods yesterday.
There wasn’t any water for her to mess about in, but she seems to enjoy rooting around in the leaves looking for mushrooms.
I never remember what this plant is called, but there are tons of them livening up the forrest floor.
The Amherst Farmer’s Market was quite busy today. This is turmeric, and I don’t ever recall seeing it fresh like this. I didn’t buy any, but did get some amazing fresh ginger that will go in the freezer.
Olive loves to go shopping with us and is so well behaved in town. She has been a great comfort to us in the past couple of weeks. The world has felt a bit topsy-turvy of late.
Pink Lady’s Slipper / Red Eft
There are hundreds of pink lady’s slippers around the house. We are very lucky.
Red efts were out today as well, as it is a rainy, humid day. These guys are tiny.
Water Plant
We had a lovely walk in the woods this morning. The trees are just starting to show new growth, and I was pleased to see that some of these water plants (identification anyone?) are starting to appear in the small streams. This one is right near a spot where Olive likes to lie in the water and rub her back on the moss covered rocks.
This is from a few days ago. It might be time for a bath.
Green / Big Stick
Now that the snow is all gone Olive and I have started spending more time in the woods. It rained most of the day yesterday, so it was pretty wet. Nice.
She is a total stick (or should I say log) girl. This could have been record size for her. She carried it for about half a mile.
I have been seeing a lot of green lately, and these fungi are just beautiful. Can anyone out there tell me what they are?
Jon Crispin's Notebook 
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