Lynn Amber - Travel & Photography
sharing my thoughts through words and images
Kettle Pond Rhododendron
Kettle Pond Rhododendron – by Lynn Thomas Amber
A sprinkling of green
Nestled along the narrow trail
On the water’s edge.
Kettle Pond is situated in the Groton State Forest in north-central Vermont. Yesterday, my husband and I took a break from the relentless autumn chores that demand our attention before winter sets in. I chose our destination for a short hike based on length, difficulty and proximity to home. The Kettle Pond Trail skirts the perimeter of this small pond for a total distance of 3.2 miles. While designated as easy/moderate due to the level nature of the terrain, the trail does require good footing as it is laden with glacially-deposited moss-covered rocks and a multitude of tree roots!
Not long after we started the hike, I was so surprised to come across a small stand of Rhododendron maximum – native Rosebay Rhododendron. I was under the impression that southern Vermont was the northern limit of native stands of this species. I was curious and, upon further research, discovered the reason for this anamoly.
A “kettle pond” is by definition an acidic, freshwater body of water formed by retreating glaciers over 10,000 years ago. The conditions that are created by this glacially impacted forest are ideal for this Rhododendron species – a cool, acidic, shaded and moist environment. I learned that the nearby Levi Pond Wildlife Management Area has one of the state’s largest groves of Rhododendron maximum! I had no idea! The rhododendrons growing here are considered glacial disjunct populations – plants that are geographically isolated from their species normal range due to the retreat of glaciers years ago and the resulting shift in the microclimate of the specific location.
I feel very privileged to have experienced this rare grove of Rhododendron maximum and learn of its unusual reason for existing in this special place.
Marcescent Beech Leaves
Beech Symphony
November arrives
I walk through a dense forest
Beech leaves balance me.
by Lynn Thomas Amber
Milkweed Magic
Milkweed – poem by Mary Oliver
The milkweed now with their many pods are standing
like a country of dry women.
The wind lifts their flat leaves and drops them.
This is not kind, but they retain a certain crisp glamour;
moreover, it’s easy to believe
each one was once young and delicate, also
frightened; also capable
of a certain amount of rough joy.
I wish you would walk with me out into the world.
I wish you could see what has to happen, how
each one crackles like a blessing
over its thin children as they rush away.
I am fascinated by milkweed seed pods – such an exquisite combination of textures and subtle colors! I’m hoping to post a “photo and poem a day” for the month of November. I’ve set that as a goal for myself that will push me to focus more on my photography in the coming months. We shall see how well I do with this task!!
Last Glimpse of Autumn
We are on the backside of peak autumn colors – the leaves are falling, the colors are fading and there is a decided chill in the air. Sharing more of my photos from peak season last week 🙂
The top two photos are from the high point of my favorite walking loop near my house. On a clear day, the slopes of Killington are visible in the distance – but not this day!!
Autumn Magic
Earlier this week on my daily walk I carried along my “good” camera so I could capture the amazing Fall colors we are experiencing here in Vermont. It has been an exceptional display this year!
I’ll share more in the coming days 🙂
Hydrangea Season
While I toiled away at my seasonal gig in Maine this summer, my husband (back in Vermont) spent some time in early June digging up our front perennial garden. After many years, it was time to weed, divide and conquer an extremely overgrown mess! He “heeled in” all the perennials and shrubs that he dug up in temporary places and covered the bare ground with various materials to kill all the invasive weeds that had taken over.
Now, it’s fall and time to redesign and replant! My lovely Hydrangea paniculata is blooming like crazy right now in its temporary location. It will surely deserve a prominent place in the new garden!
Blueberry Season in Vermont
Over the years, we have established a small planting of blueberry bushes in our garden. This year my husband went to the effort of protecting all but 4 shrubs with netting. It has paid off. We leave the unprotected shrubs to the birds and have enjoyed a great crop of delicious fruit from the covered plants. I’m back from my Maine gig for a few days to process some of the bounty – freezing some and making jam. (And, of course, eating fresh in pancakes and muffin treats!)
Coastal Maine Botanical Garden 7.27.26
What a gorgeous day at the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden. Crocosmia, Lilies and Hydrangeas stole the show this afternoon! It was pretty crowded for a Monday – I guess it is mid-summer and tourist season! But, I soaked up the sun and enjoyed meandering through the gardens and woodland trails – oblivious to the crowds and focused only on the flowers!
Le Puy Camino – via Podiensis: Condom to Montreal du Gers
May 2, 2023
Happy to see the sun today!! When I walked yesterday, I enjoyed the company of several guys from Paris. They shared with me a variant diversion from the Way that would eliminate a troublesome, muddy and steep section of the GR65. It would also bring me through the medieval fort of Larressingle. I followed their advice and am so glad I did!
Before leaving Condom, we had to stop at the most famous photo spot in town! Outside the 16th century Cathédrale Saint-Pierre is a larger-than-life statue of the Count d’Artagnan and the Three Musketeers. We had fun taking a photo shoot here! A friend from the previous night’s lodging offered to take our picture! I have always loved the Three Musketeer movies and it was such fun to pose with them.
I captured some final photographs of Condom on the way out of town.
Crossing the Pont des Carmes over the La Baise river, it was a glorious morning and a picturesque look back at Condom.
Today’s landscape encompassed rolling hills, vineyards and a combination of paved roads and dirt agricultural tracts. It was not long before the town gave way to greenery.
Following the GR65 variant into Larrassingle, I felt like I had stepped back in time.
This small 13th century fortified village is amazingly preserved. The bridge into the village is a UNESCO site and considered an important historical monument along the Way of St. James.
The interior of the village is only 270 meters in circumference and it was quite lovely to wander around and admire the ancient architecture. Since it was still considered the off-season, the little cafe was not open regularly. Too bad! I was looking forward to resting and having a small snack!
After leaving the village, I continued on the paved road that would lead me back to the GR65 proper. Shortly after departing Larressingle, I crossed an ancient pedestrian bridge called the Pont d’Artiques. It crosses the Osse River and is another UNESCO World Heritage Site along the Way. I came upon an American couple who were riding bikes in the area. They were housesitting nearby and had been touring Europe picking up various housesitting gigs throughout the British Isles and Western Europe. Very intriguing!
The path continued through agricultural fields and old farms. The air just felt so fresh and clear today!
The Église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine de Routgès is the oldest church in the region – dating to before the 13th century.
The interior was quite a surprise!
The town of Montreal du Gers is a pretty little village and our accommodation – A La Halte du Rempart – was located right on the main square. I sat at a small cafe and had a beer while I waited for the lodging to open and watched the town crew putting up flower planters on the other hotel in town.
Our lodging tonight would be in a shared dorm space with 10 other people at a cost of 26 euros with demi-pension. Because I got there ahead of most other pilgrims, I was able to secure two beds that were positioned so that we were on one end of the room. My big surprise came when several men showed me the view from our second floor window. They exclaimed that finally we could see the Pyrenees and wanted to point it out to me.
Throughout the day, I noticed that the big toe on my left foot was getting very irritated. When I took off my boots, it was pretty red and looked like an infection might be imminent. I put some antibiotic ointment on it and bandaged it up – hoping for the best. I discovered that, due to several days of wet, muddy weather and trails, the inside lining in my boot had started to separate and press against my toe. I needed to remedy this situation and stuffed newspaper in my boots to try and push the lining back up into place. Tomorrow will be a good test to see if it gets any worse.
It was a pretty rough night sleeping in this dorm room. Lots of snoring and coughing going on!! Yikes!! Tomorrow is another day!!
Le Puy Camino – via Podiensis: La Romieu to Condom
May 1, 2023
Today’s walk to Condom would take me 14.5 kilometers through yet another muddy trail day! It was an easy route except for the delays when I had to scrap mud from my boots!
There were a couple of highlights along the Way today worth mentioning. In Castelnau-sur-l’Auvignon, I passed by a unique war memorial with some interesting albeit sad history. On June 21, 1944, a battle took place here between multi-national resistance fighters and troops of the German occupation of France. The out-numbered resistance fighters were forced to evacuate and suffered the loss of 19 heroic freedom fighters. This memorial commemorates their bravery in the face of insurmountable odds.
A short walk from Castelnau-sur-l”Auvignon, through a countryside filled with vineyards, I came upon the Chapelle Sainte-Germaine de Baradieu. This lovely 12 century Romanesque chapel is all that remains of an ancient monastery. I took a break here and walked around the grounds and inside the church.
Above – inside the church and the entrance courtyard…
After leaving the church, the GR65 runs alongside the Lac de Bousquetara for a short distance. I noticed some “boondocking” campers on the shoreline.
I enjoyed the company of a couple of gentleman pilgrims for part of my walk today. They were from Paris and one of them had studied at New York University and spoke very good English. They informed me that during the trail tomorrow there is a section that should be avoided due to very steep, muddy terrain and provided me with a detail of an alternate route. I very much appreciated this!!
When I arrived in Condom, I found a nice spot to have a cold beer and rest before finding my gîte – Gîte d’étape Le Réconfort. The gîte was okay. My only complaint is that there wasn’t a real good system in place to wash and clean boots! I ended up having to take a dishpan with water to the back alley and scrub them with a brush. I admit to being in a very ugly mood for a bit that night!! My boots needed to get dry and stuffing them with newspaper did not help matters. It would prove to be an issue in subsequent days.
I spent some time in the evening trying to plan out the rest of the trip’s accommodations. With the Victory Day holiday coming up, some gîtes were closed. As with much on the Way, it all works out in the end!
