Lynn Amber - Travel & Photography
sharing my thoughts through words and images
Stone Harbor Point Marshlands
The house we rented in Stone Harbor is just a block from the dunes, beach and marshlands of Stone Harbor Point. My daily walk included the nearly two-mile one-way hike (at low-tide) to the point – the southern most tip of the Seven Mile Island. Part of the trail skirts this marshland that separates the bay from the ocean. I love this habitat. It is teeming with waterfowl – egrets, great blue herons – and is an important bird sanctuary.
Longing for the shore
Yesterday we had a dusting of snow, this morning a few inches. It is cold and windy and gray. Is it any wonder I was dreaming of warmer times – in particular my September visit to Stone Harbor, New Jersey! I’ve been slowly processing the photographs from my trip two months ago and will be sharing them here along with more current, seasonable scenes from Vermont.
The week I visited Stone Harbor coincided with the wild fires that were ravaging the west. Some very high level smoky haze from those fires made it’s way to the Jersey coast and it affected my photography. The eerie sunrise above is a result of that haze.
Snowy Morning
I woke up early this morning to a dusting of snow. It came down pretty hard for a spell but did not end up sticking to the ground – except in the woods. Since picking up a temporary job for the State of Vermont a couple of weeks ago, my routine has changed Monday through Friday. I’m up before sunrise so I can partake of my morning coffee regimen and generally start work around 7:30 am. Vermont state workers are still working from home, so I have my workspace set up on the dining room table. I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to organize my photography time around my work obligation and get my daily walk in! 🙂
With the shorter days, it’s going to be a challenge to get outdoors, take part in my daily exercise and take pictures! Today, I decided to sneak outside during my mid-morning break. The temperatures were hovering in the low 20’s and the wind was howling – but I was too lazy to bundle up since I did not plan on lingering long in the great outdoors. So, I wondered around the front garden in my slippers without a coat. Brrr…..if nothing else, it woke me up!
It’s amazing how the garden transforms itself in the winter and the focus shifts from blossoms to other interesting plant parts. There is beauty beyond flowers! You just have to look closely!
cemetery Symbology
Once every few years I venture into the old cemetery up the dirt road. As I was walking past the cemetery today, the gate was open. I noticed this little detail right away and found that odd as it is always latched shut. I took it as an invitation for a totally spontaneous visit! Usually when I visit a cemetery, I focus on the names and the dates of the stones. Today was no exception. On my initial pass through this small cemetery, I reminded myself of the several family names that were represented here. The stones all date to the 1700’s and 1800’s with several graves indicating military service in the civil war. As I came to the last row of stones, my focus shifted and my gaze settled on the unique “artwork” on each stone.
I became curious about the different symbols that were chosen by the surviving family members who were responsible for arranging the completion of the gravestones. After I arrived home and processed the photos, I did some research into the meaning of some of the symbols. Fascinating reading! There are a number of websites out there devoted to gravestone studies.
I found out that the symbol on the above photograph – a hand pointing up – “signifies the reward of the righteous, confirmation of life after death” or “Heavenly reward, ascension to Heaven.” This interpretation seems consistent across multiple websites including the Association for Gravestone Studies.
My second photograph depicted what appeared to be an “eye” under the words In God We Trust. I found that there are many variations of “eye” symbols used on gravestones. One of the most common interpretations considers the symbol to be the “Eye of God” watching over humankind and often means the deceased was a member of the fraternal order of Freemasons.
The final photograph has a couple of symbols – one fairly obviously represents the Tree of Life. The other “flower-like” symbol was intriguing and a mystery. After some searching, I discovered that the six-pointed star-like shape is called a hexfoil. Other common names for this symbol include daisy wheel and witch mark. Now, this was really interesting! Apparently, the use of hexfoils on gravestones goes back to the Roman Empire and may have existed before Christianity. According to a PhD student, whose website can be found here, “the use of a hexfoil could be viewed as intending protection for the soul of the deceased, protection for their earthly remains, or a bit of both. This use of magic made its way to the British Isles and throughout Europe, and eventually to the colonial settlements in North America.”
After browsing through several of these gravestone symbology websites, I am suitably hooked on learning more!
All Hallow’s Eve Walkabout
On All Hallow’s Eve
Ushering in Winter’s dark
We toast Fall’s bounty ~ Lynn Thomas Amber
My engagement with the celebration of Halloween has changed over the years. I remember, as a kid, always feeling somewhat shy about knocking on someone’s door and asking for treats. It just did not feel right to me. Growing up in the very controlled environment of Red Lion Row in Longwood Gardens where there were less than 20 houses, everyone knew each other. So, curious that I was still intimidated by the trick-or-treating process. It was common for the occupants of the house to try and guess who you were before dispensing the “treat.” And, they almost always got it right! As an introvert, I can safely say that if not for those protected surroundings I probably would not have participated in Halloween! Today, I doubt most neighborhoods have that degree of familiarity with their Halloween visitors. I would never have approached a strangers house and begged for candy!
After childhood, I did not routinely partake in Halloween (with the exception of one memorable Halloween party in college, but we won’t go there!) until I had my own children. I felt a certain obligation to introduce them to the popular Fall celebration even though I was not a fan. Since we lived in a very rural area, door-to-door trick-or-treating was non-existent – which was just fine with me! Instead, we had fun carving pumpkins and decorating for Halloween. We often helped my grandmother distribute candy to hoards of trick-or-treaters in her neighborhood in Kennett Square, PA. Being elderly, she was a tad afraid to be on her own with strangers coming to her house but she still insisted on taking part in the annual ritual. She really did enjoy seeing the younger children all dressed up. The amount of candy she would give away was almost obscene. We would routinely count well over 100 visitors on a typical Halloween night.
I sewed many of our costumes through my sons childhood years and we took advantage of other ways to participate in the festivities. The public school had annual Halloween parades and the town of West Chester, PA hosted a community parade every year. My favorite Halloween memory is the year we entered the West Chester Halloween Parade as a “farm family” with hubby Jim helping to “power” the tractor! Ya gotta love the old funky flash photography and red-eye imagery!
Halloween signifies something much different at this point in my life. It ushers in November – for me one of the bleakest months of the year – and signifies the beginning of the downslide towards the shortest day of the year. That said I’m once again going to try and capture a photo-a-day for each day in November. I just know there’s magic out there in November – and I’m going to attempt to find it and alter my pessimistic view of the 11th month! ONWARD TO NOVEMBER IN VERMONT! 🙂
FRosty Fothergilla
This week has seen some huge fluctuations in temperature as Vermont transitions from one season to the next. We had some extremely clear, crisp frosty mornings followed by days that commenced downright balmy and misty. At first light the other day, I slipped on my Birkenstocks and headed out to capture the amazing icicles that coated my colorful Fothergilla leaves. It was magical! 🙂
Spotlight on Witchhazel
October morning
Witchhazel blossoms shine bright
With the rising sun ~ Lynn Amber
My witchhazel tree has taken center stage in my garden this week. Blooming in late October and November, this plant is found all over the eastern part of the United States – east of the Mississippi, west to Texas, north to Nova Scotia and south to Florida. It is hardy to zone 3 and virtually disease and insect free. While there are many Asian hybrids of witchhazel on the market today, the native plant – Hamamelis viginiana – is my favorite.
The name witch hazel is thought to be derived from an old English word, wyche. Wyche has its word origins in Germany and translates as “to bend.” The branches of the witchhazel are extremely flexible giving rise to the descriptive word wyche being used in its name. Over time, the spelling seems to have changed to a more modern “witch.” The tree is associated with hazelnuts due to its similar leaf and fruit. So, quite possibly, the original common name was wyche hazel!! 🙂
European settlers to America observed the Native Americans using the branches of witch hazel as a divining rod for finding water – what we term dowsing. Today, many landowners in Vermont still use dowsers when trying to find a new source of water. Although I suspect it is becoming a lost art.
Witchhazel was also used medicinally by Native Americans for the treatment of many conditions and is found in many skin care products today. The leaves, bark and branches are used as an astringent for topical applications on skin to reduce inflammation, bleeding, common skin irritations and is reported to have anti-bacterial properties. All in all, a very useful and aesthetic plant!!
Although the witch hazel is drawing all the attention right now in my front garden, other plants are also shining.
My Fothergilla gardenii is finally starting to turn color. This is an extraordinary plant with brilliant red and orange fall color. Another favorite native plant that I adore!
Before the robins devour all my winterberry holly berries, I thought I’d capture another photograph of a large clump of berries hidden in the middle of the shrub. I watched the robins en masse this morning raiding the bushes and gorging on berries!
Finally, our blueberry bushes are putting on their fall display and are at peak color right now.
Falling Leaves and Lingering Color
“Every leaf speaks bliss to me – fluttering from the autumn tree.” – Emily Bronte
Walking along my Vermont gravel road the other day, I was focused on the leaves that had fallen to the ground lining the shoulder of the road and carpeting the forest. As we reached peak season this year and began the slide towards that awkward in-between space between fall and winter, rain and steady winds knocked the leaves off the trees prematurely. At first I was disappointed that I had missed “peak” here in central Vermont. We were on Lake Champlain enjoying autumn there and arrived back home to bare ash trees and diminished color in other tree species.
As a child growing up on the grounds of Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, I remember the fun we had each autumn when the leaves started falling. We lived in an area of employee housing called Red Lion Row. It consisted of about 15 houses occupying land just north of the gardens. A large field and wooded area separated us from the public areas of Longwood. Many of the employees planted vegetable gardens in the field and as kids we roamed the woods and, often the gardens, unattended and free to explore. We used to ride our bikes to the edge of the woods near the gardens and hide them in the towering rhododendrons near what is now the Terrace Restaurant. From there, we rambled around the grounds and enjoyed a playground of formal gardens and fountains – oblivious to the tourists. On hot summer days, we would bravely sneak into the fountains to cool off!
I loved growing up in Longwood and on “the row.” It was a small, tight-knit, multi-generational community. In the fall, as the leaves began to drop, we would rake them up into huge piles – diving into them and throwing them up in the air – letting them shower down upon us. One of my favorite pastimes involved using the leaves to design floor plans for houses. I was in elementary school when we lived there but my creative design inclinations were already forming. Using a rake, I would arrange the leaves into “walls” and create a plan view of a house complete with a kitchen, living room, bedrooms, bath, etc. The beauty of this was the ease with which I could change a “wall” or add a “room.” I have a vivid memory of standing back and critically admiring my design. So, I guess you could say my desire to design things began with leaves! Hence, my fascination with them today!
Enjoy the photos of my immediate Vermont surroundings this fall. Even though peak season has passed, there is still beauty in the leaves!
My daily walk takes me past some interesting landmarks. Vermont is dotted with small, family-centered and local cemeteries that are often on less-traveled back roads and overgrown logging trails. Up the road from my home is an example of one of those cemeteries. I love to wander around and read the grave markers imagining their lives on the hill way back then. While some of these cemeteries are no longer maintained, a local family keeps this one mowed and stones are repaired as needed.
We typically think of autumn as the end of the flowering season but close observation reveals those late blooming flowers, grasses and fruits can be just as remarkable as mid-summer blossoms. In my garden, I’m enjoying late-season sedum, phlox, witchhazel, purple coneflower, switchgrass and red winterberry fruits. Nature is providing vivid color from asters and goldenrods growing in the fields and along the roadsides.
When I was homeschooling my younger son during his mid-elementary years, we had the freedom to embark on a Fall road trip to visit some relatives in Pennsylvania. On our way back home, we stopped at a rest area on Interstate 84 near Scranton. The rest area was shaded by massive oak trees and as we wandered around admiring these impressive giants, we noticed an enormous amount of acorns on the ground. An idea was quickly formulated to surprise my husband with these precious seeds. We grabbed a bag from the car and scooped up as many as we could. This exercise became a “impromptu” science lesson on the life cycle of an acorn!
Oak trees do not grow naturally in our microclimate in Vermont. They are more prevalent along the warmer bodies of water near Lake Champlain and the Connecticut River valley. They are hardy here, however, and our love of oak trees (derived from growing up in Pennsylvania) has not diminished since moving to Vermont. We planted the acorns back in Vermont and now have some oak trees on our property to enjoy! Several years ago, we transplanted two of the white oaks to our back yard. I call them the “twin oaks” and they are now in excess of 20 feet tall and rendering a beautiful burgundy Fall color.
I hope you were entertained by this recent photographic journey highlighting Fall in Vermont – and the inclusion of the memories it evokes of the past.
Vermont Fall Series 10.1.20 Lake Champlain Get-Away
Day 2
On our second day at Button Bay State Park we decided to take a road trip to a couple of other local places of interest. Our first stop was Mount Philo State Park in Charlotte, Vermont where we hoped to enjoy a short hike to the summit for some awesome views of the valley and Lake Champlain.
Being a gorgeous Fall day and also Saturday, we should have anticipated the crowds. The parking lot just inside the entrance gate was approaching capacity when we arrived and we considered turning around and visiting another day. But, in the end, we parked the truck and decided to brave the onslaught of happy hikers. Masks on, we took the advice of the very friendly and competent gate attendants, and hiked up the trail and down the road. Thus, completing a loop that would possibly alleviate some of the congestion on the trail.
Mount Philo State Park was Vermont’s first official state park. Before being sold to the state, the owners of a private inn at the base of the mountain constructed a carriage road for their guests that led to the summit. Once the state gained possession, the Civilian Conservation Corps was enlisted to improve the area. A ranger station, campground, mountain-top lodge and picnic area are examples of their work. Check out this great historical account of the CCC’s work in Vermont.
The day we hiked to the summit it was unbelievably hazy. I’m not sure if this was due to lingering smoke haze from the fires out west. It did mean that photography was a challenge. It was almost impossible to get a good clear photo that outlined the Adirondacks and showcased the valley below. The Summit Trail was under construction is sections and there were a couple of detours along the way.
While in high school, both of my sons worked one summer for the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps and this is the type of project they would have completed. I don’t know who was responsible for this trail work but it reminded me of their experience. The organization offers students and young adults an exceptional opportunity to earn money and gain an appreciation for the outdoors, all while improving our public lands.
This was my best attempt at a landscape photo from the summit! It required considerable editing in Lightroom to pull in the Adirondack skyline and it’s still very hazy! It does however capture the essence of the Champlain Valley. 🙂
I noticed these signs at the summit of Mt. Philo and was pleased to see that a local boy scout troop was active here. We are a boy scout family and I love to come across evidence of the stewardship they provide in their local communities.
After completing our hike, we drove to our next destination where we intended to eat our picnic lunch. I’m a member of Escapee’s RV Club and write occasional articles for them as well. In a recent edition, there was a short article about the Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburgh, Vermont. I was happy to discover that we were very close to this place!
The museum is housed in a separate building from the farmhouse and outbuildings and includes a small gift shop, a second floor permanent exhibit space and a first floor rotating exhibit hall. The homestead was called Rokeby and was inhabited by several generations of the Robinson family from 1793 until 1961. The Robinsons settled in Vermont and were Quaker abolitionists. The entire site is a National Historic Landmark and one of the best in the country for its Underground Railroad history. The National Park Service says it is “unrivaled among known sites for its historical integrity and the poignancy of the stories it tells.”
The second floor permanent exhibit is titled Free and Safe: The Underground Railroad in Vermont. It tells the story of two fugitives from slavery who found shelter and work on the Robinson farm. The Robinsons were meticulous at preserving valuable written accounts of their years on the farm. They also saved everything so the grounds and house provide artifacts and architecture that offers a true glimpse into the past. I highly recommend spending time exploring the museum exhibits and well-preserved grounds and buildings. There’s a natural history trail guide that helps explain various aspects of the farm as you stroll the area. You can access the website above for a virtual tour of the museum.
We got back to the campground in time to prepare and eat dinner before biking out to the point for yet another spectacular sunset!
Day 3
We spent our remaining full day mostly just hanging out at Button Bay. In the morning, I had the idea to drive over to Kingsland Bay State Park, which was close by and also on the lake shore. When we arrived, we discovered it was closed for the season! How disappointing! We did find a sheltered spot on the bay along Town Beach Road where we sat on some rocks and ate our picnic lunch!
Back at the campsite after lunch, we walked the shoreline of Lake Champlain and, due to low water levels, accessed Ship Island by foot. It was a nice relaxing day of quiet exploration.
Ship Island
More amazing sunsets photos!! 🙂
Vermont Fall Series: 9.30.20 Lake Champlain Get-Away
It’s been a busy September with multiple short interstate trips to New Hampshire, New Jersey and within my home state of Vermont. Between these excursions and completing projects at home before winter sets in, I’ve not found the time or energy to write and process photographs this past month. It feels good to break that silence and get back to a writing routine!
Every year, the looming threat of winter sends my husband and I into panic mode as we try to negotiate the completion of outdoor projects. This year, due to Covid-19, we had the luxury of spending most of the summer on much needed exterior renovations that alleviated some of our usual end of season rush. Although we’ve accomplished much, our sense of urgency still permeates our daily thought processes!
Early last week, my husband completed some foundation work in the front of the house and his “old” bones and muscles were feeling the effects. With an unbelievably warm weather outlook for the weekend, I suggested a 4-day break from work. He did not hesitate to agree with me! My proposal included a much-needed “fix” in our Airstream which has been parked in our driveway since May. I secured a campsite at Button Bay State Park located on the shores of Lake Champlain and we spent some beautiful Fall days hiking and biking in the Champlain Valley.
We have probably just reached peak Fall color season here in Vermont. I seems early and it definitely caught us by surprise! It was nice to be enjoying the change of season along the lake – a different experience from our “middle-of-the-state” hilly terrain – with it’s less diverse plant community.
We arrived on Thursday mid-afternoon and proceeded to get all set up on Site #18. While the site I chose is not in the loop that has lake views, it proved to be much more private and an excellent choice. The lake view loop is an open, grassy area with little to no privacy between sites. I was happy with my decision to choose a more protected spot! With the exception of the driveway onto the site, we were completely surrounding by thick vegetation and could not see another campsite from our enclosure! 🙂
By the time we finished settling in, it was dinner time. While I fixed us a one-bowl meal, Jim built a campfire. We broke from the norm and actually enjoyed a fire every evening. Besides the two bundles of wood we purchased from the park, we found enough leftover firewood at a nearby empty site to last us through 3 nights of campfires. 🙂 Thursday night we just relaxed around camp and planned out the next day. We also enjoyed the almost empty campground and quiet knowing things would change come tomorrow evening with the weekend crowd.
Day 1
We have traveled to this area a few times over the years when our boys were small to visit the nearby Maritime Museum. But, we had not camped at Button Bay prior to this visit. Our first day here we chose to explore the immediate area including the state park and the Basin Harbor area. After a leisurely breakfast, we hiked to the Button Point Natural Area. This is a 13+ acre peninsula that juts into Lake Champlain. We loved the walk out to the point through the forested land rich with a diversity of plant material including mature oaks, hickories, maples and hophornbeams. This undisturbed area boasts a collection of many state-listed rare and endangered species as well due to the fertile limey soils. The unique limestone geology of the area also provides a good environment to hunt for fossils along the rocky point. Unfortunately, the nature center is closed due to Covid-19 so we could not get more information regarding the above.
The trail to the natural area is hiker and biker friendly. At the nature center, there are bike racks so that the short path to the point from there can be designated as a foot path only. We walked along the shoreline on our way back as far as we could. Due to the drought this summer, Lake Champlain is experiencing historic low levels of water. From a distance, we watched the antics of a red fox basking in the sun on the rocky coast.
On our way back to the campsite for lunch, we detoured through the day use area to admire the architecture of the picnic pavilion. Most of the day use area facilities were closed including the pool and the pavilion was not being used for its intended purposes. Pre-Covid, it would have been an awesome place for a large gathering – with its magnificent view of the lake.
There’s a short path that connects the two camping loops and is accessed directly across from our site. I loved the way the vegetation framed our rig as you walked along the path! 🙂
After lunch, we hopped on the bikes for the short ride over to Basin Harbor to see if we could walk the grounds of the Maritime Museum. Unfortunately, the museum and grounds are closed due to Covid-19. Check out the website for more information on the Maritime Museum. We’ll just have to come again another time!! We did scope out the grounds from the parking lot.
We left the museum and continued on into the Basin Harbor resort area and golf course. We cycled around there taking in the sights – from the harbor view to the old original stone farmhouse with its landscaped grounds. There was no shortage of out-of-state license plates! If a pampered vacation destination is your desire, then you will not be disappointed here!
We returned to our campsite for dinner and then rode our bikes out to Button Point for the sunset. Spectacular!! We followed that up with another relaxing campfire and turned in for the night – a perfect day! Tomorrow, I’ll continue the Lake Champlain adventures with our trip to another local state park and a pretty neat museum.
Lynn Amber - Travel & Photography 