Hammond Pond Reservation, in the morning

[urbpan]

After dropping Rebecca off to take the SATs, we took advantage of the early hour and headed to Hammond Pond Reservation.



The place is popular with rock climbers, so I guess that explains this cute little ceramic climber.


I was unreasonably pleased to see that a rock balance I erected on October 26th was still standing. But I can hear you, incredulous: "How do you know it didn't fall sometime in the past two weeks and then someone stood it up again just before you found it today?"


The silk tells the truth.


We wondered what this little cross memorialized. Alexis checked the news for a recent death in the park. Someone on her friends list guessed maybe a pet is buried here.


I did find this more recent death. I suspect a small raptor ate the forepaw from this Leucopus mouse, before dropping it on the path.


Today was the only the second morning of the year I experienced frost.




This happy fellow was behind Temple Mishkan Tefila, a synagogue situated in the Reservation.


In a densely woody part of the park, this bench suggests that the area looked different in the past.


This yellow and green maple says to its neighbors "Det blir mye kaldere enn dette i Norge, svekling deg!" (or so says my imagination with the help of Google translate).


Long shadows before nine a.m.


On our way out we stopped by Hammond Pond itself. No swans this time but we saw some migratory ducks (pretty far off--maybe buffleheads).


Also lots of adorable springtails!

Comments

[weofodthignen]

Some lovely pictures here, thanks :-)

M

[m0053.livejournal.com]

What are springtails?

Beautiful pictures. I've only just become aware of rock balances- how do you do this? And I thought it was very clever of you to check for that silk ^_^

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Springtails are very small six-legged animals, related to insects but from a more primitive evolutionary line. Here's an entry about one particular kind.

Rock balancing is really just a matter of placing one rock on top of another and feeling the right balance. The amazing thing for me was how easy it became once I learned that it was possible. I'm still a bit of a beginner. This is my teacher. This is her teacher.

Checking the rock for signs of disturbance was something that comes from my background of being a naturalist and my current job as a pest control tech.