FALL IN NEW ENGLAND

VERMONT

                                  A COVERED BRIDGE

Landing in Boston in the wake of Hurricane Irene seemed to be continuing a tradition established by arriving in Christchurch on the morning of the February earthquake!  We have in fact been asked whether we specialize in such journeys, perhaps to take advantage of reduced hotel rates!  Plans to motor slowly along quiet country byways in the Green Mountains were quickly abandoned since most of the roads were badly damaged and no longer open and we made our way rather more speedily along the Interstate 89 to northern Vermont and our first cottage in a rural location on Metcalfe Pond. 

                             VIEW OF METCALFE POND

                  
It proved to be a quiet and somewhat damp week during which we explored the surrounding area.  The famous fall foliage colour was just beginning with the maples turning red and yellow.  Colourful Vermont farm houses painted in the traditional red, blue or yellow stood in green meadows each with a huge red barn. Sugar shacks producing local maple syrup were to be found in most of the villages.  The cottage had a tiny private landing with canoes and a rowing boat - a nice place to sit out. Birdlife wan't prolific at this time of year but we saw a few birds including loons, described as an extremely primitive bird which has a distinctive call, humming birds and a banded kingfisher.  Despite the many road signs we saw no moose or black bears only a few cheeky chipmunks raiding the bird feeder.  The highlights of the week were a day spent at the Shelburne Museum and a hike up to Stirling Pond at Smuggler's Notch on the way to Stowe. 

                                           RED BARN

The museum was very impressive and comprised of a collection of buildings assembled by Electra Havermeyer, daughter of a family who made their fortune in sugar (slavery?) to house her ever growing collection of Americana. A huge round red barn contained a wonderful display of restored carved horses, lions, tigers etc from an old carousel.

Other fascinating exhibits includeded one of the last paddle steamers to ply nearby Lake Champlain, a store which had operated in Shelburne for over a hundred years and supplied everything that the townsfolk might have required and a variety of dwellings all in the highly recognizable New England style of painted wood, a lighthouse, school room and a luxuriously appointed private train used to transport the family from New York to their country estates.  A number of rooms from Mrs Webb's New York apartment had been painstakingly re-erected and displayed a collection of French impressionist   and other paintings and American bronze sculptures of Western subjects.

       HEARSE WITH WICKER BASKET OVER ICE BOX

                   
                        

                              
                   One of a large collection of carriages belonging 
                              to Dr Webb, Electra's husband 

The hike was half way on the trip back from Stowe, a well known ski resort.  It proved to be very steep and rough with a path that led mostly along a stream bed.  When we reached the top, the mist descended and blotted out the apparently wonderful views of Smuggler's Notch. 

     VINCENT ON THE TRACK AT SMUGGLER'S NOTCH

                                                MAINE

Maine is many things but mainly it's LOBSTERS!!

The drive from Vermont to Mt Desert Island in Maine was rather longer than  anticipated but our accommodation for the week, Bobcat Cottage turned out to be a charming retreat, nestled in the spruce pine forest and tastefully furnished and equipped.  The owners, Peter and Linda Lord, were very welcoming and even the dog, JR Dante, treated us like old friends!

BOBCAT COTTAGE

 

One of the special things about staying at Bobcat is the opportunity  to spend a couple of hours exploring the night sky in the knowledgeable company of Peter, an astronomer whose passion for his subject has led him, together with Linda to establish the Maine Starlight Festival, held in late September.

  It was quite something to look through the telescope at various double twin stars, very close views of the moon and three moons of Jupiter.  

PETER IN THE OBSERVATORY

LOBSTER LUNCH

Our first lunch in Maine had to be at one of the famed lobster pounds and one of the best in the area is Thurstons in the local fishing village of Bernard.  2 1/2 pounds was the smallest size available and I duly put on the plastic bib and did my best.  I hadn't realized that lobster could be so filling so alas,there was no room left for that other staple, blueberry pie!  Fish is wonderful here and we have cooked halibut, haddock, swordfish and scallops this week accompanied by sauv blanc from California.

THURSTON'S LOBSTER POUND

PITY ABOUT THE FISHEYE LENS!

Up this morning at 5am for a birding caravan - a group of 11 cars proceeding to different points in Acadia National Park, which covers much of the island.  Our first bird was a large and colourful pileated woodpecker followed by peregrine falcons at The Precipice and banded kingfishers and greater blue herons working their way along the shore.  Waders included the greater yellowlegs.

THE GREATER YELLOWLEGS
  

The standard US mail box is often painted in a distinctive pattern or design, in this case, ducks!

The French explorer Samuel Champlain created the first reliable European record of Mount Desert Island in 1604 when he noted that the summits of the mountains were "destitute of trees ..... I name it Isle des Monts Deserts" 150 years of war between the French and British made it disputed territory unsafe for habitation until 1761 when English colonists established the first permanent settlement.

From the summit of Cadillac mountain, the highest point on the island, it was possible to join the National Park rangers on the morning Hawkwatch sessions looking for migrating raptors which included American kestrels, ospreys and bald eagles. Among the many walking tracks near the cottage was the 5 mile path along Long Pond and back over the mountain via  Great  Notch which we did on a misty day when the silent forest, its floor clothed in mosses and lichens seemed full of mystery. 

WHITE ROCKS COTTAGE, GEORGETOWN ISLAND

Our third cottage was a further 150 miles south on Georgetown Island.  The coast of Maine is heavily indented and there are thousands of islands along the length of it.  White Rock cottage was perched above the Kennebec river just a few miles before it meets the sea.  When I first saw the two perfectly placed wooden chairs, I realized that the week's activites would need to accomodate leisurely afternoons in the mild sunshine, reading and watching out for the wildlife previous occupants had mentioned in the guestbook.  We saw seals and a sea otter and numerous birds including banded kingfishers, blue herons and a flock of least sandpipers which settled on a rock beneath the cottage to spend the night on several occasions.

LEAST SANDPIPERS

The cottage was situated at the end of a quiet winding road where the few houses seemed mostly occupied by lobster fishermen since stacks of lobster pots (metal contraptions) were to be seen everywhere. We frequently saw flocks of dark coloured bush turkeys and passed a pond full of lily pads in which a family of beavers had built a lodge 

                                      BEAVER LODGE

A sunny day and time to explore the neighbouring peninsula of Boothbay and Southport island.  Although there are many winding roads and tantalizing glimpses of idyllic bays and rocky shoreline, it seems that all the land along the coastline, lakes and rivers is privately owned and attempts to reach a place where one can walk are almost always thwarted. Southport Island, where Rachel Carsen wrote The Silent Spring, is especially delightful with many small fishing harbours and charming clapboard and shingle houses, asymetrical but uniform in their faded silver grey colour which blends so well with the green of the forest and the granite rocks.

  

SOUTHPORT ISLAND

COLLECTION OF BUOYS

THE PERFECT HOLIDAY COTTAGE

We left Maine on a misty cool day to drive back to Boston

                             WHAT, ME OR THE MOOSE

                         FAREWELL TO THE LOBSTERS

                                       HELLO TEXAS

And then there was Texas, another country entirely!  From the plane, the flat dry land resembled West Australia and the heat which hit us was a reminder of the frightful Perth summer we had left earlier this year.  Dallas, for us coming from the rural reaches of New England, seemed to embody my worst nightmare of an American city.  Freeways writhing in every direction choked by traffic, no footpaths to be seen and not  much in the way of public transport.  We are told that no one walks here and I can quite believe it.  The automobile rules!

                         VINCENT AND THE EMANUELS

Lovely to see Vincent's sister Kathleen and her family again after 25 years.  Son Rafe, a lawyer in Tinseltown is home for a few days and we've made the acqaintance of King Alfonso of Pomerania, lap dog extraordinaire!  We spent a very relaxing week by the pool catching up on all the news.

TO BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING - A DERBYSHIRE SUMMER

Through the fields to Handley

"I know this view better than any other on earth, it is the country of my heart"     D.H. Lawrence

EYRIES FARM, NETHER HANDLEY

                                           
                               
We arrived back in Derbyshire on a warm, clear day in June with not much more than a couple of suitcases to support our travels for the next year or so. Nowt but cashed up gypsies with no home to call our own but delighted to be back at Eyries Farm, part of which has been our summer home for the past 16 years.

  July and August brought changeable weather but we set off several times a week for long walks in one of the delightful and secluded dales - the well known Dovedale and Lathkilldale or a round trip from Hartington via Biggin, Beresford and Wolfscotedale. If the weather was fine, there were many wonderful walks along the millstone grit Edges from Hathersage or Curbar where the moors were particularly beautiful in late summer when the heather came into bloom
The house, which belongs to Graham and Beth Shaw, is almost a second home and was much loved by my mother situated as it is close to our old family home and Apperknowle, the village where she grew up.  We settled very happily into an English country life, returning most afternoons for "aperitifs" on the terrace, weather permitting.  The house dates from 16      and previous owners have been carefully documented by Beth in her book "A History of the Handleys"

                        THE GARDEN AT EYRIES FARM

                                
Beth is a passionate gardener and the extensive grounds are planted with a wonderful collection of both cottage garden favourites and unusual plants.  A huge sycamore tree can be seen from the bedroom window, home to many birds and a beautiful sight in the early morning light. 

                                 THE SYCAMORE TREE

                                     
Most mornings we began the day with a walk in Stubbing Wood, a favourite from childhood days and especially lovely in the spring when the bluebells bloom beneath the beech, oak, hazel and holly.  It is a special place and always lovely whatever the weather. 


                                 THE BLUEBELL WOOD

                   CARA'S OAK TREE, STUBBING WOOD
                              

Some years ago Cara took up the offer of a free oak tree but quickly realized that it was unsuitable for her small London garden.  She brought it to Derbyshire and we planted it at the edge of Stubbing  Wood where we check it's progress each year.  I have to admit that growth is very slow!


                             CARA AND VINCENT 2009

                                
Vincent's birthday on 12th August is usually spent at Eyries Farm and when Cara was living in London, she always made the trip to be with us.  This year we  missed her now that she is living in Sydney.


      GRAHAM AND VINCENT FIRING UP THE BARBIE

                     
Over the summers we have enjoyed lots of barbeques out on the terrace with friends both local and from other parts of the UK or Oz and relatives.  This year Phil Moxham and Sheila joined us for a few days of walking in the dales

     VINCENT WITH PHIL & SHEILA ON THE CANAL PATH

                            COUSIN REINA AND JAMES

                      CARLA, MARCELLO AND VINCENT

                                    

Anna with Uncle John who celebrated his 90th birthday this year


                         HEATHER ON STANTON MOOR

                         
Stanton moor is a small area above Birchover, the site of many neolithic burials and monuments, the most well known of which is the Nine Ladies standing stones.  In late summer, it is covered by heather as are the surrounding areas of moorland which stretch from the Dark Peak into the vast areas of the Yorkshire Moors.


                       THE NINE LADIES STONE CIRCLE

                   VINCENT AND BETH ON STANTON MOOR

Dovedale is probably the best known of the Peak District dales and attracts crowds of people.  We set off very early one morning before anyone else arrived and enjoyed the tranquillity of the hidden valley of the River Dove

                             ILAM SPIRES, DOVEDALE

HARTINGTON CHURCH - GARGOYLES AND GRAVESTONE

One  of our favourite walks begins in the small village of Hartington.  I noticed the gravestone in the churchyard with an inscription which reads "That things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life and rest in unvisited tombs"  George Eliot.    The walk of about 5 miles leads from the village green down Biggin Dale and along tranquil Wolfscotedale and Beresford Dale back to Hartington. 

HERON BY THE DOVE, BERESFORD DALE

                   WELL DRESSINGS AT YOULGREAVE
                     

                             
Well dressings take place throughout the spring and summer with each village dressing one or more wells.  The custom dates back hundreds of years.  Leaves, flowers, bark and seeds are pressed into damp clay to form pictures, often religious in nature, which may last up to a week depending on the weather.  Youlgreave usually has about six well dressings which are always of a high standard and attract many visitors.  A flower festival is often held in the village church at the same time, sometimes commemorating local people who have passed away during the year.

The railway through Monsale Dale, now a walking and bicycle track is the subject of this well dressing


                                      HARDWICK HALL

             THE HERB GARDEN AT HARDWICK HALL

One of the most beautiful historic houses in Derbyshire is Hardwick Hall, built by the redoubtable Bess of Hardwick, a contemporary of Elizabeth I and one  of the most powerful women of the era.  It was built in 16     on a high hill which now overlooks the M1 motorway.  When we drive up from the airport in London, I always know I am nearly home when I see the outline of Hardwick on the horizon with the initials ES (Elizabeth Shrewsbury) etched against the sky above each tower.

A BORDER AT HARDWICK

This year I had the sad duty of bringing home my mother's ashes following her death in Perth in January.  In her diary, she had copied down words from DH Lawrence who looked over the green hills and valleys of Derbyshire and said "I know this country better than any other on earth - it is the country of  my heart" On a warm summer morning in July, I carried the small box across the fields and wood where we walked when I was a child to the cemetery at Dronfield.  On the way we passed the empty patch of land in the village of Apperknowle where the small house, in which the family  lived and where I spent the first two years of my life, used to stand. 

CORNFIELDS

 In what had been the garden, I found wild purple and yellow loosestrife growing and picked some for the grave

MUM AND UNCLE JOHN, 2008

Eyam is a well known village due to the story of the plague which is said to have arrived in a bale of cloth from London.  Once villagers began to die, the vicar William Mompesson asked the people to voluntarily stay within the confines of the village to prevent the spread of the disease thus saving many lives.  The story formed the basis of a successful novel by Australian writer Geraldine Brooks.  

THE PLAGUE WINDOW, EYAM CURCH

FOXGLOVE AGAINST A DRYSTONE WALL

The landscape in the White Peak is characterized by a patchwork of green fields surrounded by drystone walls built from the local limestone, especially lovely in spring when the wild flowers bloom.

WILDFLOWER MEADOW

NORTH LEES HALL, HATHERSAGE

North Lees Hall is one of seven houses built by Sir Robert Eyre for his seven sons in and around the village of Hathersage.  It is said to have been the inspiration for Thornfield Hall in Jane Eyre after Charlotte Bronte visited it while staying at the vicarage.  Little John, one of Robin Hood's band of outlaws is said to be buried in the churchyard in a grave over 7 feet long.

VINCENT ON CURBAR EDGE

The edges run through this part of Derbyshire and separate the green fields and the dales of the limestone country from the millstone grit and moorland of the Dark Peak.  There are many wonderful walks across the moors and along the edges and one of our favourites begins at Curbar Edge.

WOODS BELOW CURBAR EDGE

In July Vincent spent a few days in Newcastle, Co Down staying with his Aunt Rita.  He also caught up with old friends Peter and Danny and no doubt had a few pints!

Another weekend was spent with Rosie in Saxmundham, Suffolk where we were joined by Chris, an old school friend, and Jurg.  Good food, wine and conversation - still crazy after all these years!

ALDEBURGH

After leaving Derbyshire in mid August, we spent a week at Braithwaite Hall near Leyburn in North Yorkshire.  The house, built in the 16th century, is a working farm with walking tracks leading up onto the moor and down throuhg the fields

BRAITHWAITE HALL

ABOVE WHARFEDALE

During the week we did a couple of long walks of about 7 miles, the first from from Bucken up the Roman road and across to Shap then down Wharfedale and the second starting at the beautiful ruins of Jervaulx Abbey.  The small market town of Leyton was remarkable for the fact that it had real shops - chemist, hardware, bakery etc none of which was the usual high street chain store.  The small supermarket sold wonderful local food and the Saturday market provided everything one could possibly need. 

A VIEW OVER WHARFEDALE

LONDON

After a wonderful summer in the north of England, we spent three days in London visiting favourite galleries and museums and restaurants which Cara introduced us to on previous visits

JULIE WITH TWO FAMOUS GENTLEMEN

This sculpture, currently outside the Royal Academy was commisioned to commemorate

RACHEL AND VICTORIA, GREENWICH