~The Original Barn Swallow Club~

Many a memories made here over the years......back in the old days......

View that we looked out onto from the club.....as kids.....

Happy Fall :)

Ode to the Yellow Maple in Autumn

I see you there with your smells; gold and tawny

Your branches would uplift me, and your light filtered through me-

Your laughter filled me up to the tips of my skin-

Your visits a mixture of long and brief;

I held to your friendship and clung to your bark; wisdom; and life;

Generations would visit you and take in what you gave them; earth and freedom-

Lessons about kindness and gentleness were shared from under your leaf;

Nature spoke to us and life traveled around us-

Today you turn gold past the years into a gray;

We mourn, but celebrate the gold you gave.

Fall's Chill

Late Purple Aster- roadside

Today we are greeted with 50 degree temps...leaves falling, and the sun highlighting parts of trees that were unknown before today. It is a wonderful day...

http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/audio-video/categories/C298/P10/

~Fall Journey~



Black Gum Tree with fruit (deep purple or blue)



Persimmon Tree with fruit

Foxglove (September- roadside)

Dogwood with fruit (red berries)

~Along my walk- snapshots~

Today the morning began crisp and cool. Greetings for a beautiful fall day. I was on a quest today to figure out one tree in particular....The Black Gum Tree. I have been noticing its berries on my paths I take, and I was very curious what type of tree I had discovered. A friend and I had discussed the two particular trees while on an evening jog. Interestingly, the berry is not only fruit for many animals, it also is one of the first to turn in the fall and also the berry can be harvested for honey. Beekeepers especially like this tree near. I also took a shot of the persimmon- Did you know...that if you split its seed into you get a little surprise- a spoon and fork....adult supervison....as this is quite tricky to do!

~The Hint of Fall~

Fall is in the air, and I might go to say...quite earlier than usual around here! We have enjoyed September-like days and the evidence is upon us with Early Goldenrod and cool nights. Below are some pictures of my latest finds in the last weeks of August.

Heal - All - as its name implies- yes, it heals a variety of ailments- great plant!

Partridge Pea

My uncle Jr. first showed me this one!- Trumpet vine- I played with these in a large gulley at my grandmother's when I was a kid!

Primrose

~Sweet Summer~

July Creek Hikes are the Best!

Sweet, hot and humid July

Rose Pinks- I loved these as a child- and do so now as well. I would run through the field about a mile to gather these in an open field and hang them as arrangements on my grandfather's red barn. Medicinally, they are used to treat yellow fever, stomachaches, nausea, and a variety of other ailments.

First find of these- Great Blue Lobelia- creekside find.

Crayfish (Crawdad) burrow- called a "Chimney". Each piece of mud is rolled individually by the crawdad to create the chimney. Pretty neat- bricklayers of sorts!

~July's Beauty~

After the rain, alongside the road- cows grazing.

creekside after a warm, humid day

After a long creek hike, I found this - perhaps not in use anymore, but possess that 'country postcard' feel - I have a weakness for barns.

July clouds at sunset-

July ready sunflower!

Goldie, the draft horse- such a beauty- big & strong!

Blackberry Pick'in & Creek Stomp'in

The blackberries were a little earlier than usual this year - kids especially loved test tasting them on the way to the creek via the nature trail. Good Times!

Lunch Time!

Ripe Blackberries!

Hallie found a baby salamander!

June Days at Camp

Mrs. Hobbs teaching a Farm Life Scavenger Hunt

Boys & Girls Club of Maury County, Tennessee-

Wildlife Adventures- creekside- Box Turtle!

Teambuilding Activities!

"Chick" Time!

Lunch Time with Friends!

Nature Hiking  gathering leaves.....sycamore!

Summer Camp Days

What a beautiful June we are having this year so far! The days at camp are exciting and full of adventure! More pics soon!

Sun Beam, Anyone?

Sophie and the kitties.

Today on my typical run I couldn't help but take a quick snap of this photo. The earth was damp from the storm last night and there was a refreshing smell that lingered all around this morning. It was also an equally beautiful morning for the animals around the farm.   The lastest additions are two ewes. They are so precious!
Camp is in full swing in a couple of more weeks. Full camp week this year will be June 25- 29, 2012, and we will offer camp days for several surrounding programs.

Spring Nature Hike Finds.....

Mayapple- a sure sign of spring- ripe fruit can be made into jelly and preserves- also used to treat small-cell carcinoma. These flowers are everywhere around the woods right about now.

Wild Comfey- "hound's tongue"- treatment of wounds, digestive disorders, and respiratory infections.

Lanceleaf Trillium- just love the name- it sounds like you've found something so beautiful and indeed it is!

Pennywort- one I have overlooked many times, probably due to its size- it is small - (about 2-3 inches)- little chlorophyll and is dependent on mycorrhizal fungi (decay).

March 2012

Brock, Dylan, and Hillary- Hello Spring!

Gretchen- pygmy goat

Buff Orpington chicks

Piggy



 Spring has definately sprung! Tennessee is feeling wonderful lately...unseasonable wonderful. I have observed lightning bugs already and Dogwoods are already in bloom. Today may have likely been what we call around here "Dogwood Winter".

Happy Dogwood Winter (from Hillary)

This post finds us in the process of tackling our "to do" list in order to make the final touches to our programs, clean up, and minor construction to the camp site. The days are edging closer to our camp days, and we are looking forward to a wonderful summer. I've posted a few pics of the day and some of our little additions ~ enjoy!