The Week After.

6-29-19 VERMONT: It’s been a week since the wedding, and we finished the clean up today with the last load of garbage and a huge load of re-cycling. The tents and all went out on Monday and Tuesday. Most of the garbage was picked up on Wednesday. Brady the horse returned to the pasture and seems very happy with the short grass. The pasture grass survived the tents and is re-growing and re-greening.

The roses and peonies are at peak now, a week later than last year due to this cold and wet spring. I would have liked to have them for the wedding. Now that it’s summer, it’s hotter and still rainy with some rain almost every day.

The two river birch trees that were bought for the wedding ceremony seem happy in their new home behind the barn. The spot is sunny and wet, the two trees now named Anna and Gardner, are side by side.

A big branch fell from the red maple behind the pond. The tree has been slowly dying. This branch just missed the willow tree, and we decided to take the tree down. Joey, who is spending the week with us, and I took care of the broken branch, we cut it down and cut it up, we split the bigger pieces and stacked them all on the woodpile.

We visited the Strafford Town Forest Loop Trail to see the lady slippers in the Orchid Fen. On the way back we stopped to see Old City Falls.

Thursday we drove to Burlington, about an hour away, to visit UVM, Church Street and the waterfront. We had a mediocre, but over-priced lunch at the Shanty on the Shore. The drive there and back is through the Green Mountains and is beautiful.

Tomorrow Joey goes back to SFO from Logan, and we will meet Maggie for dinner in Boston.

New blooms: bridal-wreath spirea, feverfew, tradescantia, sweet William.


The peonies take center stage, most years they would have been open a week ago for the wedding...

Along with the roses that have covered the fence.

Rose-breasted grosbeak has become a regular this year.

Our Showy Lady Slippers--nine this year.

This first peony opened the day after the brunch.

Knapp weed is cousin to centaurea.

Luna moth spent the day on the kitchen screen.

Showy Lady Slippers in the Strafford Town Forest at the Orchid Fen. There were dozen and dozens.

The day trip to Burlington and UVM. From the campus, a view of the Church Street church, Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks and NY on the other side of the lake.

A big branch fell from the red maple behind the pond. It just grazed the willow tree. Joey and I cut it up, split the thick pieces and stacked them all on the woodpile.