How lucky am I, to have Edward MacDowell Lake, about a 1/2 mile down the road. More than just a lake, there are hiking trails and a dam from the Merrimack Water Basin, which originates in the White Mountains. The dam controls the Nubanusit Brook, a beautiful waterway that runs through Peterborough, not far from our home. I've been walking/hiking in MacDowell Lake park, since it is so close, and it has provided a wonderful place to exercise and explore. I curse myself for not taking a camera every time I go there. About a month ago, I saw a blue heron fly out from a purple lily-padded area of the lake. I'll have to make a point of it next time.
There is a way to take different trails all around the lake, which I finally figured out and conquered after several attempts. It looks simple enough on the trail map, but in reality, is much more complex. I walk to the lake from my house, which my guess is that it is about a 1/2 mile to 3/4 miles away. After walking past the dam and through the park, I then headed down the Wetlands Wonder Trail, that travels along the right side of the lake. This is a sandy, exposed trail, that cuts through some marsh land before coming out on Richardson Road. I had been confused about how to make it around the lake and finally just took the plunge by turning onto Spring Road after coming to the end of Richardson Road. I walked down the public road for a bit and overshot the trail, which I realized when I backtracked and saw blue trail blazes marking the way. The hike into the woods was difficult and took a good bit of time, because there was no trail to speak of, so I had to go from trail blaze to trail blaze, which wasn't always easy, especially on terrain that is hilly, full of granite, ferns and trees. But the journey was worth it, especially when I came upon a sign in the woods that said 'The Magic Forest', because it encapsulated exactly how I felt about it. Not only were the trees beautiful, I found toads, many varieties of fungus growing on trees and moss-covered rocks and boulders. There was also what I originally thought was a gravestone, but ended up being the spot that marked the founding of Dublin, NH, a neighboring town. I was able to read a bit of the stone, where I gleaned that Dublin was founded in 1752. After doing a tiny bit of research, I found out that the town was founded by William Thornton in that very spot.
Right where 'The Magic Forest' sign was posted, marked a change of trail blazes, where there was a beautiful brook right in the middle of the woods. Full of rocks and frogs, I went down to check out the waterway. I stayed for a few minutes, but had to move on to avoid being bit by mosquitoes. I started down the other side of the lake, on the West Ridge Trail, which took me on a defined path, through an area that contained dozens and dozens of beautiful birches and pines. I recently saw an amazing three-part series on PBS called Craft in America, where in one segment, a woman named Dona Look creates white birch bark vessels. I was really taken by the innovation and the unique quality of this particular craft. As I came upon the birch bark, I began collecting it, and wondered how Dona selected and compiled her birch bark creations. I've begun to learn that being artistic isn't just about coming up with something completely unique and creative, which some prolific people are able to do, but also learning from others, experimenting and creating something interesting and different in the process. I'm thinking of creating some birch-bark votives, so stay tuned for this in the future.
Meanwhile, with my hands full of birch, I finally made it out of the woods and began the walk home. Along the way, I picked some lovely roadside black-eyed susans and queen anne's lace to adorn my kitchen and living room. There are so many things that I love about New Hampshire so far, with roadside flowers and the gorgeous mountains being two of them.
No comments:
Post a Comment