Friday, October 08, 2004

A Walk in the Park

I did work on the shawl yesterday but not enough to present you with a picture of anything much that you haven’t seen before.  I also tried to cast on for the second sock last night.  Those of you who’ve been with me for a while will remember that casting onto DPNs is something I have trouble doing twice in a row.  The effort came a cropper - as I should have known - and so was dispensed with.  So today I’ll take you on the walk through the park that I went on yesterday afternoon.  It was…





...beautiful - quiet and refreshing.  It’s an odd thing too because the park lies off the very busy main street, though it is tiny and tucked into a little pocket you wouldn’t even see if you didn’t already know it was there.  It’s location is Methuen, MA, just a little south of the New Hampshire border and sits in the middle of a very old mill complex.





I have been seeing quite a few “sky” pictures on other blogs, so I contribute this - taken at about 12:45 PM yesterday afternoon.  I love the moon when it stays up all day :)

It was interesting to notice that the trees that stand in shade most of the time are still lush and green while the trees that get the sun are beginning to acquire brighter hues.  There hasn’t been a lot of color turning yet.  However, there are occasional splashes as in these piebald maple leaves…

And this anonymous plant which was quite close to the ground:





The Spickett River isn’t anything grand as rivers go but it served to help power the mills as far back as the 1700’s when it was first dammed.  Damming rivers always makes me think of breaking horses and training them to harness and bridle.  It may not be a necessarily damaging process and much good may come of it - but neither the river nor the horse is the same afterwards.





It’s a little like walking back in time.  The mill complex dates back 300 years and, looking down the river, you can almost imagine yourself there.  However, just beyond the trees in the far distance of the above picture is a quite modern office building.  Still, if you squint a little, you can pretend it doesn’t exist :)





The river is shallow, at least in the vicinity of the park - varying between one and two feet in depth.  It does move right along, however, mainly due to the impetus of the falls below the dam.  I didn’t see any fish, but I am poor at spotting such things.  Myria has a much keener eye than I for that sort of exercise.

For example:

Myria had been chasing a woodpecker who was determined not to sit for a portrait, when she saw this about 30 feet up, glittering like an early Christmas decoration.  I imagine the fact that it was so high up is what kept it in such pristine condition.  I never would have seen it, nor would my camera have been capable of capturing it.  Nice to have a friend along :)

For all the green trees though, it is definitely fall and things are definitely winding down.

And the true owners of the area survey their domain with equanimity and, almost it seems, boredom born, probably, of seeing many people and many seasons come and go…





What is it about pigeons that makes them all seem to be female?  Now blue jays - those are definitely male!

At the end of the park is the falls.  There is something incredible about water pouring over stone.  As I stood watching this I remembered the saying about the river you observed yesterday not being the river you observe today.  As applied to life - my life in particular - this is comforting only if I remember not to attach myself to things and, literally, to go with the flow. 

Then, it is exhilarating!

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1. i enjoyed the walk ‘with you’ so much- it’s always wonderful to see other parts of the country and your part is just endlessly beautiful-

   now, about that casting on- have you tried casting on straights and transferring the stitches to the sock needles- i do that to avoid ‘gaposis’ when using dpn’s because i can be counted on to always have a little too much give (and an actual visible space) on my cast-on row if i go directly onto the doubles-

   stay happy-

   Posted by  on  10/08  at  12:41 PM
   Location : texas



2. Barb - New England can be lovely - but upkeep of public land is sometimes lacking.  I didn’t take pictures of tons of broken glass, beer cans or an inexplicable - and empty - bottle for Ken’s Italian Salad Dressing.  I know they’re there; I just prefer to focus on other things.

   Thanks for the suggestion about the DPN cast on, but that is the way I generally do it - ackkk!  I wonder if, after casting onto the single points, instead of just transferring them over, I actually knit them onto the DPNs… Would that make a difference?  Think I’m going to have to try it :)

   Posted by Robbyn  on  10/08  at  01:28 PM
   Location : On a slow boat to China



3. umm, you could always try doing a moibius sock too- would that perhaps be the origin of the klein bottle?

   i think i need a vacation!!

   Posted by  on  10/08  at  01:40 PM
   Location : texas



4. Thanks for the lovely walk in the park. I don’t get out enough and this has encouraged me to plan an outing.

   Posted by Marie  on  10/08  at  03:26 PM
   Location :



5. Marie - You’re more than welcome!  Thanks for coming along :)

   Posted by Robbyn  on  10/08  at  03:28 PM
   Location : On a slow boat to China



6. Thanks SO much for sharing those picture. Really lovely & a great pick-me-up for tired eyes. :)

   Knit the stitches onto the needles - I can’t see it making any difference whatsoever (just be careful of your joining stitch) and it will save you LOTS of frustration!

   Have a great weekend!

   Posted by Bron  on  10/08  at  07:30 PM
   Location :



7. Bron - Thanks for the advice.  I am going to try that very thing later this evening.

   Sorry your eyes are tired - but glad I could help ease them :)

   Hope your weekend is nifty too!

   Posted by Robbyn  on  10/08  at  07:37 PM
   Location : On a slow boat to China



8. We really *must* get you out here for a stroll around MillCreek Canyon--your camera will be very happy there. :) Interesting that the leaves have almost completely abandoned the trees out here already (except the evergreens,of course) and yet it sounds as though it is just starting out there?

   Posted by donna  on  10/09  at  01:36 AM
   Location : Chicken Little's Back Yard



9. Donna - I imagine there are a lot of places in your neck of the woods that would make my camera smile :)

   Nope, no naked trees yet except for the chestnut outside the kitchen window which has been shedding since August.

   Posted by Robbyn  on  10/09  at  09:12 AM
   Location : On a slow boat to China



10. I really enjoyed the wonderful walk in the park.  And what you said about the river you see today not being the same as the river you saw yesterday applying to life really struck a cord with me.  This past year has seen a great deal of change in my life.  Some good, and some bad.  One thing is for sure, the river of my life today is not the same as my river of life was a year ago—nor is it anything like I would have imagined.  But I agree with you, no matter what the course of the river, if you go along with the flow, it is exhilarating.  Thanks for the lovely pictures and thoughts.

    Posted by Lisa  on  10/09  at  05:51 PM
    Location :



11. Lisa - I’m glad you enjoyed the virtual tour!

    Posted by Robbyn  on  10/09  at  06:44 PM
    Location : On a slow boat to China



12. Beautiful Robbyn.... I also enjoyed the walk in the park. The pictures were wonderful. There is nothing like fall in New England. I am off on a “Fall Foliage” cruise on the Mount Washington today. I am hoping it will stay clear and I can get some good pictures.

    Posted by Maureen  on  10/10  at  10:40 AM
    Location :



13. Maureen - The Mount Washington!!  I’ve been on her many times, though not recently.  I’m so glad you mentioned her, it’s definitely time to cruise around the lake again :) I bet the fall colors are just spectacular today!

    Posted by Robbyn  on  10/10  at  11:53 AM
    Location : On a slow boat to China

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