Posts Tagged ‘walking trail’
Rock Project: update
News about my ‘rock project.’ We have been building a side road to our driveway, to serve as a turn-about and also a walking trail. I have been working on embellishments for the last few years. For more about the ‘rock project’ click here.
~
~
I bought a cement bench for our side road! I had put my name in for one at Scott’s Nursery and when I went to get seeds this week, it had arrived. The fine staff at Scott’s put it into the truck for me (it is very heavy). At home, my husband lifted the two pedestals and placed them in the chosen spot. Then he rigged two straps around the flat seat and lifted it into place with the tractor. We had prepared a bench platform, but after the wind storm, it is still filled with downed trees!
~
~
~
I had my first sit on the bench after it was stable. On a hot day, it was so cool to sit on! Now I have more incentive to go for walks around the ‘loop.’
~
~
All my best!
Jane
the rock project: plans for 2024
As I have said in past posts, one of our long term projects on our property has been to develop a woods side road to be a turning loop for the driveway and an easy walking trail for me.
~
~
This year, I have three things to do to move the ‘rock project’ a little more towards completion.
~
1. Clean-up of wind storm debris:
- Over the past winter, we have had a couple of storms that made a shambles of our ‘walking loop.’ After the wind storm on December 18 and 19th, 2023, we had 18 softwood trees fall across the roadway! After a little chain saw work, the roadway is clear again, but it may never return to the tidy woods we once had. I am a biologist and I realize that trees are always falling in the forest, but I think we will do some clean-up. Just putting branches and bigger tree chunks into brush piles in the woods will suit me well, because I know animals will use a decaying pile for shelter and habitat. My plan is to gather stray branches and sticks when I go for my walks around the ‘loop.’ I will deliver them to a convenient brush pile and get my exercise at the same time.
~
~
and to the right
~
2. Collection of a few more rocks for the rock wall:
- On every drive we take, I bring back a souvenir rock from a ditch, a bit of landscape to contribute to our ‘rock project.’ I have always loved aspects of geology. I understand the role of landscape, and geomorphology in our lives. When we go on drives, we think about the terrain we move within. Since New Brunswick has a glacial history, I know that elements of landscape have glacial origins … small hills are parts of eskers, the sediments once deposited by rivers and streams flowing within a melting glacier. Some elements of landscape display a sedimentary history … as we drive, we see cuts through bedrock, exposed when the highway was built. The rocks we collect remind me of our many drives through the New Brunswick landscape.
~
~
~
3. Continue creating interesting stops along the walk:
- this year we want to purchase a concrete bench for the loop, at the half-way mark. I have my name for one at Scotts Nursery, to arrive in a week or so. I also want to improve the small stone pile where my iron lantern sits to make it more like the stone platform I made last year for two small meal birds.
~
~
If you would like to see more about the history of our ‘rock project’ have a look here.
~
All my best!
Jane (a.k.a. Alexandra)
nichepoetryandprose 