Sugarloaf in Autumn

Sugarloaf Mountain is only a few miles from my home. It is a real grounding element in my life. We can see it from our farm and I never take that view for granted. It's beautiful in all seasons. In the spring it hints at the first greens, then bursts forth with that nearly chartreuse color of the leaves. The summer brings a darker green of the trees and the yucky haze that now define our summers. I can tell what the humidity level is by how clearly I can see the mountain. Fall is its show-off season. In the morning sometimes there's a misty veil around it, lifting to show its myriad of colors. Ahhhh! At the base of Sugarloaf is a brick courtyard of sorts, where 4 roads come together. This is where this lovely pond is. Ducks and geese live here and hatch their offspring here in the spring.


I've been so busy preparing for the tours this fall that I mentioned to my friend that I didn't even know if the moon was waxing or waning. She laughed and said she didn't think most people even know when there's a full moon, let alone if it's waxing or waning. I did feel bad that I was out of touch with the cycle of the moon because I do look for it at night and like to see it during the day, peeking between the clouds. I did finally find time to ride near the mountain. I try to ride my bike here every few days. 'Around the mountain' is 18 miles, mostly on gravel roads, but occasionally on pavement. My friend, Tina, and I ride this together. I'll call and say,"Around the mountain or just to the bridge and back?", depending on how much time we can give. We also hike the trails and we keep threatening to just sit by a creek and paint and knit. Above is the view leading to the pond.