Lurking just under the edge was black swallowwort vine, its unblemished leaves testimony to its unpalatability to wildlife - in fact it is poisonous to monarch caterpillars, though it is in the milkweed family.
New shoots were waiting for next season... or to take over had I simply pulled the stem up. Last year's rhizome was still there at the bottom of this year's - and still viable had I not dug carefully. Fortunately it had not produced seeds - they are very much like common milkweed's.
A favorite sight is the view from the bluff where the trail throught the Old Pasture comes to the Wappinger Creek.
The trail bends to the west with proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.
Low afternoon light illuminated the creek by the Watershed Kiosk.
A little farther downstream was another view with a different atmosphere.
The footbridge at the end of the floodplain marked the beginning of a waist-high infestation of Japanese stilt grass. A band of volunteers this past weekend stripped it to the ground! Thank you!
The last rays of sun in the Fern Glen were falling on ostrich fern along the pond.
Witch hazel seemed to be picking up since last week and was filling the cool air with its fragrance.
It has been a day of textures: fallen leaves, branches against the sky, here needles and leaves on the boardwalk.
Eager as I was to get home, I had to check out the view from the new bench on the Scotch Pine Alleé.
Birds were quiet here today and I continued through with a glance back at the light in the Alleé.
There was something about the long shadows and the lines of the Carriage House that appealed to my eye.
As I continued past, I couldn't help notice the base of the big maple.
