The leaves are starting to turn in this part of New Hampshire so I thought I’d take a walk or two (or three) along my favorite river, the Ashuelot. I grew up on its banks and have been walking them since I was a small boy because there is so much to see.
The word Ashuelot is pronounced either ash-wee-lot or ash-will-ot, and is supposed to mean “place between” in Native American language. Between what, I don’t know; possibly between the hills that surround the Connecticut River valley that it flows through.
In some places ferns are just starting to take on their fall color and in others they’ve all but gone by.
Canada geese seem to use the river as a navigation aid and can often be seen following it in the spring and fall. They also have a few favorite places where they stop and rest.
Plants grow along the Ashuelot that I’ve never found growing anywhere else. This cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium) is a good example. The small oval burs aren’t quite as sticky as burdock burs but they will catch on clothing. Cocklebur leaves require long nights to trigger production of the chemicals needed to produce flowers, so they are considered “short day” plants. Their leaves are so sensitive that any light shining on them at night can keep the plant from flowering.
Virginia creeper vines (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) climb high in the trees along the river bank to reach as much sunshine as they can. They aren’t noticed for most of the year but when their leaves start to turn they can’t be ignored.
Virginia creeper berries are poisonous to humans but many birds and small animals eat them.
This is one of my favorite views found along this particular stretch of river.
One late afternoon the wind was blowing hard enough to make the trees creek and groan, and this great blue heron decided to wait it out on a log rather than be blown out of the sky. It was too cloudy for anything but a soft shot of him across the river.
A few days later he was in the shade so I took another soft shot. We haven’t had much rain throughout September and this photo shows how much riverbank has been exposed due to the dryness. The water level is a good three feet lower than it was at the end of August. It’s amazing how fast it can drop, but even more amazing to think that it can gain back what it lost with one good rain storm. .
At the spot where I often take photos of curling waves the flow has been reduced to little more than a trickle.
The mallards don’t seem to mind the low water. I think it makes their finding food a little easier.
Bumblebees have felt the cooler weather and their flights from aster to aster have slowed enough to make it seem like they will simply drop to the ground in mid flight.
Nodding smartweed (Persicaria lapathifolia) gets its common name from its drooping flower heads and the very sharp, peppery taste of the stems, which makes the tongue smart. It doesn’t seem to bother ducks, geese, and all of the other animals that eat it.
Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is the last native shrub to flower in our forests and it has just started blooming along the Ashuelot. The flowers are below the leaves so you have to look closely to find them if you are searching before the leaves fall. There isn’t another flower that I can think of that is quite like them, so searching is worth the effort.
I love to come to this spot in the late afternoon at this time of year to just sit and watch what the setting sun does to the trees. They burn with a blaze of color that becomes more intense as the sun slowly sets, and it is an amazingly beautiful thing to see.
The first act of awe, when man was struck with the beauty or wonder of nature, was the first spiritual experience. ~Henryk Skolimowski
Thanks for coming by.
The Virginia creeper is a thing of beauty and your trees are much more colourful than ours this year. It seems as if ours are going straight from green to brown with not much in between. Perhaps it’s the wet spring we had and the Indian summer.
Other than a real hard freeze, I’m not sure what would cause that. I can’t remember it ever happening here but the color intensities do vary from year to year. This year seems to be the best we’ve had in a while now.
Some wonderful photography!
Thanks!
Reblogged this on Dawn of Divine Rays.
Thank you Agnes.
You’re very welcome, Allen. Wishing you and yours, a beautiful weekend. Namaste
We have strong storms approaching, so it was such a pleasure to “take your hike.”
Thanks! I hope your storms aren’t too strong.
The color on that Virginia Creeper is gorgeous. For some reason it doesn’t have such striking color around here.
I wonder why that is? I’ve noticed that plants under overhanging tree limbs don’t have the same great color that plants in the open do, but all your vines can’t be growing under overhanging tree limbs, I wouldn’t think.
My favourites in this bunch are the just above the heron and the final one.
Thanks Ben. Those two places are always worth visiting.
A pity I am so far away. Fortunately there are some wonderful places nearby, but I am no photographer I’m afraid.
We can’t all be good at everything. Just getting out there is enough, I think.
Loved it, absolutely loved it, especially the Virginia creeper! It was also good to see that you included a few birds in this one. 😉
I had been planning on visiting one of my favorite rivers up north this weekend, but the weather forecast is looking grim, so I was thinking of postponing my trip. But after seeing this post, I’m going no matter what the weather will be like!
Thanks Jerry!
I wondered for a while if we were going to see any herons this year but they seem to have returned to all the usual places.
I think I’d visit that river too if for nothing other than the memories, but I hope you don’t get rained (or snowed) on.
It is a blessing to have a favorite place that you can visit often! This one is a beauty!
Thanks Montucky, I agree!
Very nice, is the river deep enough to kayak? Love the heron pictures and the witch hazel too!
Thanks Michael! It’s usually deep enough to kayak but with the lack of rain last month it’s barely ankle deep in places right now. It’s about as low as I’ve ever seen it.
I can quite understand why you like your favourite view. It is delightful.
It is, and at all times of year.
Such a beautiful river. Walking beside it can never be the same twice. Amelia
No, it is always changing. Even day to day you can see changes but still, it seems fairly close to the way it was when I grew up walking its banks. The biggest change is that it is much cleaner now, thankfully.
New Hampshire Gardener, The last picture looks like it could be a Monet. Can’t say anything better, IMO. MCS
Thank you Mary. I love Monet and I can’t think of higher praise than that.
Thank you for taking us along on this wonderful walk. As I see the water of the Ashuelot River is good enough for Unionidae to live through their complicated reproduction cycles. The blue heron is an old friend and I’m glad to see, that he also has found a place in NH. The autumn there is renown for its beauty as you are showing in your excellent pictures. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome Zyriacus. Yes, the Ashuelot is full of various mussels and the raccoons feast on them each night. One of the largest populations of the endangered dwarf wedge mussel (Alasmidonta heterodon) in the U.S. can also be found in this river. Though it was once very polluted it has made a strong comeback and eagles even fish it now. Great blue herons and cormorants are also common sights.
Like Susan, I find reading your posts such a great pleasure. I am soothed by what you say and the way you say it and of course, the photographs are superb. I am always sad to see the end of the post in sight and have to re-read. The shots of the river are really beautiful. Thank-you, Allen.
Thank you Clare. I never thought of these posts as soothing but I’m glad to hear that they are, even though some could do without seeing the slime molds and other “icky” things.
I’m lucky and very grateful to live in such a beautiful part of the world!
Lovely early autumn pics. We haven’t had much rain in Ohio recently either so the lakes and rivers are low but the water is much clearer than usual. Thanks for sharing the pic of the Witch hazel, fascinating!
Thanks! I think you must have witch hazel in Ohio but the flowers can be hard to see sometimes.
There is really nothing like fall in New England and your photos of the foliage bring back memories of my childhood in Massachusetts.
I’m glad that they do take you back, Mike. It seems like the trees are going to give it all they’ve got this year. There is color everywhere you look.
Things tend to be a bit more muted here in Northern Virginia, but we do get some color eventually–it’s still a bit early for us.
Another lovely virtual walk and some very interesting views plants and wildlife. This makes my day. Thank you.
Thank you Sue, I’m happy to hear that!
I know I often comment in this way but it is so pleasant to read your blog and walk with you through your favourite spots. The pictures, such as the virginia creeper, make me smile with pleasure.
Thank you Susan. knowing that these blog posts bring you pleasure brings me pleasure, so we all win!
I recently saw a spruce with Virginia Creeper growing all along its trunk, nearly to the top. It was really neat looking with the bright red shining through the needles. Almost festive looking. This has been the 3rd driest Sept. on record, so it isn’t surprising how low the river is but I agree, it is amazing how much it can recover with one good storm.
Red Virginia creeper on a green tree sounds like Christmas Laura, but it’s a little early for that! I hope we get some beneficial rain soon. We really need it.