Elms thrive in the understory, turning late to catch autumn sunlight.
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Rock Elm, autumn
Category: Trees
Leaf Carpet
A Natural Wonder
Wednesday last I enjoyed shuffling along a forest carpet along the South Rim Trail of Taughannock Falls Park. It is a lost pleasure now the first snow is with us.
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Leaf Carpet on South Rim Trail
Oak Leaves, forest floor
Understory Autumn
Photographs in Gallery
Leaf Carpet on South Rim Trail Oak Leaves, forest floor Understory Autumn
Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Finger Lakes National Forest 3
compare portrait vs. landscape orientation.
In the long history of this forested ridge two Iroquois tribes relied on this land for tree nuts and hunting, the soil did not support agriculture. After the Revolutionary War, the British siding Iroquois tribes were driven away and the land given as one mile square blocks to soldiers, in payment for service. During the Depression era, many of these farms were abandoned and others sold to the Federal government.
Today, there is a patchwork of private land and National Forest. This line of color marks the forest boundary on the eastern ridge side.
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I positioned the tripod against the barbed wire fence marking the posted property. A few barbs and sear goldenrod flowers just visible in the lower right corner.
Click me for another Finger Lakes Autumn post.
Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Views from the Bench I
No Pun Intended
Some sights from last post.
Moss on the edge of upper Taughannock Gorge cliff, with the falls in background far below.
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Moss on Cliff Edge
The last flower of autumn, a single bloom of Ironweed.
Ironweed, late November
Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
On the Edge
An Autumn Revalation
After leaf fall abrupt emptiness of Taughannock Falls is visible from the south rim. Beyond, you can just make out the enormous carved limestone slabs that protect visitors from the constant infall from the gorge walls allowing them to approach the falls.
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The Brink
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Finger Lakes National Forest 2
compare portrait vs. landscape orientation.
An open road, autumn morning, a hiking trail under a setting moon. Thirty miles of hiking trails thread these 16,212 acres. Some, like the Backbone trail, traverse farmland reverted to forest and meadow, popular for horseback riding.
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Click me for another Finger Lakes Autumn post.
Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Finger Lakes National Forest 1
compare portrait vs. landscape orientation.
The only National Forest in New York State, this land is visible as a ridge to the west of our home. Here we are on the west side, the ridge of Seneca Lake in the distance.
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Click me for another Finger Lakes Autumn post.
Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Glowing Leaves
Holding On
The oak holds tight to leaves, sometimes until spring when new growth pushes last year’s off. Here is a cluster on a bright November afternoon hanging above the South Rim trail of Taughannock Falls Park of the New York State Finger Lakes Region.
Backlit Autumn Oak Leaves 
Autumn Oak Leaves, detail
Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Underground Railroad
Autumn Wonder
We have often travelled Lower Creek Road as an alternate route to visit my son and his family who live in Freeville, a village named for the activity of the Underground Railroad. After noticing this sign in passing for years, this week we stopped on a glorious autumn morning to capture it. I had packed the Sony Alpha 700 dslr for just such an opportunity.
Just off the road, under a maple tree in full autumn color (yellow), ground covered with fallen leaves (brown) on a fine early October morning, the sign reads, “New York, UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, HOME OF WILLIAM HANFORD AND WIFE ALTHA C. TODD, WHO SHELTERED FUGITIVE SLAVES ON THE WAY TO CANADA AND FREEDOM, STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT 1932”. These dark blue background, bright yellow letter signed are found throughout this region and much appreciated.
An added plus for me is the acceptance of both photographs by Getty Istock. Click this link to view a selection of my Getty photography in and around Ithaca, New York.
Copyright 2021 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Pinelands Connections IX
What is a Collier?
Click for the first chapter “Pinelands Connections I”
Here my exploration of Wharton State Forest, Pitch Pine Forest III, branches to the genealogical exploration of this landscape as my sister, Theresa and I, proceed along the humped, pitted sand road Goodwater through the wilderness to emerge in Batsto Village, a recreation of lives that touched my great great grandparents, James and Ann McCambridge among them. Ann saved money earned as a cook for Atsion furnace, the historical site at the start of the road to Quaker Bridge. Her husband James worked as a collier, supplying fuel for the iron furnaces at Atsion and Batsto, among other enterprises. During our Batsto Village visit we found these reproductions of charcoal clamps.
Since earliest times charcoal was used for cooking and heating. It was the best heat source for metal furnaces. Entire deforested regions are attributed to the demand for charcoal. Thomas Jefferson experimented with charcoal clamp designs, modifying air flow from the base.
James and Ann lived on the land that provided a livelihood, enough to support themselves and nine (9) children. From September 7, 1850 is the US Census for this family of my second great grandparents. Great Grandmother Margaret was 11 years. James is listed as a Collier, the value of Real Estate owned was 6,000 (a fortune for the time).
Like his wife Ann, James had a savings account…..
Click for the next chapter, “Pinelands X”
Copyright 2021 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Michael Stephen Wills Photography 