Click me for the first post of this series, “Burgeoning Forest .”
Grand Views
Brock-Harvey Forest Preserve on an early May morning
Tag: Tompkins County
Two Snags
Brock-Harvey Forest Preserve on an early May morning
I found these snags surrounded and, at a distance, hidden by the burgeoning Brock-Harvey forest preserve here in the Finger Lakes.
As with burgeon (see yesterday’s blog post), the word “snag” has a long history from a forested northern region of the planet, though it hales from Scandinavian languages rather than Old English and Old German. As a noun “snag” is something with a point and a body long enough to cause inconvenience, the point catching on anything handy. As a verb “snag” is to become inconvenienced by a projecting body.
In forestry, a snag is any trunk of a dead tree. Commonly, a tree top breaks off leaving a jagged point which possibly can become an inconvenience. For birds, an upright dead tree is a blessing, perfect for homemaking.
Fallen, the snag is still a snag and also a home first for fungus. When the work of the fungus is done, the resulting mound is perfect for growing new trees.
Click me for the next post from this forest preserve, “Grand Views.”
References
snag definitions are from the Compact Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 1971
Copyright 2022 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Burgeoning Forest
Brock-Harvey Forest Preserve on an early May morning
There is a word to describe the first growth of spring, rare in a way as having grown within the English/French languages without roots from either Greek or Latin, wholly suitable to a forest people. The first growth of spring so impressive it has words of its own: burgeon.
Both as a noun, burgeon the bud itself, and a verb; to burgeon, as in to burst forth. Burgeoning: the process of the act itself.
Click me for another post from this forest preserve.
References
burgeon/burgeoning definitions from the Compact Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 1971
Copyright 2022 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Brock-Harvey Forest Preserve
first look
On September 14, 2013, the Bock-Harvey Forest Preserve was dedicated protecting 48 acrea of open meadow, transitional meadow, mixed hardwood forest, a special environmental protection zone and the Finger Lakes Trail. Brock-Harvey Forest Preserve, and all land as far as the eye can see from there, was part of the Military Tract of Central New York, 28 townships given classical Greek and Roman names, each township 100 lots of 600 acres each, approved by the U.S. Congress 1799. Here, the township was Ulysses, encompassing the southern end of Cayuga Lake and surrounding lands. Thus, the city of Ithaca and Hector Street winding up from the valley passing below our home.
This land and several other military tracts were purchased by Samuel Harvey. He then gave he lands to his sons including this farm to Silas Harvey, the great-great-great-great grandfather of Megan Barber who led the dedication ceremony of the forest preserve. Megan’s great-grandmother Martha Harvey married Fred Bock and lived on this land used for dairy farming for over 150 years.
The preserve exceeded my expectations for great upland views.
Brock-Click me for another Brock-Harvey Forest Preserve post, “Burgeoning Forest.”
References
The background on the land was taken from a posting on the preserve and from Wikipedia, “Military Tract of Central New York.”
Copyright 2022 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Across the Plain
Sere grasses
The Finger Lakes are formed by a series of inclined planes spread across central New York State.
Here we look northwest across the land between Cayuga and Seneca lakes, all forests and farm land. Seneca Lake is not visible,15 miles distant, and the Finger Lakes National Forest in between.
The only town is Hector, New York, population 4,854 in the 2,000 census. The foreground are sere grasses, a field of beef cattle and pond.
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Across the Plain
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Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Autumn Apple Orchard, landscape orientation
compare portrait vs. landscape orientation.
Unharvested apples on the ground and branches of this apple orchard off Black Oak Road on the slopes of Connecticut Hill, Newfield in the Finger Lakes of New York.
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Autumn Apple Orchard, portrait 
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Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Autumn Apple Orchard, portrait orientation
apples cling into winter
Unharvested apples on the ground and branches of this apple orchard off Black Oak Road on the slopes of Connecticut Hill, Newfield in the Finger Lakes of New York.
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Autumn Apple Orchard, portrait
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Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Black Oak View
Autumn Ridge
Black Oak Road approaches Connecticut Hill from the north. At this point a long view to west opens up that include Cayuta Lake and the distant highlands of Seneca Lake.
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Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Autumn Road
A Long View
Here we have a vista of Bostwick Road descent off West hill into the Enfield valley and, then, in the distance, up Harvey Hill. Late autumn foliage graces the scene.
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Bostwick Road, October
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Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Finger Lakes National Forest 6
the long watch
The ancient wisdom of trees.
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Finger Lakes National Forest is a patchwork of ancient forest, gorges and marginal farmland abondoned for decades such as this emerging forest next to an actively farmed pasture.
Click me for the next post of this series.
Click me for the first post of this series.
Michael Stephen Wills Photography 
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