from the CREA kiosk log - mid November

chickadee chickadee dee dee
ah there, high in a tree
staring back at me

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the orange leaves blaze on the
trees and the clouds block out
the sun, i walk along the path
until my time is done

(Lydia MM)

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kinglets in the crowns of trees,
here, where the lightning touched,
down,
beaver stumps the
rapids, water,
falling

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woods in November
a palette of brown and green
wind whispers gently

woods in November
leaves laugh loudly underfoot
bare limbs sigh above

Barbara Snapp, Nov. 15

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Photo by James McCarthy

working on the image map

Here are the beginnings of an image-map of the Preserve -
please add your own special places, sightings, experiences -

Here is where I saw the mink.
Here is where the muskrats were.
Here is where you stop hearing cars.
Here is where you start to hear the river.
Here is where the ice-pancakes were.
Here is where the lightning touched.
Here is the rock that
looks like a whale.
Here is the place where,
in the same tree,
an indigo bunting and a magnolia warbler.
Rattlesnake trail.
Snag.

Taking Walks

Friends,
As a part of the offerings of the Cathance River Education Alliance (in Topsham, Maine) poet Gary Lawless and photographer/writer Jim McCarthy will be artists-in-residence for the next year at the Cathance River Nature Preserve. They will be walking the trails, coordinating walks, and encouraging everyone to collaborate, through the sharing of writing, photography, painting, drawing, sculpture, music, dance - in whatever ways the Preserve stimulates a response. There will be monthly group "creative" walks, an ongoing public "journal" available to anyone walking the trails, to share images, ideas, thoughts and responses. There will be "poetry walks", an "image-map" project, and much more. We are just beginning to birth the idea, so please feel welcome to share your ideas, and to take part.
Our next walks are:
Sunday Nov. 15, 9 AM
Sunday, Dec. 20, 9 AM
For more information on CREA click here
and for a trail map click here
Text for this blog will come from the ongoing journal at the CREA Preserve - so please add your writing to it there( the journal is in the trail map box, at the kiosk in front of the ecology center) or you can also email it to Gary at chimfarm@gwi.net

To see Gary's essay on "Poetry Walks" go here
Please join us!

Here's a poem by Kristen Lindquist, from an April 24 posting on her blog:
Cathance River

High water.On the banks:
tight buds of mayflowers,
single kinglet singing.

check out her blog here

Photo by James McCarthy

and here's a poem by Jim McCarthy:
water wears down rock
the overflowing
swish and swirl of it
finding the openings
making them wider
slow moving
fast flowing
falling to the sea