On the Edge

One of my most favorite things to do on our 120 acres is to walk along the tree lines, the end of any grassed area where the mowing stops and the woods begin. Down at Glinodo this perimeter is a gold mine of nature finds and a whole little treasure house that backs up along the creek or the lake border. The "edges" aren't bad up here at the Mount either. In fact, I never fail to spot something I've never seen in awhile or didn't know was ever there at all. This week was no exception as I went out after office hours and took a spin along the south end of the Mount property and found some very special memories.

Our Sister Veronica Byer died in June 2014. For those of you who never met her, you missed a treat. She was a true character--most worthy of the name! Everything she did was so quirky, at least what she did from ages 75-95 when I knew her! One of her most public characteristics was the making of woods art (for lack of a more suitable name). She would put her designs in our woods, usually along the way to the hermitages. Her little black bear caused more than one fright for a hermitage visitor when caught in their flashlight beam after nightfall!

On my walk this week I came upon her last woods characters as they are quietly decomposing in the spot exactly where she last put them. It used to be at the entrance to an alternative path to hermitage #1 and the windmill, but water and erosion washed it out and the grasses and woods slowly closed it up. But Sister Veronica's welcoming signs remained.

This little lamb and deer along side a bench for resting, are the best preserved characters.

She supported our corporate commitment to peace you might say, by placing a Bring our Boys Home sign and a little girl crying along side grave stones.

I thought I recognized this girl in the blue dress, even though she was upside down. When I flipped it over, sure enough, there she was.       Note the ribbon belt...multi-mediums!