Golden Light and a Trip to Glenstone

Isn't the light this time of year glorious? I try to get out more than usual during the fall, soaking up the colors, light, and temperatures as much as possible. The other week I took a trip to Glenstone, a rather unique local art museum that combines art galleries with a gorgeous landscape. There are many site-specific sculptures and art works along a meandering trail through hills and forest. While I'm not the biggest fan of modern art, the peaceful atmosphere makes frequent trips here worth the effort. (I last visited in November 2022, in the rain.)

This concrete bunker is hidden in the woods, and is the newest addition to the museum. Inside, there are four large rusty cylinders made of steel. That's it. I no longer attempt to ascribe meaning to contemporary art, but rather focus on the experience. The temperature plummeted upon entering, and because I was the only visitor, I heard nothing but dry leaves scraping across the concrete floor. 

I meandered through all the outdoor paths before coming to the museum itself. I usually visit the museum first, but the day was extremely warm and I wanted to walk around outside while the morning coolness still lingered. The architecture of the museum is the highlight; it's such a calm, light-filled space. While I usually enjoy experiencing the art, even if it's not to my taste, this time I left somewhat grumpy. I only noted two women artists represented in the whole museum. The museum can do what they want in terms of what they collect and display, but they risk ostracizing a large segment of the population. A few days later I got an email survey about my experience which showed they were very much aware of these problems based on the questions they asked.

A few months ago a new park and playground opened up near our house. I noticed the start of a trail but always wondered where it led. During lunch one workday on a beautiful, bright and warm day I headed over to explore.

And: the trail goes in a circle! I was convinced it connected to the regional park trails nearby, so imagine my surprise when I ended back at my car a little over a mile later. I applaud their efforts but in the end I didn't find it exciting to walk back and forth in a field. The trees were quite amazing this day, though.

Flower season has ended. While I'll miss the blooms, I am very much looking forward to having more free time in the evenings. The first few nights I felt aimless as I wandered around the house looking for things to do. A routine will emerge soon, particularly with the time change and early dark nights. I still have some big chores to do, mainly the digging up, dividing and storing of my 100+ dahlia plants. It's still too warm to do this, particularly because I will store the tubers in my basement. Conventional guidance is to store them between 40-50 degrees all winter, but I don't just happen to have a root cellar like other flower farmers seem to have. So, they will be stored around 60-65 degrees which worked ok last winter. 

I find winter difficult, like a lot of people. Learning a lesson from last year, I signed up for a pottery class to keep myself occupied, and I start in 2 weeks! Leaving the house and having projects is key for me to not get run down by the cold, gray weather. What keeps you going through the colder months?

Walking

Now that I know my teleworking purgatory will last at least 9 more months, I realized I needed to switch up my routine: I started walking in the morning before I start work. Walking 5 steps to my computer was prematurely aging my body, I'm sure. I haven't missed sitting in the car for hours, but I do miss my public transportation commute when I could read and walk before sitting down at my desk.

We are lucky to live in a suburban pocket that is not completely taken over by houses. Across the street are 42 acres of farmland which can't be subdivided, and there are several other farms nearby. Unfortunately these are marred by a McMansion neighborhood, but I conveniently cropped out those monstrosities. The good news is that apparently people who live in McMansions don't need to come outside because they can just lap between their giant rooms, so it is usually quiet and serene.

The weather has been beautiful lately as the trees reach peak color. The fog settles into the valleys early in the morning before it burns off. The sky is a brilliant blue and the fields are just starting to turn a golden brown. I am trying to soak it up before it becomes too cold and dark. 

I am usually fine until Christmas; the bare trees are fairly new, and everything is twinkly and festive. But then, January through March happens, those brown, dead months before gardening season begins. I wish there were some traditions or something to help us get through those months (and not valentine's day... no one really cares about that right?) What do you do to survive the dead of winter?