Once again, we headed to the William Cullen Bryant Estate in Cummington. It’s a place where we’ve hiked in every season…in winter on snowshoes. The old growth forest is vast and indescribable. Being there is like being in a magic forest. We revisited the tallest black cherry tree in MA, now an old friend. 104.6 ft., 300 years old. And, needless to say, now that we’ve taken the fungus workshop at MA Audubon we definitely stop for mushrooms. I think that white fungus photo is an old coral fungus. I could be wrong of course. Although the Bryant House is closed, we were invited to have a lengthy interpretive tour. Jim, curator, shared so much information with us as we wandered the vast interior. The family history, of privilege, loss, artistry, and politics, is fascinating. Sorry for the not so good photos this week. The air is so intoxicating with late summer weather, the aroma of the forest is tantalizing, and with all the fun along the trail, I slacked off. But, as you can see, the trees are turning and the season is slowly shifting. Next week: Spruce Hill for a 4 hour hike with a steep climb at the start. Thinking of all of you, Penny
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