FOTD – August 27th – Sliding into autumn
It’s just the end of August, but the maple tree by the front window is turning yellow. I don’t think these are fall colors. More like dying leaves from lack of rain and such a very hot summer. But — it did rain today. We got about an inch and maybe more tomorrow. Other places got more, but I’m grateful for every drop that falls from the sky!
Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg, or Lake Chargoggaggoggmancogmanhoggagogg (and other various spellings) is also known as Webster Lake, which is what I call it. It’s quite a big lake. Surrounded by trees, many of them maple, it can be spectacular in the fall.
For the non-New Englanders, maple trees are the ones that produce the brilliant red, gold, and orange leaves. Oak leaves turn a soft yellow, then bronze. We have fewer maple trees because oaks block the sunlight. For once, it’s nothing man has done: it’s just nature doing its own thing.
So, wherever you can find maple trees, especially near a body of water, that’s where you will find the brilliant autumn leaves for which New England is famous. Now that August is nearing its end, all of us are hoping for a real autumn. It’s not just the color. It’s also the best weather of the year and with a little luck, can stretch for as long as two months, more or less.
I am not counting on it. Everything is too dry and many trees are already losing their leaves. I know that they aren’t going to give us a magnificent Autumn, but maybe a little bit? Autumn is our reward for surviving New England’s other seasons. We deserve a one great season of crisp weather and bright leaves.
Here’s to Autumn.
From the shores of Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg to the White Mountains of New Hampshire, I bring you gleaming waters and brilliant scarlet maple trees with the sun shining through.
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Categories: #Blogging, #FallFoliage, #foliage, #gallery, #Photography, Blackstone Valley, Cee's Photo Challenge
SERENDIPITY: SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
What a name! No wonder it’s known as Webster Lake! Do you know what it means or where the name comes from? Anyway, you’ve taken some lovely autumnal photos there, and I hope you do get a decent season following all you’ve had to put up with over the past few months. We have a similar problem with a lot of our trees over here – they turned very early and our chestnuts have more or less finished shedding their leaves already, and we’re not even into our British meteorological autumn yet. Long live the rain, and enjoy every drop. 🙂
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I’ve read a lot of interpretations, but I’m pretty sure no one speaks that language anymore. It probably means something like “where all the trails meet” because it actually was an area where many trails joined. Local natives did a lot of trading, partying and fishing there. It’s a lovely place, so why not?.
It is quite a big, deep lake. Well, maybe not as deep as it was. We’ve had a lot of low-rain years since 2000.
Yes, we ARE loving the rain. I’m even loving the thunder, though we have an antenna on the roof, so I worry about getting hit by lightning — again. We’ve been hit three times over the past 15 years. We were lucky that insurance covered it each time. Now, though, I don’t think our insurance would cover it. Well, it might cover the antenna because it’s actually ON the house, but the last time it took out the well pump which is outside and more than 400 feet deep. Who knew lightning could hit a well pump? Apparently it’s not rare. Water, electricity, iron — voila! A natural lure for lightning.
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A beautiful place, but so difficult to spell. 😅
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Local people — the ones who grew up in this little area of Uxbridge-Webster-Whitinsville-Northbridge — memorize it. Some can even pronounce it — or think they can. Since there’s no one who actually still speaks that language, it’s a guess. The lake is just outside Webster which is one town away. It’s even smaller than Uxbridge but the lake is beautiful. They used to have a lifeguard there. I don’t know if they still do. The lake was always popular for swimming, fishing, kayaking, and in the winter, ice hockey. Winters have not been cold enough to make the lake safe for hockey, but it’s hard to convince kids to stay off the ice. It can look solid but really be just an inch or two on top of the water.
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That wouldn’t be safe for playing or skating.
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No, it isn’t and every year, we lose a few children and pets who fell through the ice. You need a long deep freeze to get at LEAST 4 inches of solid ice and more is better — especially in a very deep lake. Shallow lakes are not as elegant, but at least you are less likely to drown in them.
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That’s very sad. They must’ve posted warning signs?
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They do. And it’s also all over the television news. But they are kids and it’s winter and they want to play hockey.
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I hope that no more lives are lost.
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I wish so too, but every winter, some kid by a lake wants to try out his skates. It really depends on how cold winter gets. If it doesn’t get very cold, the water doesn’t even look frozen, but sometimes it gets cold enough to look like it’s iced over — but it’s not. All we can do is put out the warnings and hope parents make sure their kids don’t try to skate on the ponds.
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Why aren’t parents more careful?
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You can tell our kids what to do, but they don’t always do what you tell them to do. I know I didn’t. Kids think they know EVERYTHING.
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Yes, that’s true. But so unfortunate when it results in a tragic loss of life
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One of my goals is to see New England in the fall. I’ve seen it in the spring and summer. Something to look forward to some day. 🙂 Your photos are beautiful. I hope you get some more rain soon. 🙂
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Well, this isn’t going to be a great year for autumn, or at least I doubt it. Sometimes it surprises you and you get a brilliant autumn when you were sure you weren’t going to get anything. Usually the problem is too much rain and wind. THIS year, the trees are all wilting from the heat and many are already losing leaves. I really hope I’m wrong. If you ever think you can make it, this is THE best area for leafing.
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I would love to, someday.
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