I paid the quarry a visit on a chilly Wednesday morning a few days ago. Patches of granulated snow dot the ground but the water hadn’t frozen yet. The leaves of the Caucasian stonecrop are tinged with red; I wonder how the succulent will survive being buried under snow for months. Many Buckthorn leaves are developing brown spots and yellowing but a remarkable number still remain. The only other deciduous leaves that remain are Willow, Beech (which have turned brown), and some Norway maple on the southern end of the site. Lots of still green Noway maple leaves are scattered about the rock, along with some Red oak.
I walked in the opposite direction as I usually do in hopes of seeing the site from a different perspective. My experience is chronicled in the event map below.
I had planned to write a poem but my hands were cold and after I left I didn’t feel in touch with the site enough to do it justice, so in its absence here are some photos:
Why are Norway maple leaves so big? I’m not sure why no one has nibbled on this pumpkin
Part way up the rocky crag Saying goodbye for today
All images: Walsh, E. J. (2020). Redstone Quarry [Digital photograph].