Spring – Bullitt Reservation
This weekend we took a ride to Bullitt Reservation to take my fourth and final photos in a series showing the four seasons from the same vantage point. Along with the ground blackberry that kept snagging and scratching my ankles, the black flies were out en force making me hop and yelp the whole way. The insect repellent that I put on earlier in the day had worn off, I guess. Needless to say, we didn’t linger long. I hope you enjoy the latest in the series, I donated a bit of blood to the cause!
Here are photos of the other seasons with the links to their entire posts. Summer, Fall and Winter.
Summer – Bullitt Reservation
Fall – Bullitt Reservation
Winter – Bullitt Reservation
Eliza Waters 
Lovely photos, Eliza. i’m so sorry you had to make blood sacrifice to capture your final photos! What a great idea to take the same photo in each season. Now this coming year, you can photograph each of the TEN seasons we’ve so recently heard about 😉 We also have biting black flies, among other hungry critters. We use Bath and Body Works “White Citrus” body lotion on all exposed skin. The bugs hate it, and we rarely get bitten anymore. If your partner can put up with the fragrance, i recommend it as a non-toxic and effective alternative to bug sprays. So glad you got to such a beautiful spot this weekend 😉 WG
Thank you! I think if I was to do a post of the TEN seasons, I’d do it closer to home! 😉
It was a good weekend for vistas, I visited a couple more with my son yesterday.
I haven’t heard about White Citrus, though I don’t know if I’D like the fragrance. We have rose geranium (Gernaniol) and I can barely stand it, it is so strong!
yes, the Bath and Body products are strong. White Citrus is one of their lighter scents, and the citrus is very effective at keeping the bugs from biting. I order it from their website when it is on sale, and reasonable 😉
A new project is born: The Ten Seasons of Eliza’s Garden…. 🙂
What’s this about ten seasons? Have I missed something important? And I like the idea of the white citrus if it’s not too overpowering. Thanks, E.
Cathy at Words and Herbs posted this: https://wordsandherbs.wordpress.com/2015/04/05/the-ten-seasons-of-phenology/
OK, thanks, Eliza!
Couldn’t agree more! After all, she IS German. And what beautiful photography too. Lovely. Here in VA, it’s late spring even though temps may hit near ninety soon. Peonies getting ready to pop and roses too. WGs roses are way ahead of mine!!
Closer to the shore seems warmer, but you must be in the hills, right? It’s been in the 80s all week – after a long, cool spring, everything is going crazy in a few, short days. The daffs only last a few days. But back to 60s on Wed. I like that better for working outside. 🙂
Me too! I am one zone off from Elizabeth, believe it or not. I’m more of a 6 in this little pocket. all around me is 7 which I think she would be in the W’burg area.
Yes, that seems right. So are your summers a bit cooler or doesn’t it matter that much? My in-laws lived in NJ and I thought the heat & humidity were awful. I can’t do humid!
We make NJ seem cool by comparison. It’s unbelievable. I’m definitely a few degrees cooler here than E., but 97 vs. 99? Not much of a difference. But then my SC relatives are usually even hotter!
This is why I stay in New England, despite the long, cold winters. I like our summers a lot! 🙂
Hi Barbara-
You Will Love This! My German blogging friend, Cathy, at Words and Herbs, wrote about the 10 seasons recognized by German gardeners each year. I love it since there are three seasons each of spring, summer and fall… as we experience them… but only a single season of winter. Don’t you think this would be lovely chronicled in Eliza’s garden? https://forestgardenblog.wordpress.com/2015/04/06/the-ten-seasons-of-phenology/ ❤
I’ve already popped over there through Eliza only to realize I had been there weeks ago when you reblogged the post. Too funny. And Yes, I think Eliza should chronicle the ten seasons in Massachusetts although nine of them are winter. LOL!!!
😀 COL!!!
🙂 You could have gone all day without reminding poor Eliza that she has four months more of winter than do we, Barbara 😉
I know. Bwhahahaha. Sinister laugh.
Just you two wait, I’ll be gloating come summer while y’all are roasting and dripping with humidity! ;-D
And we’ll deserve it too! ☺
“I’ll get you, my pretty!”
Actually, I am not all that vindictive. I’m a pretty easy-going kind of gal!
😀
And this is why we love our cameras! What a stunning place and beautiful images 🙂
Thank you and yes, we do love what our cameras can do! 🙂
Gorgeous in every season!
Thank you, Julie. 🙂
Amazing photos Eliza. Thankyou for your sacrafice, I enjoyed them! 🙂 xx
LOL- what’s a little blood sacrifice among friends? 😉 Thanks for stopping by!
Great pictures I just love the changes
Thanks, Carole. The distinct seasons are what we really enjoy, right? However, winter could be a tad shorter! 😉
I really liked this idea. It really causes us to pause and notice the changes around us- not just give a brief glance. Good work!
Thank you, Kim. I appreciate it!
Great photos. I really like the difference in the sky in each photo, not just the foliage. The clouds and sky color say as much about the seasons as the trees and other plants.
Good observation! I noticed that, too. My favorites are the summer puffy clouds, but then, spring and summer are my favorite seasons. 😉
Thanks so much for your visit!
What beautiful pictures. What I noticed was the foreground, which changed as well. So sorry about the blackflies. When I get bitten by them, I wind up having to take antibiotics–I almost always get infected. So you are a brave soul!
Thanks! With the bugs I have no choice – we’re inundated with them. Earlier in the day and windy days, they are not as bad. Their season is only about a month. Then Mosquitoes take over, pretty much at night time or in deep woods. It is always something! I’d rather black flies than ticks, however! Do you have these pests in the city? It’s too bad about your sensitivity to bites.
Yes, ticks in tall grass, wooded areas. Mosquitos will never choose me if someone else is around–and sometimes even if not, but those black flies–and I never even know i’m bitten until the ginormous red bite starts itching madly. Do you have those giant tiger mosquitoes with the striped wings?
I don’t think so – they sound scary!
Ha! Southerners like to complain about gnats and black flies but unless you’ve been up in New England, you just can’t understand. I remember when we were moving from MA to VA thinking how much worse it would be down here with the bugs, but the opposite proved to be true. Somebody, and I have NO idea if this is true, said it was because up in the snowy regions the snow insulates the bug eggs insulating them better from the cold. Sorry, off on a tangent. I love the idea of doing a seasonal thing on any particular area but your mountain site is great. Thanks, Eliza.
Thank you, Barbara. Yes, I suppose the snow does insulate some bugs, but black flies lay eggs in streams, which rarely freeze solidly. Eggs hatch larva, which live there until they pupate for winter, emerging in spring. Females need a blood meal to lay eggs after mating. That’d be us! A few years ago we had a drought and our stream dried up and the following year was blessedly light on blackflies, almost heaven, presumably because the larva died. One silver lining to drought! Lots of birds and dragonflies eat them, so I try to keep it in perspective.
Always a pleasure conversing with you, Barbara!
Even when I report completely false information? Awesome! Just kidding, actually, the information about the eggs in streams is pretty cool. Do you ever think about what Hell On Earth our ancestors must have endured with insects. No wonder they wore long sleeves, etc.
I wonder about that, too, lol. But I think about the ancestors more during the bitterly cold winters – how did they survive without central heating? They didn’t… life expectancy was really short. Luck and constitution – that was about it.
Really nice Eliza. They really do give the feel of the seasons. I am going to New Hampshire the day after tomorrow. I was thinking about the black flies. I’m not fond of them. I did get some tick bites in Kentucky. We don’t have many bugs here in New Mexico. I guess that is the upside to a dry climate. But I sure miss all the wet habitat flora. Thanks for sharing these beautiful photos.
Mary
Thank you, Mary. I hope you wear repellent. Ticks have become really bad around here and they are getting worse. Twenty years ago it was rare to see a tick. I miss those carefree days! Now I check constantly every time I go outside and the dog, too. Lyme disease is a very real & serious threat. Wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Take precautions if you go out in the woods or fields and despite all the critters, enjoy your visit to NH. 🙂
Thank you for your sacrifice in making this tour for us. Especially those of us who have to look up the word “season”. But we actually got some rain a few days ago! Cool & rainy — in May! Used to be that the last rain was early April. I wonder what June will bring?
I thought of you when I posted this. I know you like the ‘idea’ of seasons, just don’t want to experience the winter extremes! I’m glad you got a reprieve from the drought. Let’s hope June has no unhappy surprises!
You know me so well! I’m a season tourist. Keeps the experience fresh!
More rain is forecast in the next 2 days. Awesome. In that last batch of rain I actually saw some snow way up at the tops of the nearby mountains. It’s gone now though. Perhaps I can get a picture of it if it happens again on Friday. Now I really do sound like a tourist, don’t I?
That scenery is gorgeous all year round!
That is true! Thanks, Fi.
Beautiful! I can see why you wanted to capture all four seasons! Sometimes I miss things about Maine but black flies aren’t one of the things I miss – those buggers are pesky and painful. I blew one out of my nose once – gross. For you (so you can laugh while you’re itching those bites): https://youtu.be/qjLBXb1kgMo
Great song, Kathy. Thanks for sharing it. 🙂
What a lovely idea Eliza – may borrow it sometime!
Absolutely! I’m wishing I took daily pics this past week here in the yard. It was a long, cool spring, then bam! 80F every day this past week. You could practically hear the grass grow and the leaves unfurl. Maybe next year! 😉
Wow what an effort you put into this, Eliza!! Glorious seasonal photos all being absolutely enjoyed by me! Thank you. Love, Amy ❤
Glad you enjoyed them, Amy! (big hug!)
You have such a beautiful view of the seasons. 🙂 The black flies are out in force here, too. Now that it’s dried out, tick season has ended temporarily so we do have some relief from that.
Glad to hear you have a let-up in the ticks. They have been maddening here. Bites are a daily occurrence because, of course, I am outside reveling in the rites of spring!
I love how you captured the beauty of each season. Great pictures! 🙂
Thank you so much! 🙂
What a great presentation Eliza! And they are such beautiful vistas in any season.
Thank you, Dor. It is a great place to hike, just the right length and you get this great view at the end – perfect!
A stunning view … in any season!
Thank you!
Sorry about the blood sport but gee .. these are beautiful photos.
Thanks, Debra, glad you appreciated the sacrifice! ;-D