Irene Trail 16

About 10 o'clock the Trails/Woodlands Group disbanded.  Maggie then started an inspection of Trails 16 and the RR trail, the 2 trails that she monitors.  On trail 16, not far from the entrance near the tennis courts, the trail was blocked by a fallen tree covered with vines.

After the tree was "untied"  (the vines removed) as much as possible, the 2nd photo was taken, with the lopper hanging on the base of the vine where it was too thick to cut.  Enlarge the photo to see the vine and the place where it was cut - just left of the capital C in "Cut."

It turned out that the tree was not dead.  The small branches of the tree that were thin enough and near enough to be cut were removed after the photo of the untied tree was taken.

It's now an attractive gate to Trail 16 from the tennis court entrance.  I hope it remains.

my beautiful "Japanese Gate" (now removed) click the pic to see it large

Irene - Sweating the Small Stuff

Residents clear the paths as much as they can. Enlarge and look closely at the 1st photo and you can see John H sawing this fallen tree.  John C. is holding the end with branches so it won't drop abruptly.   After the tree had been cut, John C. put the top of the tree to one side and Carol, John H., and Maggie pivoted the heavy base of the tree so that it lay along side the path, not across.

There were many places on the trails where fallen trees would have to be removed by landscaping. Click photos to see them big. 

Irene - Bridge across Sandy Run

A "bridge" across Sandy Run had been dislodged.  "Bridge" is in quotes because the bridges that the trails committee maintains are planks, chained to the ground so they won't float away in floods.   In order to relocate the bridge the working group approached the run from different directions.  John C. and Ruth were on one side of the run.  Maggie, Carol, and John H. were on the other.   As it turned out the water level was much lower than it had been when John made his observations the day before and it was not difficult to step across the run.    In the 1st photo the photographer is on one side of the run while John C. and Ruth are on the other side, discussing strategy for shifting the plank -- which is heavy.  The 2nd photo shows John H. crossing the dislodged plank and Carol in the foreground. The 3nd photo shows the plank back in place. Click photos to see them large.

Irene - Tree Across the Rancocas

This fallen tree across the Rancocas would be a fun footbridge to Dark Waters if only  we were a few decades younger.  The Roots of this tree together with the top branches of another huge fallen oak  block the Orange Trail.

The stump of the tree with the branches at the far end which mingle with the roots of the tree that's crossing the Rancocas. 

Roots of tree that crosses the creek next to branches of the tree that broke leaving a stump

click the images to see them large

In the sky over Lumberton Leas

On August 8th there was a perfect rainbow over Lumberton Leas.

Four days later, three hot air balloons flew over.

Farm Photos by Perry

I'm thinking of a slideshow using Perry's farm photos.   This might become the opener.

update August 30.  The slideshow is now on http://mlra.org and will be the home page through the month of September.