Field Notes - September 2026
Swamp Asters
In the month that straddles summer and fall, we’ve felt the maximum of both seasons.
Within the former there was heat, humidity, and peak amounts of activity and vibrancy. Here in early autumn, colors are just beginning to inch past the point of saturation, and insects are finding their final groove.
As I return to creating Field Notes after more than a year away, I feel like I’m finding my footing for the first time, yet again.
Mantis, Northern Paper Wasp, Hickory Tussock Moth
In Dan’s studio, action has been steadily increasing as temperatures become more palatable, and last season’s material reaches optimal condition.
From basketry featuring both white and bark-on willow, to a miniature Twisteez wire creation, and a revamping of his tool briefcase, his hands have been busy refreshing his space, and creative vigor.
Bundles of willow from last winter’s harvest
September has been a celebration of many things we hoped for in spring, both around the acreage, and within my own body.
Goldenrod
In this year of personal health recovery, I haven’t been documenting as much as usual, but lately the camera has been my constant companion. Looking up or down, there’s always something beautiful I want to capture.
Sunflower, Asters, Evening Primrose
I’m feeling an especially intimate connection to willow this year, as we both spent the winter having our life force hacked down to the ground, and fighting to come back to life in every month following.
Willow, so tall this time of year
For a while I felt as if I’d never regain my full strength, but as the year anniversary of my surgery nears - patience, fortitude, and the nature of time’s steady passing have done their magic.
Yellow Garden Spider, Swift Feather-legged Fly, Blue Crayfish
The leaves haven’t changed color much yet, but there are glimpses of tones and shifts that are simply striking.
Amaranth
Butterflies and moths were overwhelmingly abundant this year, as well as their caterpillar counterparts, naturally.
As the month winds down, late afternoons have been especially active for these fluttering beauties.
Monarch Butterflies bookending a Twin-spotted Sphinx caterpillar
Winged friends served as inspiration for my first woven tapestry, which I spent 50+ hours crafting from over 26,000 beads.
This piece is a perfectly imperfect showcase of my inclination towards very tedious work, and I suppose every laborious project is merely an attempt to rearrange all of the seemingly broken pieces within me into something beautiful.
My 1st beaded tapestry
Speaking of broken, even though late spring frosts bit away nearly all potential from our apple and pear trees, there’s still fruit to be found in a year that feels fractured by unforeseen circumstances.
Thimbleberries, American Persimmons, and Husk Cherry
Morning walks are becoming obstacle courses through overnight webs, which are the perfect autumnal aesthetic, despite their sticky nuisance. Every eye-catching sight, whether edible or aesthetic, is a reminder to slow down and savor the scene.
Dan has been into the idea of a “sit spot” lately, which simply means a chosen place you can be still and witness the world.
There’s an area near our house that has been overrun with weeds, but we always knew there was an expansive rock hidden within the tangle. It seemed like it could be the perfect sit stone, and after some excavation, it was revealed to be just that.
The freshly dug out sit stone
A year ago we were preparing to face the worst, but today, we are hoping for the best, and ambitiously tackling every idea from tedious to tiny. As cool and crispy days begin, shifting into warm-toned afternoons that release a bit more life by evening, we’re ready to settle into a new October filled with freedom.
Senescence outside, sustenance within.
Asters & Goldenrod, American Groundnut flowers, Bulrush
