A Haven for Vee

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Autumn in My Neighborhood


Yesterday afternoon I took a little walk around my neighborhood. The color of the scarlet sumacs along the main road beckoned me. Sumacs are a shrubby little tree not worth a whole lot; however, in autumn, they garner attention. They once had a noble purpose. Their fronds were boiled in buttermilk creating the most incredible red paint. It was inexpensive and durable and nearly every New England farmer painted his barn with the stuff.


1. Sumac along the river's edge (It's hard to tell, but that space between the sumac and the trees on the other side is the river.)

2. I thought this sumac branch looked like red hot chile peppers

3. This was the view that first beckoned

4. Some blush on the backyard forsythia bush

5. Lunch...focaccia bread with fresh tomato slices, onion, green pepper, and cheese (Yes, we are still on our eating plan.)

6. Trees in the forest behind our house

7. Even the ditch was pretty

8. Oh that nasty turkey vulture is getting too close

9. Too much of a close-up?

10. Looking toward our house

11. Looking toward the town square

12. What is he doing?

13. Digging a big hole

14. Looking across the river to the old mill

15. More sumac

16. Another toward the old mill view

Hope that you have far lovelier views!

Edited to Add @ 2:27 EST:


Sumac Frond


Who knew the stuff was also edible? I am not trying it. Nope. A very interesting video at the following source. I might try making a buttermilk paint, though. ☺

Source



32 comments:

  1. Vee
    I thought the sumac was chili peppers too! I didn't kmow that about its use for milk paint. How neat. I do know you can make a tea from it.
    That ditch is sure coming along fast. And Mr. Turkey vulture doesn't look very friendly way up there in that tree either.
    Have a great day-Kimberly

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  2. I came here today and learned about sumac milk paint and barns. Interesting...I had no idea. Cool!

    The beauty is showing up around here too. What a lovely time of the year.

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  3. Very pretty! Sumac grows like wildfire here, I had no idea about it's orgin.--no fall picutres here, not fall just yet. Nov. the fall season will hit. Blessings

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  4. Pur colors here in t he Salt Lake Valley nave not rally changed yet, however, we can see it on the mountains..then it snowed ! Covered the mountain tops and we may have missed our chance to see the colrs, so I really appreciate yuour photos today! Plus, you have to know there;s no where live New Rnglnad for the color show! Thanks for taking us along on your walk :-)

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  5. That is one of my favorite things to do - walk around my own neighborhood and take pictures of stuff that is really quite wonderful, but that we just never really "see" because it is always there. I enjoyed your pictures.

    I haven't don that in awhile. Need to do it again in my neighborhood.

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  6. Vee, that sumac is beautiful. We have it around here, too, actually. Most of it, unfortunately, has died along with alot of other undergrowth. It's nice to see all that red in your photos - great photos by the way!
    I sure didn't know they used to paint their barns with sumac!

    Now that's SOME trench that John has dug! I once came upon a buzzard (that's what they're called down here in Texas) standing in the middle of the road, just a small road, and he wasn't even eating anything. I could not pass without running over him. I honked and slowly approached and honked again. He just stood there looking at me. So I got out of the car and walked up to him waving my arms and yelling. I got within 3-4 feet of him before he ambled off and took flight. Looks like you got pretty close to your buzzard, too! They are such lovely creatures, aren't they! ;)

    That foccacia looks great!

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  7. Hi Vee,
    What a great way to display your photos! I really appreciated the numbered explanation for each one. I envy your pretty Fall colors. Everything is pretty much green or brown here in Northern California. A few weeks and we'll have a little more color to show off.

    The foccacia does look delish! :)

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  8. Why wish us, lovelier views??? You pictured LOVELY views, on your walk!!!

    Plus, your walk sounds delightful... With views along the river, and toward the town square and across the river to an old mill. LOVELY!!!

    Will you take us along again, please???

    I love sumac when it has gone-all-vibrant-red. But never knew it was used to make red paint. Thank you for this delightful tid-bit.

    Gentle hugs,
    "O hushed October morning mild,
    Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
    Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,
    Should waste them all.
    The crows above the forest call;
    Tomorrow they may form and go.
    O hushed October morning mild,
    Begin the hours of this day slow.
    Make the day seem to us less brief.
    Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
    Beguile us in the way you know.
    Release one leaf at break of day;
    At noon release another leaf;
    One from our trees, one far away."

    - Robert Frost, October

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  9. Yes, I know. That's ONE LONG quote for today. -grin-

    But it's lovely, too. So.... I'm using the whole blasted thing! ,-)

    Gentle hugs,
    "O hushed October morning mild,
    Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
    Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,
    Should waste them all.
    The crows above the forest call;
    Tomorrow they may form and go.
    O hushed October morning mild,
    Begin the hours of this day slow.
    Make the day seem to us less brief.
    Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
    Beguile us in the way you know.
    Release one leaf at break of day;
    At noon release another leaf;
    One from our trees, one far away."

    - Robert Frost, October

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  10. That's so interesting about the sumac. Love your walking photos. Maybe I'll get my act together and head out on a walk.

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  11. Interesting about the barns. Explains why most barns are painted red!
    Glad you got out for that little walk. : )

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  12. Beautiful fall pictures, we are still quite green around the Northwest, but the colors are starting to change...slowly!

    Blessings!
    ~Nadine

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  13. Love the sumacs! Tiger Eye sumacs are all the rage in gardens over here. Who would have known one could paint the barn red with 'sumac paint'?

    Thanks for your walking tour. How much longer will John be in the trenches?

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  14. Beautiful!! Happy FALL!! We have NO color here!! Cruchy brown and dull tired green. Even the sumac has not been pretty! Thanks for showing FALL is there for you....and for me via your blog!

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  15. Blogging is so educational. I never knew that boiling sumac resulted in red paint. Such smart forefathers!

    Wonderful photos evoking the quiet peace of autumn (which isn't always quiet and peaceful).

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  16. Sumac makes red paint? Who knew? I was always told that sumac was poisonous much like poison ivy or poison oak, so I never got around it. We have quite a lot of it here and it is so pretty in the fall once it turns red. I read the other day in a blog where someone used some sumac in a fall wreath she made. I still think I'll steer clear of it and just admire it from a distance! Your mosaic and fall view is very pretty. I think you have a nice view!

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  17. I am so glad you are finally getting color to enjoy Vee! Our color is getting nice here too!

    I love the scarlet sumac - didn't know they used to make paint...maybe we will have to try it!

    Blessings!
    Deanna

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  18. Yeah color!! I have always loved Sumac...such a pretty fall color.
    Hugs,
    Penny

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  19. One must boil the sumac frond, which is different from the sumac leaf. It's the red bit that remains when the leaf is gone. I don't know that I'd go anywhere near the stuff either.

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  20. Hi Vee!

    Who knew that Sumac had so many uses!

    I really enjoyed your collage, what a fun way to post pictures. I need to take a drive around my area and find some fun things to take pictures of! Looks like some of those photos mean work though - like digging!

    Hugs,

    Barb

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  21. Beautiful photos Vee. I didn't know that about sumac. I think I have heard that the bloom is poisonous?? Not sure on that one. I see the 'hole' is getting bigger. :) Pam

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  22. I didn't know what you told us about the sumac fronds. I'e got to share that with Keith. Do you have bluebirds? I know that the sumac fronds are winter food for them in the midwest.

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  23. No, we don't have many bluebirds. Darn!

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  24. Glad that you are getting some colors up in your area! Hey, why is there that BIG hole? Whatcha doing???

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  25. Sooo beautiful! sigh.... My favorite time of year! I hope you are having a good week :>)

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  26. Your photos of fall are beautiful. There's just nothing like fall colors!

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  27. Such great views you have and the falls colors are the best. What a great idea you put together a little road map of pictures, I enjoyed it!

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  28. A lovely browse...... beautiful autumn mosaic!

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  29. Thanks so much for such a lovely and colorful walk.......nothing like that around our neighborhood, except for the buzzard. Interesting about the barns....

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  30. You've really captured the beauty of Autumn Vee!

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  31. Wonderful fall pictures and love the info on sumac paint...that is so interesting to me, because if I every get stuck in the woods in some ends days catastrophe, I can still make paint =)

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  32. Blogger is back to it's horrible slide shows so one cannot get full screen.
    Love the fall pics.

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