America's Stonehenge

This spot in New Hampshire has been on my list to visit since I read an article in Yankee Magazine about it.  [Latest article here.] 

Once called Mystery Hill, it's been open to the public since 1958.  Though you can download an app to give you an oral tour, we opted for the printed version.  The labels and trail have the tired look of having been in place since the 50s, but despite that it was a fascinating walk through some history.  Questions remain as to how ancient it really is.

[Disclaimer: In loading these photos, the new blogger has mixed the order up!  Argh! I've tried to put them in order to label them with the tour guide map but I don't know how successful I've been.]

Many of the structures have some significance to the astronomical alignments.  This one above and below is on the February 1st and November 1st alignment.

The rest of these are out of order but you get the sense of the magnitude of effort to lift these stones into place.

The above stone was labeled the sacrificial table with the grooves carved around the perimeter.  Sacrificing what?  Or was it something colonists made?

Below it's the horizontal stone with legs.

In the viewing platform you can look in all the directions and see standing stones.

This standing stone is in alignment with the center of the site.  You can see the viewing platform in the background.  I don't know whether this is for summer or winter solstice or an equinox. It is quite impressive to see all the points in the distance from the viewing platform.

Google America's Stonehenge to read more about this site.  Fascinating to consider what civilization created it originally.

Stone Faces and Other Notes

When our house was built 6 years ago, the stone mason we found was a real artist and showed his talents by his arrangement of the stone walls.  He didn't just stack the stones flat sides to flat sides he mixed in some faces of stones.  It turned out to be much more interesting with the faces showing.

 

Yesterday I finally got back to that pallet of stone and used the remainder to rebuild the stone walls around two beds outside Dan's study.

 As I worked I realized that some of the stones would look more interesting with their faces showing as the stone mason had done.

 I also replanted the bed of hostas by bringing the shorter ones forward because at the height of summer the ones in the back grow so huge they cover the front ones.  (Sorry I don't remember the varieties names).  I placed one stone as an upright in front.

As I walked back and forth from the pallet with my load I spotted other stones in the perennial garden that looked like they need to show their faces.

I still need to straighten the walls of the perennial gardens and as I do that I'll see what other faces need showing.

Other Notes:

1. Remember this poor morning glory that got devoured by the deer?

 Yesterday I spotted pink amongst the leaves that had grown again.  Today I tried to capture another bloom that was trying to open.  I've never grown morning glories but I guess their blooms are one day wonders like day lilies.  Is this bloom just opening or just closing as morning wanes?

 2. What is it about late summer/early fall that brings the potted plants to such magnificence?

 3. Here's the last harvest: a cucumber that fell from the vines as I composted them.  I never saw it there.  The last of the cherry tomatoes - the plant too went to compost. And peppers the plants which are still producing despite cooler temperatures.  On this Thursday of my harvest I also planted more spinach since the first had such a poor germination rate.  Something is eating the Chinese cabbage seedlings, but the other greens I planted earlier are doing okay.  I hope I will have something to harvest this fall.

4.  One year ago we were enjoying some delicious food in Shanghai, China with ordering done by Sarah and her friend, Justin.  Yum!