(late autumn forest floor)
The Sunday before Thanksgiving my friends and I took a very long two-hour walk, way up Bolin Creek, until we got to the ruins of a colonial gristmill, millrace and dam. It was exhilarating.
There was a path along the top of that ridge on the right (above), heading back in the direction of the ruins. On the other side of the ridge was the millrace, now dry.
There was a tiny bridge going over the millrace so we had a chance to see parts of the crumbling foundation walls from both sides. With all the vegetation filling in the area it was difficult to figure out what exactly we were looking at, where the mill itself might have actually been situated.
I found a bit of conflicting information online about who owned the mill, but hope to find out more about it one of these days. It’s something to contemplate, someone laying these stones here 260 years ago.
This looks like it was a beautiful sunny autumn day Barbara!
I couldn’t imagine living in the 1600s!! I did not know what type of mill this was or its purpose. So I googled it. And learned a bit about it.
Is this the Bolin Creek that runs by your townhouse complex? I think I remember seeing photos of some of the trails in your earlier posts. It is so wonderful that you have found some friends with similar interests as you! I think 2 1/2 hours is a long walk. It’s more of a hike in the woods. The longest I can walk is about 45 minutes which I plenty for me and Yorkie. 😊
I love your signature leaf photo! 💙
It was! We had some gristmill ruins in the woods back in Connecticut, too.
https://www.ingebrita.net/2021/05/wild-azalea-in-the-woods/
Yes, this is the same Bolin Creek. The trail follows along the creek and this was the farthest up the creek we ever walked. It is good for me that my friends can walk so much farther than I was used to walking with Tim. This past weekend we took another two hour walk through town close to dusk and visited some cemeteries. It was invigorating and the sun was setting by the time we got back to my place.
I’m glad you liked my leaf photo! Not sure why I find them so captivating! 😉
A bit like the many ruins in our woods. Back then hydropower was the only thing there was, aside from animal power. Our town had many mills utilizing our river, the stone blocks are still visible.
We had some back in Connecticut, too. I have to keep reminding myself that North Carolina was also one of the original 13 colonies, and has lots of colonial ruins and landmarks to discover.
The two backlit leaves are so pretty Barbara and add a touch of color to the landscape. I like the reflections in Bolin Creek as well. It is incredible to think just how old these stones are and that they appear to be held together solely by the way the stones were laid, not by anything like grout or cement. A lot of care was taken in those days to build structures that would outlive the builders!
Thank you, Linda. I could just post nothing but pictures of leaves all the time and be perfectly content. 😉 But it was nice to find what remains of the gristmill walls and to try to imagine what it was like all those years ago. I wonder what it sounded like with the water running through the wheels. The woods are pretty bare right now, except for all the tan beech leaves still clinging to the trees.
Especially when you have leaves backlit by the sun – it adds something special to the leaves. All the birds and squirrels nests are exposed here now that the leaves are finally down, courtesy of last Thursday and Friday’s 40 mph winds. The trouble is, we have snow and ice, so my landscaping/gutter guy has suspended the gutter cleaning until the weather improves. I had already told Frank (handyman) that I had hired Andrew to do the gutters long before I found Frank. So, I have some massive icicles, something I’ve never had before as the leaves fell timely and the gutters were cleaned timely, but the snow/ice arrived just as the leaves finally left the trees. We have no moderating temps until just before Christmas.
I think it would be peaceful to hear the water running through the wheels. I have a high school friend who lives in Honeoye Falls, New York. It’s a quaint little town and its biggest feature is the waterfalls and the grist mill which was in place for a century and, though no longer in operation, was revitalized into a restaurant. It is picturesque, with a stone foundation and painted bright red.
I fondly remember the icicles hanging from our house eaves when I was a little girl. (I wonder if my parents cleaned out their gutters???) Even today, I hang little glass icicles on my holiday tree. I feel like I’ve seen a mill in operation with water running through the wheel but the memory is so wispy and I have no idea when or where that might have been. Perhaps it was a dream or something I saw in a movie.
They are very pretty, especially if the light catches them just right, like a prism. Well, we had snow, followed by rain and above-freezing for a few hours – the icicles are gone, but they’ll be back with our flash freeze we’re getting tonight. It will be treacherous to walk out the door tomorrow, let alone drive. It sounds like a quaint and picturesque place with water running through a mill wheel, just like seeing a real covered bridge, something nice, reminiscent of yesteryear.
I trust you will NOT be walking out the door today! Time to hibernate and paint maybe?
No walk again today Barbara, but I did go out to run the car, taking great care and walking on the grass and spread some ice melt pellets for traction. That’s because it was a wind chill in the single digits, so even with the trickle charger I thought I should run it. Too much ice and I would have not have gone out the door. I must try to get to the Park Friday since Saturday and Sunday will be sub-zero temps (-20 real feel on Sunday) … dangerously cold!
Anyway, I was back inside by 9:30 and I did do four paintings, (just the drawings today), but I took photos of these drawings, as this is a different artist and she does this “pen and wash” which she does the entire picture in black ink or dark pencil and then a light wash of watercolor, not completely filling in the outline. I’ve not tried that method yet, so I wanted to preserve the two snow bunnies and two snowmen I drew in case I mess them up. I have an idea for a post for the 28th, or the 4th, to use them in, depending on how I do with this technique. I hope it comes out as they are cute. Also, I am working on a Christmas Eve post project, which requires some work on my part as well, even though it is a Wordless Wednesday.
What a great walk in the woods. I don’t find myself doing that as often now that the cold has returned, but I try to promise myself each year that I’ll try to dress for it and go out anyway.
I remember how much you prefer the warmer weather. There have been a few days already where I would need to put on my thermal leggings under my trousers to even dare go out there! But I like that better that heat and humidity.
We have a lot of foundations and columns in the middle of wooded areas here too. Just poof pop up or a wee stumble underfoot. I took part in some public archaeological digs in an area that has those around. These coincided with actual digs. https://handsonheritage.com/stroll-the-heritage-trail/
Thank you for the link, Elisa. I resonate with Bressler’s idea of combining a pleasant walk, a history lesson, and nature study. I had no idea there was such a thing as a public archaeological dig – that must have been a great experience. If I lived closer I would have loved to walk that trail.
It looks like a beautiful day for a hike. It’s currently very snowy here, so probably won’t be doing much hiking until spring.
It was a lovely day with crisp fresh air. Sounds like its time up north there to pull out the snowshoes or the cross-country skis!
I love the backlit leaves! And the view of the creek from the bridge is beautiful, with those long tree shadows customary at this time of year. We’ve had drought conditions here, too, so your second photo looks quite familiar to me. Glad you had such a pretty day for an outing!
Thank you, Debbie! I don’t think the winter shadows down south here are as long as the ones up north, but I do enjoy seeing them. On the other hand, I have the distinct impression that the trees down here are taller in general. Lets hope for some rain or snow soon to help with our droughts.