Bertil Ferneborg Vals

I chose this Waltz title because it had the word 'fern' in it... I didn't find many ferns in the woods this morning. "No ferns in the woods?" you wonder. Well, no ferns in the areas I am studying. I have had this idea of doing a botanical field study since I lived in Fayette years ago. I started a study of our property this spring, thinking I would collect, press, and dry samples but it proved an incredibly tedious job that I could not keep up with. My recent introduction to sketching and field notes have given me new inspiration to study our property - I've marked out 10'x10' areas, three to start with, in which I am collecting data. What trees, ferns, mosses, and other plants are growing? How does the vegetation differ as the land contours change? What are the unnatural landmarks, such as stone walls, iron pins, and old rusted buckets buried in the leaves? What birds are singing and are there animals roaming about? The more I look, the more I want to see. Although I eventually plan to study the entire property, I realize it could take a long, long time at this rate - and that's okay. There will be plenty of casual walks and rambles in which I can get the big picture too.
Bertil Fernebor Vals comes from Waltz Book, Volume Two.