Spring Pond Woods: June 2011

History: Letters of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This letter was shared by a friend, TomO, who explains:
"Attached is a transcription of a letter from the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, to his son Ernest. The letter is from Andrew Hilen’s 4 volume Letters of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Houghton Mifflin 1968). The Fays and Lynnmere (Fay Estate/ Spring Pond area) are mentioned a number of times in Longfellow’s letters. The Fays and Longfellows families were neighbors in Cambridge and Willy Fay, R.S. Fay’s youngest child, was Charles Appleton Longfellow's, Henry W. Longfellow’s son, best friend. Willy Fay took Charles with him to visit his brother Captain Richard S. Fay Jr. at General Ben Butler’s Headquaters at Ship Island La. during the first year of the civil war. Capt Fay was Gen. Butlers military secretary. H.W. Longfellow had hoped that this trip would satisfy young Charles’ enthusiasm for the war. I wonder if Longfellow ever alluded to Spring Pond in his poems. Hope you find this interesting." - TomO

Letters of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow*

To; Earnest Wadsworth Longfellow
Nahant Aug 1866

My Dear Erny,
I have just received your long and interesting letter from Interlachen, and am truly sorry that our letters did not reach you more promptly and regularly. You are slightly sarcastic on that topic. But I wrote you on the 27th of July, and Alice has written since. All your letters have been answered with speed.
I am afraid you are overdoing the mountain business with Crowninschield. Why expose yourself to so many perils? You do not belong to the Alpine Club; and if you go at this rate I shall only be to happy to have you out of Switzerland, and out of harm’s way, as you probably will be when this reaches you. Such over fatigue cannot be good for your head.
The Nahant home is quite alive and merry this week. Sumner, Rolke and Greene have been here; and now Alice has four upper rooms full of her friends. She has Katy Howe, and Arria Dixwell and Alice Jones and is expecting Cora [Spellman] tomorrow. We also have Josie Ames and Henrietta Dana; and if that is not a full house, I am mistaken. To-day is windy and cold; and puts a damper on the hilarity: but no doubt it will break forth tomorrow in grand style.
The “Alice” reached England in nineteen days. We had one Telegram by Atlantic Cable and one letter from Charlie giving part of his Journal. He is in high spirits. You will be seeing him so soon, that it is not worth the while to go into details. I do not think he was in half so much danger as you have been among the mountains.
Interlachen is charming; I hope you and Uncle Sam enjoyed it, and had great weather. It seems to me the most delightful resting place in all Switzerland.
It is bitter cold here at Nahant, more like Autumn than Summer. I am quite ready to go back to Cambridge. I hope you are; and that you will feel inclined to celebrate your twenty first birth-day at home.
You will not see the famous Dresden Gallery, at least not in Dresden. The papers say it has gone to England. What a pity, Uncle Sam will lament.
I am now going over to Lynnmere to read Charlie’s letter to Willie Fay who has been laid up all summer with a lame knee. So farewell and take better care of yourself in the future. We all send much love to you and U. S. and if I do not write to him it is because I write to you, and have such a multitude of letters to write.
Ever most affectionately
H.W.L.

* Hilen, Andrew, Letters of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Vol IV Houghton Mifflin 1968 p173

News articles

The Salem News
Developer admits fault, gets leniency
June 18, 2011
Thomas Kennedy of the Kennedy Development Group (who proposes to construct a Lowe's and expanded Walmart in Spring Pond Woods), was involved in a serious accident causing a head on collision on a highway exit ramp, while intoxicated. Article also states there are financial problems. Link to article: http://m.salemnews.com/TSN/pm_104190/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=IHV8pRT6

The Salem Gazette
most of 'Lion Land' already lost to private parties,
Letter: Say no to big box expansion plan.
Compliments to the Mayor of Salem, Lord Driscoll for recently being awarded 2011 Essex Heritage Hero. Salem is a notable city, also initiated with momentum by past leaders. Respectfully, Driscoll needs to be the “Essex Heritage Hero” and change her corporate priorities, which are causing nightmares for many locals and surrounding towns. Driscoll has allowed a plan to construct big-box retail stores for the open-space of Camp Lion, a charitable trust that serves around 1,000 children in the North Shore. Not only is Salem facing a lawsuit by Lynn, there are complaints filed on the Lynn Lions and Camp Lion with the attorney general, by myself and others. Recent discoveries find the Lion’s land was originally 150 acres granted by Elizabeth Trumbull to the Lynn Lions in 1945, including a grant from the city of Salem. Only 70 acres of this land remains today, and another 25 is eyed for transfer or clearing.
Link: http://www.wickedlocal.com/salem/news/opinions/letters/x601861919/Say-no-to-big-box-expansion-plan#axzz1QRMgFJH4

Salem News
Letter: Fight Continues to Save Camp Lion
Link: http://www.salemnews.com/opinion/x236810444/Letter-Fight-continues-to-save-Camp-Lion/print

Daily Item
Letter similar to above

-General Topic-
Architect: The Magazine of the American Institute of Architects
Dialogue: Big-box Paradox
April 2011, p. 13
Is Wal-mart really thinking sustainable or is it 'Greenwashing'?
Link: http://www.architectmagazine.com/sustainability/big-box-paradox.aspx
(Q: Is Wal-mart running out of places to build, thus taking over natural wild woodland, cliffs and watershed areas, like at Spring Pond Woods!?)

Thank you to the Salem Gazette, The Daily Item and The Salem News for extending the right of freedom of speech, by publishing letters to the editor in opposition to the big box plan.

hidden meadows Part II

Off the trail, in hidden meadows, a variety of butterflies and wild flowers are found.

Tiny cricket...

Duskywing?...

Flora

hidden meadows

In searching for protected species, we traveled off the trail to find a continuous corridor of meadow plains, of various yellow and white flowers. There was not enough time to observe this large area in one walk. Crows were fighting with a hawk above. Colorful butterflies and insects quickly fluttered by, making it difficult to photograph them all. Here are some images, and more remain on video.

white crab spider

dragonfly

tiny pale pink flowers

unique stone

Quote: Richard Sullivan Fay

Febuary 28 1859

“Drove out to Linmere & looked over my cows and sheep. The pleasure of seeing them, cold as was the day, no one can appreciate who is not in love with nature and her varied works.”

Richard Sullivan Fay
Commonplace Book of Richard Sullivan Fay 1859

Thank You to TomO for sharing this quote.

How to save a camp: Improve the Board

From SaveCamps.org, this short 1 1/2 minute video clip tells how non-profits should be able to generate revenue from campgrounds. If there is an issue raising funds without selling land, then the board needs to improve. SaveCamps.org has great advice on how to save a camp and top reasons why it is important: http://www.savecamps.org/?page_id=26 . A favorite quote from their website:

"Some camp lands were donated by generous landowners to be used as camps for kids, not to be sold to raise funds."

Thank you to a friend for sharing the link to this video and website.

leafsnap: An electronic field guide

Help identify rare, native and exotic trees while enjoying a walk on the trails around Spring Pond. leafsnap is a free ipad or iphone app, which helps identify the leaf of a tree from a photograph. Share your discoveries here ( peace@springpondwoods.com ).

Columbia University, the University of Maryland, and the Smithsonian Institute are working together on this visual recognition software to help identify species from photographs.

To use leafsnap, take a photo of a leaf (from a tree only) with a white background behind it. Once a photo is taken, leafsnap will conclude with top options for identification.

See leafsnap.com for more info.

Thank you to Naci for sharing this news.

More Flora discoveries

Near the entry to Spring Pond, in the area of the former Fay gardens are scented, white flowering plantings. On the trails inward, through the woods, is an other red flowering plant, framing the path.

News: City of Peabody planners and Mass Audubon team on improving trails

The City of Peabody planners and Mass. Audubon have teamed together to work on a plan in connecting and improving existing trails which tie around Spring Pond in South Peabody. Part of the plan includes adding amenities and improving water quality in public water bodies. A public meeting will take place to receive commentary.