Wednesday, May 16, 2012

RI STONE WALLS



 " Good fences, make good neighbors".
~ Robert Frost from "Mending Wall"

Turkey on Stone Wall, Little Compton, RI

In New England farmers built stone fences that separated property and kept pastures, meadows, orchards and farmland marked off. My house in RI sat on piece of property that in earlier days was a working farm. There were many remnants in the landscape that gave clues to what life on that farm must have been like. But the stone walls that bounded our property were the reason I wanted to live there. I loved them. I loved looking at them, repairing them, sitting on them and watching the scurrying to and fro of the family of chipmunks that lived in the wall. We were wary friends. I was allowed only so close when I left nuts and fruit for them to eat. I miss my stone walls. I miss seeing the stone walls that dotted the landscape no matter where you walked or where you drove in this smallest of New England states. We spent 7 days back in RI visiting family and friends. It was cold, gray, rainy and damp six of the seven days. But that was ok--well, I really hated being cold and achy, but the rain changes the color of everything,greens are greener and browns are browner and the gray skies are perfect backdrops for the bright spring flowers. This is my pictoral ode to RI stone walls.

Stone Wall, Little Compton, RI
Some walls are straight and true.

Stone Wall, East Greenwich, RI
Some walls need repair, which usually happens in the spring.

anfeargorm:

LUCE

Stone walls.
Stone Wall, Sauderstown, RI

chipmunk
Chipmunks live and hide in stone walls.
(Unknown photographer)

Ferns growing at the foot of RI Stone Wall.

6 comments:

  1. You're so right about the rain. Even the cloudy skies change the colors of things.

    We have a lot of stone walls here in Pasadena. For many years, river rocks from the Arroyo Seco (which hasn't always been dry) have been used to build walls all over town. You find them in rural areas, too, along hiking paths or among the ruins of old homes. I love them and hope they always stay.

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  2. Love stone fences.
    Your header is beautiful!

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  3. Old stone walls are so beautiful. I'm so glad that we still have lots here!

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  4. I love these stone walls too. As I've walked around Sierra Madre, I've discovered that the river rock is everywhere, especially as walls. Thanks for the history of how/why your walls are there. Really interesting!

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  5. The stone wall is not in RI but the Aran islands Inismor

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  6. The stone wall is not in RI but the Aran islands Inismor

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