Colebrook River Dam

We went for an autumn ride after our visit to the Riverton Fair. We drove to the Goodwin Dam and then to the Colebrook River Dam. As we were looking at the water and dam, we noticed some cars were driving along a road that had always been blocked off when we had been there before so, off we went.
It was a fascinating ride along the water which has been drained and reveals some of the remains of the village of Colebrook River which was flooded for the dam. I knew the history of this in West Hartland and Barkhamsted but didn't know that the same thing happened in Colebrook.
It was quite interesting seeing the remains of foundations and walls.
We had been on a bus tour before of the Barkhamsted/Hartland area and a guide told us where certain landmarks had been. I wish we had a tour today to know what we were looking at.

This was the road that we had never been on before. A nice scenic ride.

We were talking to someone who goes here often and says that some years you don't see the bridge or just the top of it. We were fortunate to see so much of it.
I looked on line and if you click on this link, you can see an old photograph which I believe shows this bridge--don't quote me but I believe it is.

http://www.colebrookhistoricalsociety.org/images/ColRiver.jpg

There were some huge tree trunks.

We joked these were crop circles. Obviously someone had some fun.

Looking to the right, there is a strip of pinkish colored ground. We wondered if it were clay. Finally when we got closer, we realized it was just thousands of wild flowers. I couldn't zoom enough to give them justice.

Here is a close up of a few of those pink flowers that covered the ground across the water.

These are the flowers, that from a distance look like it was clay because there so many.

And it was a BIG dip.

This was the end of the road. Previously when we had been here, the road was blocked and we couldn't go on the bridge. So, today we got to go on uncharted territories.

The Great Flower Caper

Let me first give you some background about me. I do not have a green thumb, though sometimes I like to dabble with a pale green one. My efforts are weak, but last year a neighbor even commented on my little area by my park bench near the road. That encouraged me to continue on.

Last year I bought a little wooden bridge that holds flowers and I bought annuals to put on it. I also got some ceramic bird decorations and I have a container displaying my smooth ocean rocks that I hand picked on each of our trips. I bought a couple of plants. All of this is near our memory plaque for our beloved dog, Patches.

My kids gave me a gnome with a solar lantern for Mother's Day that will also be added to my little "park".

This year I got out the bridge and happily went to the Meadow View Farm (see previous blog) and put some pretty yellow and red flowers on it. Then I bought these cute yellow daisy type flowers that were also annuals (see how "into" flowers I am?--I don't know the names--though the tags are still in the pots.) I also bought some phlox that are perennials, to have something that might come up again like the tulips.

Well, I was lazy about the yellow daisy type flowers and the phlox and just kept them in their pots by the bench for now. I figured I'd get around to planting them in a couple of days. As I pulled in the driveway yesterday, I noticed the yellow pot was tipped over. Well, it was windy. I picked it up.

Today it was knocked over again and a few of the petals had fallen off. I picked it up again and tried to push the pot into the ground but it wouldn't go far. I decided tonight I would plant them.

So, I come home tonight and I couldn't believe my eyes! The pot is there, but the flowers are gone! I looked again. At first thought, I wondered if a neighbor kid had picked them, but we really don't have any kids who would do that. I realized something must have eaten them.

THEN I looked over and all the flower parts of the phlox were eaten too! At least if I plant those roots, they may come up again. I can't believe I've been a victim of flower theft.

I have been mulling over the suspects. We have some pretty bold chipmunks running all around digging holes. I have come home and had to tell one, "Excuse me." because he wouldn't move when I was walking to the house.

Then there's the kooky squirrels--flitting around here and there. I've been told there is a bear but I don't think he would stoop for the flowers when the neighbors have bird seed.

Alas, I think the guilty party is a rabbit. Rabbits seem so harmless and cute. How can I be mad at them? Now, I'm curious, why he didn't touch the flowers in the bridge. They mustn't be tasty. Maybe I should taste flowers before I buy them? I think I'll stick to gnomes, ceramic birds and things like that. I just can't force my thumb to turn green. It doesn't seem meant to be for me.