Boulder Art

A large erratic with many naturally made  cracks and splits.  This, however caught my eye and held up at every angle.

Notched Stones

Standing by a pile of sones, facing due East, on a knoll overlooking a large swamp,  I spot  a short, notched, squarish  stone.  Turning around, facing west: another notched, squarish  stone.
In 6 months time I'll come back here to see if they mark the East-West equinox Sunrise and Sunset.
In-between photographing the two rocks, I was distracted by an old Bent Tree. (See next post.)

Another Bent Tree pointing West, towards The Lake.

Native Americans living in Western Massachusetts

Follow the link above for information which helps explain why there are

Bent Trail Trees in this area which could still be alive...but just barely. 

This Bent Tree is located 1/2 mile east of the Long Trial, on the top of a knoll. I didn't notice at the time, but there is another bent tree just visible on the far left side in the top photo...at around 9 o'clock. I shall go back to see if it is natural or man made. This location is a knoll overlooking a swamp which serves as the headwaters of the Manhan River. 

A Similar tree on the Long Trail, further west. HERE

The Indians who roamed and hunted in these hills were Algonquins. 

Large Rock Shelter

A very large erratic; the top has split off and is  leaning on the lower half,  about 12 feet tall, creating a "cave."
There are couple of  large loose  rocks filling in the split  at the top, between the two boulders.  Piles of animal "scat" suggest  years of  animal occupation ; No "back door." It appears that  a 3rd piece of the original boulder has been pulled down, effectively blocking the west side. 

Rock Designs

Three small rocks placed on end. The middle one "points" east  to a spring. 

Three rocks arranged on the ground, with quartz on lower left, facing west. 

An interesting arrangement on the ground,  leaning on a side hill, facing west.  Note the small rock on the right shoulder  which  echo's the larger "body" shape. Head at top. 

Arrangement  of rocks on the ground. "Head" at the top. Quartz in the center.  Facing west.
The arrangements on the ground, like this one, are most in danger of being run over by The Logging Operation, which will resume in the Spring of 2016. The pink tape that I've used to mark many of them has gone missing. 

Rock on Rock, placed

Boulder with rock near edge, and a much small piece of quartz. 

Boulder with 2 rocks. 

Boulder with four rocks in a row. 

Boulder with six rocks lined up across the top. 

Boulder with 4 rocks. 

Large boulder with round rock and piece of quartz. 

Large boulder with long flat rock perched on top. 

Boulder with square rock, and one to the left, looking like a turtle's head. 

Boulder with assorted rocks and several pieces of quartz. 

Butterfly Quartz

What looks like two quartz rocks on the left, (9 o'clock) is really one, joined at the center, each the size of a man's fist. It is placed on a rock pile; the root of a Hemlock is working it's way over and in-between.
There is a 2nd constructed pile (below, )located about 1/2 mile away, with a similar  butterfly shaped quartz.

Interesting Rock Shape

An eye catching Rock on Rock along the Long Trail.

December 21 Sunset

December 20th: Today was a bit clearer than on the 10th, so even though the sun wasn't  casting strong shadows,  the weather was nice and I wanted to check the Trail Camera, so
I walked up on The Hill at sunset.
I tried to sit in the same spot as on the 10th.
Something didn't line up. Things felt a bit off. Had the sun started to move back north?





 

Earliest Sunset

Given our latitude,  Dec 9 2015  was calculated to be the day of The Earliest Sunset.  Too many clouds.  Dec 10 2015 was hazy with some clouds.  I climbed The Hill To The North "Balanced"  rock.  The 33º S of due west on the phone compass app wasn't pointing at the sunset. 

Time: 4:12;  The bottom of the setting sun (orange spot in top center) touched the top of the far Blandford Hill.  True sunset, when the top of the orb sank below the horizon, was 4:18. 

The degrees on the phone compass was reading 254º?  And fluctuating.  ?
   magnetic declination  

Our early Sun Watcher didn't have a compass or know about "magnetic declination." He had many boulders along the long ridge to choose from. One, however,  The Rock,  had a level view to the western hills,  where he could lean back against one particular slanted rock in the middle of a particular stone pile and face the setting sun.  It was awkward. Rudimentary, but it worked.

Giant Split Bolders

This is in my yard. A large split rock with a shaped rock wedged in between.