On this mid-summer morn, the fairies had hidden away. With big-footed humans like myself trekking through the woods, they must be careful. Everywhere I looked, though, I noticed signs of their presence.
There, stretched along a fallen log, appeared to be dozens of miniature lounge chairs. Perhaps the fairies watched a ballgame last night. Or maybe a parade went by.
A cluster of tiny purple chairs looked the perfect setting for a small gathering to enjoy cocktails or an intimate dinner. One cozy home cradled high in a tree sported green shag carpeting. From another tree, a wide patio deck jutted out, which could easily have hosted three or four fairy friends for a pleasant evening of barbecue and conversation. And there, on a bright teensy tuffet set off by itself, a contemplative fairy may have star-gazed, wrote a memoir, or dreamed of things to come.
On a sunny July day, several friends and I followed the fairies’ footsteps through the forests and fields of two nature preserves in Tyringham, Massachusetts. The damp forest nurtured a fantastical array of wild mushrooms. In an abundant variety of hues, shapes, and sizes, the mushrooms seemed the perfect furnishings for fairy homes of every style and taste.
The McClennan and Tyringham Cobble Reservations must be home to a large community of imaginative fairies. Or perhaps Mother Nature enjoys creating with a touch of whimsy every once in a while. Both preserves fall under the aegis of the Trustees for Reservations. Boasting 100,000 members, this non-profit group has acquired and preserved for public (and fairy) use properties of scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts for over a century. Currently, they protect 118 places, which cover more than 25,000 acres.
McClennan Reservation
Nestled between Round and Long Mountains, McLennan Reservation contains nearly 600 acres of forested hills and wetlands. We hiked the one-and-a-half-mile trail, stopping often to admire the fairies’ handiwork. Still flush with spring rains, creeks along the path flowed freely across rocky beds. An impressive architectural structure — a beaver dam — totally blocked one brook, creating a good-sized pond.
Near the end of the trail, we encountered a tree that must have begun its career on the set of “The Wizard of Oz.” A parsimonious face stared out from the trunk and its arms reached upward ready to throw objects at us if we crossed it in any way. Daring the tree to hit me, I stood in front of it and mimicked its fighter pose with my arms stretched skyward.
Tyringham Cobble Reservation
A picturesque red barn set in a field of wildflowers stands near the trailhead at Tyringham Cobble. Called a geologic wonder, the Cobble (the name may derive from a German word for “rocks”) came about when tectonic movements shifted ancient strata and exposed rock atop a high ridge.
We hiked a two-mile loop past rocky ledges up to the summit and back to the trailhead. Fairies in this reserve decorated their homes with not only mushrooms, but with luxurious wildflowers. Big and showy, small and delicate, the flowers filled the woods and fields with sweet perfumes. Bees and butterflies competed with the fairies for the flowers’ attention.
At the summit, I looked out upon a verdant valley. In places, brush strokes of purple, pink, and yellow splashed across the green canvas. The exposed cobble, or rock, of the ridge buckled and twisted into strange shapes. One whimsical pillar of rock bears the name, Rabbit Rock. From some angles, I gather, it looks like a rabbit. From the angle I approached, the rock appeared as a giant sea lion. I clamored atop the sea lion for a spectacular view of the valley below.
I wonder how the fairies perceive this ancient rock. Do they delight in a rock becoming a rabbit or a sea lion? Like me, do they climb the rock and gaze with wonder at this vista, so lovely and serene?
Clay,
You did justice to the fairies and their magic kingdom with both your prose and fabu pictures!
The Berkshires are lovely and magical!