After the storm

Fay Falls lower pool

Flash floods hit New Hampshire last week.  Many roads, including the road I live on, were washed away and impassable.  The soil is beyond saturated. In fact the slope behind my house now reveals its granite foundation.  The water continues to stream down, from all over.

I went to Fay Falls in Walpole yesterday out of curiosity.  Ordinarily the lower falls is a peaceful spot, where you can watch native brook trout Salvenis fontinalis.  Now all around the upper and lower pools, the devastation can be seen.  Long, wide wash areas with virtual no top soil, reveal boulders and smaller rocks.

The upper pool with its falls, is nearly 4' deep in the middle.  I have seen several trout individuals here, but the water is churning so that it was difficult to see any fish.  This photo doesn't do the scene justice.  Trees hang down across the falls, and newly exposed rocks around the pool, make walking very difficult.








I observed copious downed "green" branches.  Several live trees like this Quaking aspen Populus tremeloides.  Notice the blackened leaves believed to be black leaf fungus.

Here is a White pine Pinus strobus bough with new flowers.  Both trees are typical upland species. 

New fungi are everywhere, and Hen of the Woods Polyporus sulfureus is a wonderful edible.  I have found some, but they had already been ravaged by slugs.   This fungus is a form of Ganoderma applanatum, a.k.a. Artist's Conk.  They are called Artist's Conk because the underside can be drawn upon using a stylus or other drawing implement. This years fungi promises to be a "bumper crop".

I found this lush patch of vines spread across the ground.  Several faint blue flowers emerged from the mat. 

Unidentified vine with light blue flower clusters

Last but not least, my dog Evvy wallowing in new pools.  She was in her glory running from pool to pool, laying in the water, occasionally dipping her head beneath the water.