Wood Nymphs and Bunnies

 

Wood Nymph and Bunnies 2016 (2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Autumn begins to wane Fairy Folk are busy preparing for winter.

Magic of Blue Fairy Hill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The blueberry barrens on top of Blue Fairy Hill twinkle with fairy dust encouraging plants to surrender their leaves of scarlet and gold.

Wood Nymph Gathers the Bunnies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile deep within the enchanted forest a Wood Nymph gathers together all of the bunnies.

Wood Nymph and Bunnies 2016 (5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wood Nymphs have a natural affinity for the gentlest and most defenseless beings who inhabit the forest.

Wood Nymph and Bunnies 2016 (1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Singing chants only Wood Nymphs know, they cast powerful spells transforming bunny brown summer fur into a safer winter white.

Wood Nymph Gathers the Bunnies (2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wood Nymphs are as gentle as they are efficient and each bunny once enchanted is returned to his or her own burrow with care.

Wood Nymph and Bunnies 2016 (3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Late in Autumn as dusk falls the veil that separates our mortal world from the Fairy Realm blurs for a bit…and if you look carefully, listening with your heart as well as your ears.., you just might…

Wood Nymph and Bunnies 2016 (4)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

hear the lovely song of a Wood Nymph as she sings to bunnies turning soft brown summer fur into protective winter white.

 

 

 

Everyone’s Got a Fairyland

 

 

On the north side of a small mountain not far from the sea sits a fine little farmhouse as happy as can be.

Autumn in Maine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunflowers

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn Garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surrounded by meadows of hay, orchards of fruit, gardens of flowers, vegetables and herbs.

Old Horse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old Horse is Guardian of the Home Place Fairy Folk who reside in the Enchanted Forest that borders this farm.

Darling Fairy Fine Fox

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Foxy Friend and Fairy Companion, Caspian rests at the edge of the Enchanted Forrest as he contemplates the events of his day.

End of Summer Fairy Dust

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fairy Lee checks that the greenhouse has been properly dusted with just the right amount of fairy dust as day begins to slip into dusk.

Fairy Greenhouse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overnight Toadstool

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She double checks that all of the Toadstools have been sprinkled with precisely the correct amount of magical dust in preparation for the Cricket Band who will perform their symphony while standing upon them beginning at dawn.

Maine Selkies in the Sea and Home Place Fairies in a Tree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The very first evening of each October, right at dusk the Fairies will venture from the hills where the little farmhouse rests and fly to the shore where they will sing goodbye for the season to their Selkie cousins who spend their winters further out at sea.

The Fairies to the Meadow Arrive at Dusk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later the the fairies will return to the meadow here at the farm and dance in the twilight of autumns cooling moon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harvest

 

1 Harvest time is here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Late  September is harvest time . The Home Place Fairy Folk and I have been busy gathering vegetables,  late season fruits such as apples and grapes as well as flowers and herbs . Vegetables are cleaned and frozen for consuming during the long cold months of winter. Herbs and flowers are gathered and hung to dry.

3a Dusting fairydust

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little bit of fairy dust goes a long way to sweeten and ripen fruits and flowers.

3harvesting amid fairydust

 

 

 

 

 

 

Helpful children tend the gardens as Fairy’s dust sparkles and twinkles all around them.

2 Vegtables ripen in greenhouse amid fairy dusting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our greenhouse is filled with tomatoes for ripening just before the frost arrives. A few branches of arctic hardy kiwi rests in the foreground of this photograph. Huge kiwi vines cover one of my arbors with thousands of little fruits; they will be perfectly ripened after the second gentle frost of fall.

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Small children gather sunflower seed for birds and wee wildlings; tiny field mice and chipmunks.

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Gardens are like magical kingdoms, they are filled with mystery.

4Harvest Dance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Home Place Fairy Folk work hard tending my gardens but always make time each and every day to dance and be merry.

5into enchanted woodland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At day’s end when the fairies are done with both work and play, they leave the gardens, fields and orchards as they flutter and march one by one into The Enchanted Woodland.  Their home is a beautiful chamber snug and warm, hidden deep within the trunk of a grand oak tree.

2 Harvest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I collect my days harvest as the last fairies depart for the evening and I bless the Little People, forever grateful for the loveliness of this magical world all around me .

The End of The Summer Daze

 

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Magic happens in every garden.

Magic Happens In Every Garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All one has to do is look.

Magic Happens (1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Late September, October is on the rise as summer gives way and autumn begins to fall.

Magic

 

 

 

 

 

Winter is not far on the horizon and springtime is just a memory away.

So many tiny wonders everywhere.

 

 

 

September Points of View

A Statue of the Fairy Guardian Angel honors the day’s first light as glimmers of fairy dust twinkle all around.

September Day (6)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This will be a fine day.

September Day (4)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sun will shine for awhile

September Day (2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and later, a welcome rain will fall.

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Tiny wonders around us, everywhere and always.

Butterflies of Hope

Tiny Wonders Everywhere

 

which way to Fairyland (1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full Moon Blue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Magic happens in every garden, all you have to do is look.

Midsummer Waltz of the Fae

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September Garden

September is a generally a month of superb, kind weather. The heavy heat of summer has passed and cool nights have settled upon us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the time of year when my gardens have grown beyond their borders, boldly heralding their abundance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am busy collecting seed for next season’s plantings as fairies twinkle, scattering fairy dust where ever they go.

Elecampane, also known as Elfwort rises regal behind me, yellow and proud. Elfswort grows up to 5 feet tall, is a perennial plant that flowers from July through September here in Maine. He is the favorite plant of Elves and attracts Fairies, butterflies, hummingbirds and bees.

Purple Loosestrife is in love with Elfwort and the two in my garden are often found side by side. Though Purple Loosestrife is very beautiful she is also aggressive and dominating, it takes a steady hand weeding to keep her from free ranging and growing wildly out of control.

 

 

 

Fairy Fine Apples, Peaches and Pears

In September we harvest peaches from our orchard.

peaches and porcipines (7)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fairy Folk and Wildlings come together with children to sample the first ripened peaches.

Little Penelope Porcupine loves peaches.

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As temperatures begin to cool our Wolf River Apples start to ripen.

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And later our pears…

Pixie Pears (7)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mid October is harvest time in our orchard on the north side of a small mountain in Maine.

Pixie Pears (6)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Organically grown with fairy dust our trees bear an abundance of fruit which fills our pantry, as well as supplying a food source for Wildlings and Fairies.

Pixie Pears (4)

 

 

 

 

 

Adults and children, Fairy Folk and Old Horse,

Pixie Pears (3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family, neighbors and friends,

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All gather together harvesting natures bounty.

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Turning work into play is the Fairy way and we always take time for merriment.

Old Horse is Guardian of the Home Place Fairies as well as to a mortal girl and her younger sister.

 

Fairyland Post a (29)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He was long ago enchanted by fairy folk and though he ages he never grows old.

Pixie Pears (10)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday we harvested pears, eating as we picked,

Pear Cider

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later we delivered our pears to the Apple Wizard and his Fair Lady who along with a young wizard in training pressed them into cider.

Pixie Pears (9)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We will dry fruit; freeze fruit, make sauces, bake pies, pastries and tarts.

Pixie Pears (27)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Pixie Pear Tart sweetened with fairy dust.

peaches and porcipines (1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After her belly is full of peaches, apples or pears Penelope heads home.

peaches and porcipines (6)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cutest little porcupine I have ever known.

 

Upside to Everything

Most days in Fairyland everything is harmonious and as it should be. There are rare occasions however when things in the fairy realm can become rather upside down, when no matter how one looks at the world, things appear out of sorts and sideways.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When this happens, (which is very rarely) it’s no longer just another day in paradise. All of the residents of Fairyland must come together to restore balance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

High flying fairy folk are generally the first to notice when things become amiss. Members of Fairyland have a lot of patience and are very optimistic by nature,

Their first tactic is to go about their business while keeping their eyes and ears wide open waiting for things to sort themselves out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The residents of Fairyland know from experience that under usual circumstances everything settles down and the world becomes right again. Rarely has there been an occasion when their world becomes so out of balance that it doesn’t right side up of it’s own accord.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, lately things in Fairyland have become a bit more upside down and very sideways, more so than the inhabitants have ever experienced or known before. Fairy Folk know that this is a time when special measures will be required to set things right. In order to correct this imbalance they will need to join all the different clans of fairy folk in the kingdom together and become a diversified unit of one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The inhabitants of Fairyland, (which includes, Sylphs, Sea Selkies, Goblins, Leprechauns,  Fairies, Pixies and Trolls….to name just a few.) trust in the wisdom of their leader, a wise Old Troll King who reigns from secret chambers hidden deep within the Earth.

Photo credit: Jennifer DeStefano

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Entrances to Trolldom are numerous and each is a secret portal only the initiated can see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 There are secret entrance portals to Trolldom hidden in Caves, Ancient Oak Trees, Pines or Ash; under Steep Granite outcroppings,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are entrances beneath secret woodland waterfalls,

Photo Credit: Jennifer DeStefano

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And beneath water falls where humans go but but cannot see.

photo credit: Luciana Rose

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However the most direct as well as most secretive and heavily guarded portal to Trolldom  is hidden deep within the Enchanted Forest where only fairy folk and wildlings dwell. (and on rare occasions those humans most in tune with nature go) This portal is beneath what appears to be a derelict Stone Bridge out of view. It is guarded by two large Trolls, one Cautious Coyote, a Boisterous Bear, a Heralding Hawk and a Curious Crow. The entrances to Trolldom are many and all are hidden from view.  Seldom are these portals entered by those seeking Troll King’s council, as Fairyland is generally a most harmonious place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Troll King has the knowledge and wisdom of his ancestors, he is open minded and a scholar up to date on the diverse citizenry of Fairyland, including Wildlings, all those scaled,  furred and feathered, such as turkey, snake, frog, butterfly, coyote and deer folk to name just a few. As Seamstress to the Faires, I am invited to speak on behalf of my kind. Troll King’s wisdom combined with his ability to see into the future by learning from the past, reassures all the inhabitants of Fairyland when things become out of kilter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Representatives from all factions of Fairy Kingdom join together in Troll King’s vast chambers deep within the earth where all knowledge is firmly rooted and wisdom grows.

Photo Credit: Jennifer DeStefano

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Together as a team these representatives confer until a resolution forms and harmony is restored. The sincere selfless efforts of each and everyone in Fairyland working together is necessary for harmony to be maintained and balance restored.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of the Fairy Folk and Wildlings, the tall and the small, the winged, the webbed, the scaled, the furred and the blue know exactly how to do just that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And once again, all is as it should be.

this photo credit to E.M.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The incredible strength of  dreams and hope coexist in this magnificent world filled with possibilities.

 

 

 

 

“Magic really does happen, all one has to do is look.”

 

 

 

Copyright © 2025 Robin Horty