still waters

Late afternoon light created a painting in the still waters of a pond in Harold Parker State Forest. The reflection of a tree wearing autumn colors was pure magic.

a pop of red

The edge of a red leaf pops from a patch of ground covered in fallen leaves.

dahlias & bees

Flowers continue to thrive in the garden even as the air grows older.

Bees appear to be as attracted to dahlias as I am.

quiet waters

High tide on the inland side of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge exposes quiet water. It hightlights autumn colors in tidal grasses.

a painted box

As I was walking in Lawrence, MA this afternoon I spotted a mural on the side of an electrical box.

I love that art lives in all types of places.

This mural was created by someone affiliated with the organization elevated thought.

Their tag line states "i am art. i am change.".

across the water

The colors of grasses and leaves are fading, a sign of autumn.

walking the North Pool Dike

In honor of National Wildlife Refuge Week the North Pool Dike at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is open to walkers this week. It was a treat to walk in a place that is normally closed.

I walked the dike alone late on Monday and returned with a friend yesterday afternoon. We walked, we stopped to absorb the beauty around us.

Many sea birds were there, flying, paddling around North Pool, seeking food.

It was wonderful!

in flight

When I heard the sound of wings I looked up to see a bird in flight.

While I would have preferred to capture this beautiful creature flying towards me, I'm happy to have a photo of it flying away.

berries

While the leaves of this tree still wear green, bright red berries have emerged.

orange leaves

Autumn color continues to get brighter as the days go by. Today, trees in Maudslay State Park wear leaves of orange.

color change

Maple leaves are starting to wear autumn colors.

mushrooms (again)

As I walk in the woods I continue to see mushrooms. Some seem to be fading but others remain in prime condition.

This batch is growing at the base of the tree.

by the sea

It was a good day for a walk by the sea.

Today's destination was Fort Foster Park in Kittery, Maine. While the gate to the park is closed for the season, visitors are welcome to park outside the gate and walk in.

across the pond

Trees wearing red leaves pop against a background of evergreens.

peaceful

A solo walk on the beach is a peaceful walk.

My walk was accompanied by the sound of the ocean.

beach grass

Beach grass and goldenrod waved in the wind as I moved from the boardwalk to the beach at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.

tall

As I walked down a trail at Goldsmith Woodlands yesterday afternoon a grove of tall trees caught my eye.

mushrooms at Maudslay

My walks in the woods have turned into mushroom walks this fall. While I follow a trail for the most part, I also find myself wandering off of the trail, always keeping an eye out for interesting mushrooms.

Here are a couple from Maudslay State Park.

If you'd like to see more mushrooms, click to the gallery wandering Maudslay :: 2021.

seed pods

Before the leaves change, trees are loaded with seed pods.

I wonder how many will seed new trees as opposed to serving as food for little creatures.

cliff walk

Newport, Rhode Island's Cliff Walk runs for several miles, providing a place to walk well above the ocean.

A set of somewhat steep stairs of stone allowed for a closer look at the rocky coastline.

green to red

A single leaf is wearing autumn color.

mushrooms

The varieties of mushrooms growing along trails through the woods, on trees, and on lawns is simply amazing. I don't remember seeing so many different types in a small area in previous years. Perhaps our wet summer contributed to their growth.

Here are two favorites from a recent walk in Harold Parker State Forest.

To see more mushrooms from my recent wanders, click to the gallery autumn :: 2021.

berries in black

Before the leaves turn, berries appear.

contrasts

Yesterday I wandered through the gardens in Portsmouth's Prescott Park. Some flowers remain in full bloom while others have faded, nearing the end of their floral life.

I find both to be beautiful.

across the water

It was a crisp fall day, a good day for a walk along the Piscataqua River in Portsmouth, NH.

a blue sky day

It was a good day for a walk in the woods, a blue sky day. My walking destination today was Goldsmith Woodlands in Andover, MA.

At the end of the trail, trees reflect in the waters of Foster's Pond.

faded

A leaf hangs on, faded, wearing autumn brown. Behind it there are trees that continue to wear leaves in green.

shaped like a flower

As I was walking in Harold Parker State Forest this afternoon I saw a large fungus shaped like a flower. It was growing at the base of a tree.

Isn't it amazing?

changing leaves

While it feels a bit early some trees here have started to show autumn colors. Leaves in red and orange caught my eye as I walked this morning.

sanderlings

These little birds seem to be in a state of constant motion.

I love this description of their behavior, posted on the Sanderling page of Cornell University's All About Birds site:

They gather in loose flocks to probe the sand of wave-washed beaches for marine invertebrates, running back and forth in a perpetual “wave chase.”

sanderlings on the beach, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

yellow

Goldenrod creates a splash of yellow along the edge of the beach.

at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

sculpture at Maudslay

This year's Outdoor Sculpture at Maudslay show opened on Sunday, September 12th. I headed to the park Sunday morning to wander through the sculptures. I returned with a friend on Monday for a second look.

As expected, some of the sculptures really pulled me in. My favorite of the show was a horse striding near the trees, his skin made of the bark of white birch trees.

If you're in the area I recommend a visit to Mausdaly State Park while the show is in place. It is scheduled for removal on Sunday, October 3, 2021.

To see more of the sculptures, click to the gallery outdoor sculpture at Maudslay :: 2021.

pale & bright

A dahlia wears two shades of red. One is pale, the other bright.

missing

A window in an old mill building in Lawrence is partly intact. Missing panes and encroaching plants drew me in.

a mushroom

It's good to look around - and down - when walking through the woods.

This single mushroom created a wonderful pop of color.

early color

While most leaves remain green as we edge into autumn, there are some trees wearing a bit of red.

fall flowers

Asters bloom late, decorating gardens with bright color from late summer into fall. This one brings a pop of lavender to the landscape.

dahlia delight

A walk in the gardens of Prescott Park yesterday delighted my senses with flowers in varying stages of bloom. While some flowers enter a stage of decay, dahlias remain in prime condition.

This dahlia in yellow presents beauty as it opens.

a monarch

A monarch butterfly is attracted by a bright red flower.

While it seemed to be in a constant state of motion it stayed still long enough to pose for a photo.

sunflowers

It was pure luck that I checked the state of the sunflower field on the Colby Farm page early last Wednesday. The "sunflower" page said that the field would open in September but the home page said that Wednesday, September 1st was the last day the field would be open, blaming the impending storm for the early closure.

I was happy to be able to walk through the sunflowers before heading to a planned wander at Maudslay State Park.

The sunflowers were an amazing sea of yellow.

clouds

The clouds decorating the sky over Crane Beach this afternoon were simply amazing.

waves

The music of the waves enhanced my walk by the sea.

turning tide

The tide has changed directions, switching from outbound to inbound.

Shells sitting at the tide line will soon disappear as they are swallowed by the ocean.

in motion

Sanderlings seem to be in a state of constant motion as they run back and forth on the beach, probing for food in the wet sand.

I watched a small group of them today running across the sand at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.

delicate

A single pink rose creates beauty for the eyes.

This flower's wonderful scent stopped me from moving on; I needed to stand still and absorb it.

a coastal glimpse

Yesterday was a good day for a walk in Odiorne Point State Park.

This photo was taken from the rocky shore, looking to the north over a bit of inland water.