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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It was a crisp fall day, a good day for a walk along the Piscataqua River in Portsmouth, NH.
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.
A leaf hangs on, faded, wearing autumn brown. Behind it there are trees that continue to wear leaves in green.
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?
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.
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 RefugeGoldenrod creates a splash of yellow along the edge of the beach.
at the Parker River National Wildlife RefugeThis 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.
A window in an old mill building in Lawrence is partly intact. Missing panes and encroaching plants drew me in.
It's good to look around - and down - when walking through the woods.
This single mushroom created a wonderful pop of color.
While most leaves remain green as we edge into autumn, there are some trees wearing a bit of red.
Asters bloom late, decorating gardens with bright color from late summer into fall. This one brings a pop of lavender to the landscape.
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 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.
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.
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.
