coastal Odiorne

Yesterday was the last summer-like day for what will probably be a long time.

I took advantage of the 80+ degree temperature to walk along the coast in Odiorne Point State Park.

late dahlia

As autumn leaves fall from trees there are still dahlias in bloom in the gardens of Maudslay State Park.

one

A single maple leaf in bright red is caught by the branches of a tree.

bright & fading

Trees wearing autumn leaves continue to paint bright pictures even as the color is starting to fade.

layers in sky & water

It was about an hour past high tide when I walked the beach at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.

The sand was soft, swept free of footprints. The sky wore a pretty shade of blue and the waves showed a bit of green.

from the dike

In honor of National Wildlife Refuge Week the dike between sub-headquarters and Hellcat at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is open for walking this week.

I took advantage of a beautiful day to walk along the dike this morning.

layers

As I walked in the park on Friday I saw layers of color.

There were yellow leaves, shades of green in leaves and grasses, and rust-colored ferns.

red

Bright red berries complement small green leaves.

An image search tells me this is a variety of cotoneaster. Whatever name it wears, I like the pop of color!

mixed

Evergreen and deciduous trees present a palette of mixed color.

ocean song

Late afternoon...

Instead of heading directly home from volunteering at the visitor center of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, I headed into the refuge. It was a perfect time to walk and to listen to the sounds of the ocean.