mirrored

Almost still water creates a mirrored surface, reflecting trees and clouds.

transition

Temperatures matching the season and a bit of rain seem to be convincing the leaves that it is time to start showing autumn splendor. While most of the trees continue to wear green, some are transitioning to shades of red and orange.

dahlia delight

As the days and nights grow cooler, dahlias are still splashing bright color across the garden.

lines

Water running to the ocean cuts grooves in the sand, parallel (wavy) lines.

Low tide is a wonderful time to walk on the beach, isn't it?

wet

It's wet and chilly today. Rain is falling, alternating bands of heavy and light rainfall and making it a good day to stay inside. In spite of the wet I headed to the Stevens-Coolidge Place in mid-afternoon to walk in the garden and to absorb and enjoy the remaining floral color.

late afternoon

What a perfect time for a walk on the beach!

I headed into the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge late yesterday afternoon after closing up the visitor center (at the end of my volunteer shift). The sky was covered with clouds as I looked to the south but patches of bright blue provided decoration to the north. I shared the beach with the birds - sea gulls and sanderlings - and a few other people.

Walking along the beach at low tide and listening to the sound of the waves feeds a strong sense of peace.

wilting

On this first full day of autumn I look to the garden for signs of the changing season. While some flowers are still in full bloom, some are completely devoid of color and others are wilting.

All stages of floral life bring a sense of beauty.

outdoor sculpture

The annual Outdoor Sculpture at Maudslay is held at Maudslay State Park in September. Today felt like a good day to wander and discover art in the park.

As is normal for me, I found a few favorites.

I loved part of the sculpture titled "The More the Merrier", a dog pouncing down a tree branch with a bird sitting on its back. The creators of these wonderful creatures are Melissa Montello and Our Neck of the Woods 4-H members.

Wire sculptures were a challenge to capture with my camera. These birds are part of the sculpture titled "Bird of a Feather", created by Jane Wang.

More photos from today's wander can be seen in the gallery wandering Maudslay :: 2018 starting with this photo and ending here. A few photos of natural items jumped in with the sculptures.

bee action

While many flowers have faded as the autumn equinox approaches, some still provide a feeding ground for bees.

silky water

I walked a loop in Harold Parker State Forest this afternoon looking for early signs of autumn. While some leaves wore a bit of red, the color of the forest remains predominantly green.

A sky painted with clouds creates a backdrop for trees reflecting in silky waters.