Call it a bad day -- a gloomy Saturday when the work world was going a little crazy and nothing else (like trying to hook up my internet at home) was falling into place. More on that another day.
So, I decided a long walk was in order and headed to the Ditch (thank you, Rick) about eight blocks from where I live for a few laps.
I thought on one lap, I might want some photos, so I took my camera and am I ever glad I did.
We're nearing the end of the fall color here -- a good windy day and much of it would be gone. So the purples of the asters just seemed to pop against the gray sky.
And the red trees with leaves -- well, they were practically preening, begging for attention!
The browns. Every shade from deep mahogany to pale wheat.
And musty grays and whites.
The ducks were begging for attention, too -- and I was disappointed I hadn't slipped any contraband bread crumbs in my pocket for them.
But it didn't seem to matter -- they were finding things in the water!
And I do love this duck! He or she is the only one with these markings.
And then I saw him -- Harry the Heron was back. And he was posing.
Now these photos were taken with my instant camera, its zoom maxed out to 40x. (I don't understand how it does that, since it's a 10x zoom, but that's what it said.)
And Harry tends to hang out right in the middle of the pond. No matter which side you're on, you're about the same distance.
That said, it was mesmerizing. He cleaned every inch of himself.
He posed.
He watched the water intently and then with a swoosh grabbed one of the orange koi from the pond and flew into the reeds.
Another walker/photographer with a far better camera than mine was there, too, and we strangers stood together, waiting. Her photo of the flight and fish was far better than mine (so was her camera and lens), but I was happy.
We didn't see him eat the fish, but soon he was back, and we waiting again, shooting like crazy.
I have to say... my day got a lot better after that!
And the next day? Sunny and bright!
The sumac was wilting, but still was dazzling against the sky.
The contrasting colors of late berries against gold and the rich blue of the sky.
And yes, I was still very happy!
So, I decided a long walk was in order and headed to the Ditch (thank you, Rick) about eight blocks from where I live for a few laps.
I thought on one lap, I might want some photos, so I took my camera and am I ever glad I did.
We're nearing the end of the fall color here -- a good windy day and much of it would be gone. So the purples of the asters just seemed to pop against the gray sky.
And the red trees with leaves -- well, they were practically preening, begging for attention!
The browns. Every shade from deep mahogany to pale wheat.
And musty grays and whites.
The ducks were begging for attention, too -- and I was disappointed I hadn't slipped any contraband bread crumbs in my pocket for them.
But it didn't seem to matter -- they were finding things in the water!
And I do love this duck! He or she is the only one with these markings.
And then I saw him -- Harry the Heron was back. And he was posing.
Now these photos were taken with my instant camera, its zoom maxed out to 40x. (I don't understand how it does that, since it's a 10x zoom, but that's what it said.)
And Harry tends to hang out right in the middle of the pond. No matter which side you're on, you're about the same distance.
That said, it was mesmerizing. He cleaned every inch of himself.
He posed.
He watched the water intently and then with a swoosh grabbed one of the orange koi from the pond and flew into the reeds.
Another walker/photographer with a far better camera than mine was there, too, and we strangers stood together, waiting. Her photo of the flight and fish was far better than mine (so was her camera and lens), but I was happy.
We didn't see him eat the fish, but soon he was back, and we waiting again, shooting like crazy.
I have to say... my day got a lot better after that!
And the next day? Sunny and bright!
The sumac was wilting, but still was dazzling against the sky.
The contrasting colors of late berries against gold and the rich blue of the sky.
And yes, I was still very happy!
15 comments:
Stunning photos. The colours are just so vibrant. It's the same here autummn is at it's end and it was so windy last night that there won't be much of anything left.
perfectly lovely harvest post Jeanie, your photos are spectacular and Harry is such a star!
Happy Fall weekend to you!
oxo
The autumn colors in your photos are so beautiful....and Harry is so elegant. What a great place to enjoy on a gloomy day when things aren't going right.
Time spent with Mother Nature always makes my day a little better.
great photos and they eat those fish in nano seconds....no wonder you missed it !
Love seeing your colors of Autumn! My photography group is suppose to concentrate of color this month and you certainly have it here. I love seeing Harry with that orange fish in his mouth, good catch for you too!
On a Friday we've brought a lot of beauty, fantastic photos autumn, thanks for sharing with us.
Your photos are so beautiful - and as always I'm astonished by the differences between your part of the country and mine. We're still hanging on to nearly-full summer, even though the shortening of the days means that, when autumn comes, it will be here NOW!
Ducks that tip that rear end up like that are called "dabblers". It does give the old phrase about people who "dabble" in this or that a different meaning, doesn't it? ;-)
Gorgeous photos, both from the gray day and the sunny one! No wonder your day got better after that walk!
I really enjoyed this walk with you. Beautiful photographs of nature at its best. Thanks for sharing. I love little ducks. Hugs, Deb =^..^=x5
glad you took your camera with you.
Beautiful pictures. It looked like you had a sunny day.
what a day! i'd love to go on this hike with you someday :-)
Such great photos! I especially enjoyed the shots of the heron.
Beautiful photos and color! WOW! We had a crane walk by our back today and I prayed Frankie wouldn't bark at him and scare him away. He didn't, for once! I love to watch them walk!
Amazing photos, Jeanie! Your fall color there is so pretty. We've not had much because of the drought but recent rain and a few frosts have given us a little taste of autumn right here before all the leaves fall off.
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