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Autumn Woods Walk

From the archives!  Originally posted late October 2014.

As of Friday afternoon, I was looking at a socially committed weekend filled with friends, kids, and family.  I'd planned to fit in some book reading, tea drinking, kitty sitting quiet time too, in an attempt to even myself out.  I did not officially plan to spend time in the fields and woods...
Let's go for a walk!
We'll enter here, into a softly glowing maple woods:

Is this really a path?  (Sure, why not!)

What a find!  Black walnuts, freshly fallen (top) and veteran of the forest floor (bottom):
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More beautiful fall color at the wood's edge:
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Up close and personal with multicolored maples:
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Teasel standing tall in the autumn landscape:
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Back into the woods at my favorite spot along this walk:
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Crossing the bridge:
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​This last picture, I have titled 'Standing on the Elf Bridge.' There's something about standing here, crossing the wooden plank bridge over this small, deep stream, that makes me expect to see Frodo somewhere. The stream is perhaps eight feet wide, and the bridge a few feet longer. The bridge sits about two and a half feet over the water - the streambed is surprisingly deep. The water moves slowly, its surface covered with fallen leaves.  Up the rise on the other side of the bank, the trail winds through the softly glowing forest.  I have my eye out for bright red Spicebush berries, though it is late in the season.  Out of the corner of my eye I see something, but when I look straight on, there is nothing there.  Not even a squirrel.  Must be a little elfin boy, peeking around a tree at me and smiling, like we are playing hide and seek.  I smile back, and keep walking.