Autumn Change

Yesterday the weather was crazy perfect for October. It was warm, the air was calm and the leaves were beautiful; probably as good as they're going to get. 

Last night some thunderstorms rolled through and today it's raining. The temps are supposed to drop and there might even be some snow flurries in the coming days. The weather is, if nothing else, a reminder that change is a constant in our lives. 

I have learned, over the years, that some may not like change all that much, tending to think of it as a negative thing. For my own part, I try to see the positive side of change (as much as possible, anyway... don't get me wrong, I definitely have my negative moments too). And in that process I've discovered that, even though things may be changing overall for what seems to be the worst, there is always something beautiful to see as well. 

Sunny Autumn Days

 

This past weekend was definitely the peak for the fall colors this year.  The forest was glowing like crazy almost everywhere you went. The leaves are falling now and before long the trees will be bare and the night sky will be revealed in all its glory once again from beneath the forest canopy!

Maybe I'll just grow in all the directions...

 

What a year for the maples!  Their colors this year have been phenomenal.  While out wandering around in the woods I came across this really interesting tree that couldn't seem to decide which way it wanted to grow... so it just said I'll grow in every direction I possibly can 😊

Autumn Details

 

The maples have been exceptional this year!  Such vibrant colors all around. This past Friday I spent the whole day out in the woods and came away with quite a few photos.  These are a few of my favorites from that day. 

Pigeon River Kingfisher

 

Kingfishers have, for me at least, been very difficult to photograph.  I've heard them plenty of times when I'm out paddling or while hiking near a river or lakeshore. But, they rarely come close enough or stay still long enough to make a decent photo. This summer, however, they have been slowly revealing themselves to me. 

On a few occasions I've been able to observe and photograph them as I slowly drift down the local rivers. The most recent encounter was this past Friday, as I was floating down the Pigeon River. I came around a bend in the river and there, perched perfectly on this tree arcing out over the water, was a kingfisher surveying his hunting waters below. As I drifted closer and closer, I couldn't believe how close he was allowing me to get.  Eventually, he dropped down from his perch and flew past me, headed upriver. 

Prime Time for Fall Colors

 

The fall colors may have been late to arrive this year but now that they're here, they're really good!  This is most likely the peak weekend for the maples. Most of their leaves will probably be on the ground by next weekend then it's the birch, aspen and tamarack show.  What an incredibly beautiful time of year!

Fall Color Reflections

 

One of the calmest, most peaceful mornings I've ever experienced. More often than not, a dominant characteristic of fall days seems to be the wind.  Not on this day, however. You could hear a squirrel drop a pine cone from a mile away. All I could hear at this moment, though, was the deafening silence and the occasional soft "oooOOOooo" call of a loon from the next lake over, behind the ridge you see here.