Friday, October 5, 2012

What A Difference A Day (Or Two) Makes

This past Wednesday was a gorgeous day with temps hitting the 70s.  Right after lunch we threw some gear in our Samuri and took off for some exploring and the possibility of finding a grouse for dinner.


We drove down an old logging road that looks as though it's now well used most likely by local hunters.


At a right angle to the logging road we saw a path leading off into the woods so we parked our vehicle and decided to explore it on foot.  In the above picture, we had just started down the path.  I stopped to turn back and take a shot of the Samuri parked on the logging road.


The fresh air felt wonderful and the scenery couldn't have been more beautiful.  What a great time of year to be out in the woods!  Off the side of the trail I spotted this red maple leaf that seemed to be suspended in mid-air in a shaft of sunlight.

We hiked until we came to land that was posted "No Trespassing" where we turned around.  Before we had reached that point, we did see one grouse but it scurried off through the thick underbrush so we had no chance for a good shot at it.

On the way home I suggested we take one more little side trip in to a favorite lake of ours.  Although it's a good fishing lake, we didn't see a boat on the lake.  It was so quiet back in there I think we both could have stretched out and taken a snooze in the sun.


A birch tree in full fall color on the shoreline had recently toppled into the water.

Back home then, but no grouse for dinner.  Instead we filled up on a bowlful of the chili I had made earlier in the day.

For as warm and beautiful a day it was on Wednesday, yesterday and today have been wildly windy with leaves falling like huge colored snowflakes.  The temp hasn't reached much more than the low 40s for the past two days and when we picked our apples this morning, even though we had gloves on, we both had to come in once to thaw out frozen fingers.  A rain and snow mix has been forecasted for the past two days, but so far we've not had any.  Just wind that cuts to the bone and is stripping the trees of all their fall splendor.   Oh well.  It is the first part of October.  Up here it's time for that to happen.

I must admit I am getting a little eager to see the first snowfall!


18 comments:

Erin said...

These are beautiful photos!

Katidids said...

What a beautiful afternoon! Love those photos, how did you leave it had that story book look. We're having some turn but most are so dry they went brown early before they could color.

Sparkless said...

Gorgeous! I love fall even the nip in the air. There has been early snow in our mountains. I wonder if this is going to be a big snow winter?

Tombstone Livestock said...

Fantastic photos, really looks like fall, thanks for sharing. BTW today it cooled off, was 72 when I came home from town around 2, think it did get up to the 80's. Had some clouds tonight, great sunsets, will have to look thru pics to find some to post. Can really feel the change in temps today, Happy Fall Y'all.

DFW said...

Thank you for the pics. We don't get any fall color down here so it's nice to live vicariously through your lens.

Anonymous said...

Some of the leaves are just starting to turn down here...doubt the foliage will rival what we get in NH, but we will see :)

Judy T said...

Lovely, lovely photos! It has been cooler here as well and the leaves have been falling in waves. It's fun to stand under a tree that is dropping hundreds of leaves every minute. It's amazing that as many as fall in a short time that there are still any left!
Judy

odiie said...

No leaves left here. I love your avatar!

Karen L. said...

Sounds to me like you need a hunting dog if you expect to find dinner out in the woods. Lovely photos! We are just getting tinges of color here in NC also and the leaves are beginning to cover roofs and lawns.

Mama Pea said...

Thanks, Erin. When are you guys going to make it up here in the fall??

Mama Pea said...

Katidids - Such a shame for those of you who are missing the usual color of the leaves and trees this year because of the drought. Next year . . .

Mama Pea said...

Sparkless - We've had a dusting of snow elsewhere in our county already but none right here. I think a lot of people are thinking they'll have a big snow year. Right now, it sounds good to me!

Mama Pea said...

Tombstone Livestock - OMIGOSH! Your temp FINALLY came down??! What a relief that must have been. Let's hope you are all done with that horrible heat now. You're gonna have so much energy you won't know how to contain it!

Mama Pea said...

DFW - When we moved from Illinois with all deciduous trees and a gorgeous fall season that lasted so long, I really missed it. Up here we're mostly pine trees and not very many deciduous trees. But over the years we've learned which areas to go to to experience the most color and the beauty never ceases to amaze us.

Mama Pea said...

Stephanie - Yepper, I think you left prime color area behind you when you moved, but your new home will offer lots of other things for you.

Mama Pea said...

Judy - I know what you mean about ALL the leaves that come down. On our hiking around last Wednesday, one of the things I most enjoyed was walking through the layer of leaves on the ground.

Mama Pea said...

odiie - And you've even had snow covering the ground already, haven't you?

P.S. I am Stock Pot Head, hear me roar!

Mama Pea said...

Karen L. - Shhh, about the hunting dog, please. I'm not quite ready for another dog. Hubby could be talked into getting another one at the drop of a hat if I wasn't holding my ground. ;o}

Hope your fall in NC is wonderful!