A Slow Afternoon Stroll

Autumn is my favorite season. The days are slow and long, the light seems gentle and calming, and the colours bright and cheerful. It has been a delight to experience a New England autumn as I have only heard of its immense beauty before now. There is so much life, insects that I have never seen before and in such sizes and bright colours! There are fewer pine and evergreen trees so the smells are different, less fresh, woodier, and earthy. Bees flit about everywhere, humming gently in the afternoon sun while dragonflies dance over the surface of the water before settling on the lily pads and the backs of the dozing ducks. 

I brought my camera in my small, purple back I got from a grocer in England; "The Lake District" is written on the side. I felt nervous to take photos alone. I know that is quite a silly notion, but insecurity breeds anxiety I suppose, and the thought of people seeing me take photos seemed a little embarrassing. So, I took the purple tote back, put on my boots, and headed off to the trail. There were not many people on the trail, and the few that did pass me were mainly those on bikes, or old couples walking their dogs. It was so peaceful and still. My favorite moment was to see the ducks on the pond. Oh how I wish I could have snapped a photo of them, though, with the glare on the water, my camera would not pick it up. There was a squirrel too, a large friendly fellow, but he moved too quickly for me to focus my lens on him. Squirrels are such funny creatures.

“When they reached her she stood on the path holding a pair of moths. Her eyes were wide with excitement, her cheeks pink, her red lips parted, and on the hand, she held out to them clung a pair of delicate blue-green moths, with white bodies, and touches of lavender and straw colour. All about her lay flower-brocaded grasses, behind a deep green background of the forest, while the sun slowly sifted gold from heaven to burnish her hair."

~ Gene Stratton-Porter, A Girl of the Limberlost