Scenes from a wonderful late summer walk on an incredibly beautiful day. No humidity, comfortable temperatures in the 70s, and no mosquitoes, no doubt thanks to the continuing severe drought.
(there’s a little chipmunk sitting on the rotting wood under the erratic)
When we had arrived at the park we saw two cars from a dog day care business and wondered what situation we might encounter on the trail. Much to my relief we crossed paths with two women walking eight medium-sized dogs on leashes. The dogs were well-behaved and minding their own business. (No tugging, lunging or barking.) Cesar Millan would have approved. 🙂 I was impressed!
Lovely photos, Barbara… looks so New England with all those glacial erratics!
Thank you, Eliza! Some spots in the woods seem to have big clusters of erratics.
Those dogs must have been very well-trained, Barbara! I find it challenging just walking ONE dog, must less maneuvering with four! Lovely photo of that chipmunk. I see some of your leaves are starting to show color changes already, too. Makes me wonder what Fall and Winter are going to be like.
Thank you, Debbie! I was happy that chipmunk stayed put long enough to get a picture with such a great backdrop. 🙂 I’m wondering about the autumn, too. Last night on the news they said our pumpkin crop has been adversely affected by the drought. Leaf peeping might not be so great this year…
Adore the Prince Charming Toad and the Chippy Chipmunk portraits. Impressive dogs and dog walkers!
Beebe Pond during severe drought is still looking lush green. The water lilies are pretty. Do you know what type of soil is there? Odd question I suppose. I’m guessing it looks like a clay soil.
I’m wondering what you know about the “no standing room” structure? It is interesting!
Absolutely beautiful selection of photos, Barbara. I love going on your walks.
Yorkie and I walked the bay sea wall this morning. Exciting! There were dolphins swimming along close to the wall. Several sandpipers, pelicans and only a few people there to capture the morning sunrise. I chatted with a woman on her bike about all the excitement and learned that we have been on a very similar journey and close to the same age. We exchanged phone numbers to meet up again.
Thank you, TD!
Beebe Pond is actually a lake so it has much more water to lose than Beach Pond, yet still it is markedly lower than it would normally be. The extreme drought line is creeping ever closer to our area. All of Rhode Island is in extreme drought and now Stonington, Connecticut is, too. We’re next… I have no idea about the soil, perhaps I can remember to ask my sister, the geologist, next time I see her.
The “no standing room” structure has been there for a few years and remains a mystery to us. Our guess is that perhaps some kids were having fun building it, even though one would have to lie down and wriggle underneath it to use it for shelter. It doesn’t seem to have any obvious practical use.
How exciting to see pelicans and dolphins! We don’t see them from our shores up here, although we did see dolphins on a whale-watching cruise we took off of Cape Cod years ago. That’s wonderful you met someone on a similar journey you can become friends with. A lovely gift from the universe. 🙂
After reading the conversations, including Linda, I want to say that nature still balances me. Linda’s comments about reviewing her personal photographs got me to pulling out my own printed old photographs. See how we inspire each other!
I came across to a Connecticut Welcoming signage that stated Stonington, Connecticut. That was right before hurricane Bob.; and I remember I have mentioned this to you, Barbara, when we first met on your blog.
I wanted to see if I ever came to Gorton, CT. But nothing appears. Unfortunately I never made it into your town. Yet I’m so glad that I’ve met you on your blog. You inspire my curiosity!
I have reached out today to my possible new friend here on the bay. I will see in time will tell. Often people exchange phone numbers, Yet nothing comes of my reach out. I don’t take it personally. I did my part. And I live on regardless.
Sorry to be so far behind in responding, TD. For some reason I’m not getting email notifications when someone comments on my blog. Grrrr. WordPress and its software bugs…
Stonington borders Groton and we spend almost as much time there as we do here. 🙂 In fact the village of Mystic is in both towns. The part on the east side of the drawbridge over the Mystic River is in the town of Stonington and the part on the west side is in the town of Groton.
I’m glad you were inspired to look at your old photographs. Sometimes I go back to my posts of the pictures I took on our trips to Norway and Ireland, both places so full of natural beauty.
That is interesting how both towns include a village. The printed photographs are in Album Books that certainly help me with memory of my long life’s journey. During that particular time period it was pre-technology. We (my husband and I) used paper maps to navigate our way around and through that three week adventure. My husband had the skills to research where and what we might want to visit and see. And I had the skill set to plan it out, make old fashion dial telephone calls, make reservations and set up appointments, read the paper maps and assist as the co-driving-pilot.
I’m glad that you also go back to reminisce through your blog posts photos.
I well remember the days of paper maps and atlases and tourist brochures. 🙂 In some ways trips were more fun to plan back then. I haven’t looked through my old photo albums in a good long time… maybe this winter…
A lovely collection, Barbara! I love the vine with the one red leaf and your new-found buddy, the chipmunk! 🙂
Thank you, Donna! I’ve been trying to comment on your “Sunset on Chester River” post for a couple of days now and after the first try I keep getting “Duplicate comment detected; it looks as though you’ve already said that!” but my comment doesn’t show up…
Not sure why? For some reason, that post got several anonymous comments, and I was not able to tell who they were from. 🙁 Do you see your comment as anonymous on my post. I’ve been having the same problem with other blogs too, but not yours. Something’s going on across WP, I’ve seen others complaining too.
I checked the anonymous comments on your post but mine wasn’t there. Now I can’t leave a comment at all, it tells me I have to log in to post a comment! Also, for some reason now I’m not getting email notifications when someone comments on my blog. I checked my settings and they’re still the same, but I clicked save settings anyway to see if that might help. I’ll keep checking back at your blog. I hope this bug gets worked out soon!
Beautiful photos Barbara – as usual, the kind of walk I would enjoy. Just like with the killdeer, you have a knack for finding frogs and chipmunks. I would have missed that chipmunk had you not zoomed in on it. I like the captions under the photos as well and the one red leaf is so striking against the others. I learned a new word which sent me scurrying to “Google and that word was “marcescence” – thank you for the new word and image of it.
Thank you, Linda. I’m surprised I noticed that chipmunk and surprised the camera captured him as well as it did. Most of the shots were kind of fuzzy. I think it may be time to give the lens a good cleaning from all the salty air it keeps getting exposed to. I first came across the word marcescence in December 2020 in the Nature Conservancy’s description of its Poquetanuck Cove Preserve in Ledyard. That’s also where I learned about wolf trees. I’ve been trying to use the terms as often as possible ever since to keep them in my memory. 🙂 I’d love to go back to that preserve but I’m worried about the bear sightings in the area. The one walk we took there was magical but it felt a little too off the beaten path for comfort.
Funny you mention your chipmunk Barbara. Remember I said I took the picture of a chipmunk but didn’t know how it turned out? I’ve taken about eight long walks with the DSLR since 4th of July weekend and not even peeked at the pics. I finally did so this afternoon and yes the chipmunk came out – very cute! My first chipmunk. Too bad there is caution tape around it – one of the overlooks was tilting so they made it off limits and the chipmunk was peeking out from underneath. And I took a look at the swamp roses – pretty sure that is them.
I wanted some sunflower pics I took to use in September and it was a rainy day today, so I decided to spend some time looking at all the pics, but downloading some of the pics. We’ve had an ugly weather day and it is starting to rumble out there so I likely will be shutting down shortly.
I’d be worried about being too off the beaten path too – critters and I worry about people lurking out there where it is too dense, like the middle of a forest … too many things going on in the world these days to have a good comfort level.
So happy your chipmunk picture came out!!! I’m sure he must be adorable even if he is peeking out from the caution tape. 🙂 Looking forward to seeing him and the swamp rose mallows. You found a great way to spend your rainy day inside. I would worry about people, too, if I was walking by myself as you are. I do admire you for walking so much by yourself and I’m glad you have some places to go where you feel safe.
I was happy Barbara. I looked at the photo card – I had resisted since 4th of July weekend but I wanted some pics I took of sunflowers and a goldfinch because if they didn’t turn out, I’d consider going back to that garden. The computer where I keep my photos stored is in my room as the lighting is better in that room, than here in the kitchen. When I finish the photos I will use for a particular walk, I e-mail them to myself so I have them to write posts later at this computer. So I went through the entire card just peeking at what I had. I thought he/she had been too quick for me, so was happy to see it and I had a faraway shot (like you had of your chipmunk by the rock) peeking from under that overlook. Made me happy to see that. That computer sits over top of a register and even with a deflector the cold air blows on me, so I try to sit there when I can turn off the A/C for a long period of time.
I am so wary of being alone in the woodsy areas Barbara. My post today mentions that a woman that met up with a guy in the woods and when she screamed, he blocked her exit. We also had a teenage girl murdered in the woods – it happened on a hiking path she went daily with her dog. I think every time I step out of the house anymore, it is risky – COVID, Monkeypox, people driving on drugs/alchohol, road rage and random shootings. Too much going on in the world right now. I am grateful for nature to have a calming effect.
A line of severe weather blew through here not long ago. The weather warning is still in effect for awhile and it’s rumbling out there a little. I think you get our weather tomorrow, so good luck with it.
As Bilbo Baggins used to say, “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door. You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off too.” (The Fellowship of the Ring) I think we’re all becoming experts in risk management…