Deer

We used to see more deer before the developers started building. I watched a young buck one year as he grew his antlers, He was with a couple of young does. Then, he disappeared and I never did see him again. I used to walk very early in the morning, with a flashlight to get me through the woods where there often were deer browsing. They are so curious. I could shine my flashlight at them and they would stand still as I approached them. I did not get too close, it's not a Disney world out there. These two does were part of a herd from one of the last open spaces left in the area.

Late Summer

This photo is from a few years ago, taken at the town park. The town leased part of the park to a summer theatre. There was a barn theatre and large house where the actors ,etc., stayed. For a few years, there was also a theatre of the deaf. There was a large field that was used for recreation. At times, you could see the actors in the middle of that field rehearsing their lines, sometimes in a very loud voice. Lots of goldenrod around the edge of the field which attracted the Monarch butterflies. There were crabapple trees and beach roses that had large rosehips in the fall. A path took you to the dunes and a great beach. It was crowded in summer, but a great place to walk, take the dog, fly kites, or fish in off season. Sometimes, (not often), you could see submarines traveling up to the Groton sub base. Our dog was a Golden Retriever and you could not keep her out of the water, resulting in a wet and sandy car on the way home.

Red !

We hired a painter to paint the house. He was a good worker and did a great job with lots of prep work. He asked what color to put on the hatchway. It had been a barn red, which I suggested would be my choice. Maybe he doesn't know "barn red", but this is what he did. It's a shiny, bright, red and can be seen from a great distance. It grows on you!

Sumac

The little Sumac had its moment of glory before it was cut down. The farmer repaired the barn boards and it had to go. It was the only Sumac in the area and not a beauty by any means, until a sunny day in autumn, when splayed out against the old wood, I couldn't pass it by without taking a photo. I had hoped it would re-generate, but it didn't.

Sunset

Taken a few years ago, this is the Pilgrim Monument at sundown from North Truro, Massachusetts on Cape Cod.

Icy Morning

Some years ago, after a freezing rain, I went out with my camera before dawn. Everything had a coating of ice. The sun came up and there were hundreds of rainbows on the bushes. I snapped away, thinking what great photos I had. Of course, the rainbows didn't show up in the pictures. What I did end up with was this one of the sun behind the ice covered trees. When the sun rose, it all melted very fast.

Chipmunks

Cute critters! They come for the seeds I put out for the squirrels. Today one climbed into the small red maple and scavenged for maple seeds still clinging to the branches. We have red squirrels, too, but the grey squirrels chase them so we don't see them very often.

First Light

Sometimes, at first light, fog covers the field.
As the day lightens, it rises. I like this photo of the old shed.

Last of the Autumn Colors

After he cuts his hay, the farmer reseeds for next years crop. The new grass is like a green carpet. This view is from the field where I walk, to another field across the road. It is now a heavily traveled road, narrow and winding. Drivers speed through here during commuter times.
Trees lining these fields are mostly "Swamp Maples" and put on a good show in the fall.
A couple of years ago, the farmer went around the perimeter of the property and cut down a lot of nice young trees, including a big beautiful white birch and several cedars.There appeared to be no reason to destroy them because they did not shade his crop nor did it widen the area. He had a "field day" with his chainsaw. In very early spring, deer come to munch on the grass here. I thought they only ate brush, etc.. Once there were a dozen.

Morning Walk

I took my early morning walk in the woods today. There is a hill behind the house to get to the trail, so the sun doesn't reach the back yard right away. I walked through the woods and around the hayfield and started back along the edge of the trees. Suddenly, the sun rose over the horizon and through the trees. It created a wonderful glow as it lit up the golden beech leaves through the grayness of the now bare oaks. I could not do it justice in this photo, but it will remind me of my morning walk. It's November now. Autumn never lasts long enough for me. I love everything about it. The colors, crisp air, warm sun, leaves to shuffle through. I was an October baby so maybe that's why.

Ropes

At the Seaport Museum, there is an old whaling ship, the Morgan, that has been restored and is open to the public. The Seaport is a popular tourist spot. It is a village replicating the historical era of whaling ships. Lots to see here. I used to bring visitors here when they spent time at my house. It is in Mystic, Connecticut. There is an aquarium in Mystic, too. They had beluga whales and dolphins, etc..I think they had a walrus, too. I took this photo on my last visit to the museum a few years ago.

Joe Pye Weed in Bloom

At the state park in Waterford, CT. where I used to live there is a short nature trail. In the summer, "Joe Pye Weed" in bloom lines the entrance. You can see deer here, if you're lucky. Once a partridge rushed her chicks off the path into the brush as I walked. The path takes you down to Long Island Sound where there are egrets fishing. There are nesting platforms for Ospreys. Some years, there are not very many nesting however. You can usually see herons, too. This water is the entrance to the Thames River and to New London Harbor (here Thames is pronounced just as it is written and not the English, "Tems"). It's a popular park in summer and peaceful and quiet off season. I used to come here after work to unwind. I miss it.