The Woodland Leaves of Fall

When we lived in the Midwest for thirty years we were about two blocks away from the park along Lake Michigan. It was a great place to walk - but in the winter it was unbearable - for me anyway. I was still working at the time so that left only the weekends. When we lived on Capitol Hill for thirteen years we walked near the Capitol building and the National mall. The scene was very different! Now I am retired and we live in northern Virginia. The neighborhood park is just two blocks away and we usually take our morning walk there two to three times a week. We like to mix that up with drives in to town to visit the old neighborhood and get a change of pace. But at this time of the year it is always such a delight to walk in the park. I’ve always liked the fall season - just like my dad. My husband on the other hand prefers Spring. But the changes in color are so pretty and so short lived. It feels like the season came upon us way too early this year. I can’t believe this is the third year we have had to live in the pandemic - something we still take seriously. Somehow things just don’t feel like they will ever be the same. But when you walk through the park and the trees and the leaves you can absorb yourself in your surroundings and forget about all the nonsense. And for that it’s worth the walk. 

American Plant Fall Delights

My dad’s favorite season was fall. My parents would visit us in the Midwest in October. It was also my dad’s birthday month - he would have been 102 this year! I also like the autumn time of year but my husband prefers spring. So we thought it might be a good idea to pick up some winter pansies for the tiny balcony garden coco baskets and get them acclimated before it gets too cold. The annuals were looking a bit worn and tired. We drove over to American Plant in Maryland rather than go in to town at Ginkgo’s - our go to place when we lived on Capitol Hill. We weren’t disappointed in the pansy selection. After all we only needed six. When Christmas comes we add in the greens and sticks to make it a bit festive with the ivy and liriope. It was also a beautiful day and everything fall was on display. The pumpkins, gourds, and mums were simply lovely. Pumpkins come is all kinds of colors these days - white and green included. The cone flowers were stunning along with the Halloween decorations. We didn’t go inside the store, just hung around the interesting displays outside. With the sun out it was a very satisfying outing. The seasons are changing again. 

Red Leaves and Red Color

It was a red color kind of day. We took our usual morning walk in the neighborhood park. It’s one of the few things we can still do since March. The other big activity is driving to pick up groceries curbside just to have an excuse to get out of the house. The leaves are turning a bit more and more each time we venture out there, but it doesn’t quite feel as though we have seen the best of it. Having expected temperatures in the eighties this week probably makes a difference too. I remember when it snowed on Halloween when we lived in the Midwest. If it wasn’t for the cold and ice we might be living there now. So as we meandered through the now familiar park in northern Virginia I was on the look out for red - and I found a few things in between the primarily green surrounding us. A few red leaves here and there popped out, then a berry or two, and to my delight my absolute favorite cardinal bird appeared. I can usually hear them, but don’t often see them. He almost looked as though he was posing for us. As we made our way home I was thinking how much things have changed this year. The seasons certainly didn’t stop changing. Wonder what next fall will feel like?

Leaves and Such in the Park

It was pouring rain yesterday - the remnants from Hurricane Delta. We decided to walk in the park near our house anyway in spite of the mud and sogginess. Sometimes the grey skies make for better photos and the whole “feel” of the place changes with the seasons, humidity, sunshine, and dampness. Fall was my dad’s favorite time of year and my parents always visited us in Wisconsin in October for that very reason. The park does remind us of Grant Park on Lake Michigan except it is nothing of the size, nor does it have a Lake by it - just the stream that eventually runs in to the Potomac River. We heard a lot of crows and cardinals overhead but surprisingly couldn’t see any of them. There was a branch covered in fungus that looked like a four legged creature. We haven’t seen any deer for quite a while. The red, brown, yellow, and orange colors are really pretty. There is something soothing about walking along the pathway. I like it best when no one else is around - except for my husband.