Enjoying Autumn

A close up of Queen Anne's Lace in Autumn.

A wooden bridge covered with Autumn leaves.

A tree with yellow Fall foliage by a small lake.

The weather here in Illinois has gone straight from summer to wet and chilly. At this time of the year, a day like last Sunday is a gift. It wasn’t raining, and the temperature was a balmy 50 something degrees. It was a happy day, and I got to ride my bike one more time in perfect fall weather!

It was so much fun to grab my camera, go for a ride, and check out the fall color. The air was cool, and there was the lovely sound of leaves rustling and crunching as I went through them. You can tell by my pictures that it was a little overcast, but gray skies just make the autumn colors look more intense.

Here are a few things I saw on my ride. First is Queen Anne’s Lace. It’s so delicate and beautiful when it blooms. The tiny white flowers do look like fine lace. When it begins to dry, as it has in the picture, it turns into something amazing and almost alien-looking. This one reminds me of a tiny crown you might see on a fairy in one of those wonderful Cicely Mary Barker watercolor paintings.

The wooden bridge is in a wetland park. It was covered in crunchy autumn leaves. We had a good hard rain the other day that knocked a lot of the leaves off  the trees. Wouldn’t it have been nice to have them stay a little longer? The trees are still turning though, and giving a stunning display. It’s such a gorgeous time of the year.

The tree in the last picture had the most brilliant yellow leaves. Standing right on the edge of the little lake, it reflected such lovely color in the water. I’m glad I got to see it, and happy to get a picture to share.

I didn’t beat the rain home that day, but it didn’t rain hard, so that was nice. Even better, my camera stayed dry. I saw the rain before I felt it. Raindrops were making tiny ripples in the lake I was looking at. By the time I’d thought about not being wet, the rain started to fall on me. I hopped on my bike and hurried home, pedaling much faster that usual. 😉 Thank goodness for a pocket big enough to hold my camera.

More often than not, my camera goes with me when I go out the door. It helps to be prepared for good luck!

Nature is a amazing and each season has its delights. Have you seen Eirik Solheim’s video One Year In 40 Seconds? It’s mesmerizing. I think you’ll come away from it with a renewed appreciation for Nature’s wondrous changes. I hope you’re enjoying Autumn, wherever you are.