tigertoy

I wanted to spend time outdoors today, so I headed over to Kickapoo (with a stop to vote on the way). I was late getting started, but I was walking along the Emerald Pond trail by 2. I was getting pretty hungry by the time I got to my favorite lunch spot, the pond at the end of the haul road. After I ate, I settled down with my pad and tried to work on my outline/notes for my NaNoWriMo novel. I was less prepared before November started than I'd had in mind, and I don't want to write beyond my outline. I was working comfortably when I looked up and realized the sun was really low. I looked at my watch and it was just after 4. It was only then that I realized that I'd had a brain fart about time; between daylight wasting time and the turning year, the sun sets a bit before *5*, not 6. So instead of getting to decide whether I would take a longer route back for variety, I had to hustle to get back to my car before sunset.

I took some pictures for you on the way out and a couple while I was at the pond.

I'd call this view iconic for the season.

Yeah, I'm still trying to get the perfect grass picture. Live with it.

Red leaves (I think it's a raspberry plant) and goldenrod on Emerald Pond.

There's still a few brave flowers. I saw this one and thought to photograph it, and then I saw the insects.

I was trying to frame an interesting view of this little riffle. I didn't really get what I wanted -- I needed a higher F stop -- but it's still kind of nice.

Trying for something pretty with red oak leaves and still-green honeysuckle against the river.

I think I've taken this picture before, but there are fewer leaves this time. This sycamore along the Emerald Pond trail is quite striking.

I liked the patterns on this oak seedling.

I thought the yellow leaf was a good excuse to take a picture of the bark texture. This is what I think of as the arch tree -- a really big tree is down across the path, but the limbs hold it up high enough to pass under.

I generally don't bother to photograph robins unless I have a really good shot. I was thinking that I had that here, but I wasn't really paying attention. I've become so used to shooting with my image stabilized 17-85 lens that I thought that 1/40 second was a reasonable exposure. At 300 mm with a non-stabilized lens, I'm doing pretty well to have it only be a little fuzzy.