Mostly Larches

After a week of gloomy grey skies, Sunday is sunny and clear. Temps are in the 40s and the wind is strong and cold. A good day for a walk.

The colours of fall are shifting now to gold and copper and bronze. Oak and ash, birch and maple, aspen and larch are all aflame under the blue autumn sky.

The trees on the corner stand in a sunshiny sea of golden leaves:

Today I am taking the railroad grade trail, which borders a marsh and a lake. Along the way is an oak tree whose leaves are changing from green to rosy brown:

In a gap of the trees I see the distant glow of larches:

The sun shines through these red oak leaves and makes me think of Tiffany glass:

More larches appear, just off the trail:

And here is the trail itself, looking like something out of a fairy tale as the sun tips with gold all these oak-tree tops:

Underfoot is an autumn mosaic:

I reach the gate that usually marks the turning point of my walk - but where are the "No Trespassing" signs? Look at all those lovely trees beyond the bars. I am tempted, very tempted....

I succumb. Through the bars I go, to be greeted immediately by the most glorious stand of larches:

I had no idea so many larches grew back here. They overhang the trail with feathery branches and delicate cones:

Red-twig dogwood grows in the marsh opposite. Its stems, which turn grey in spring and summer, are once more taking on the vivid colouring of the dormant season:

The trail leads on, through glorious clumps of birch (or aspen?)* and oak....

Under the trees a leafy carpet is beaded with moisture. (From what, I wonder? It hasn't rained today.)

On every side the larches blaze with a gold so intense I can't stop taking photos of it.

Eventually it's time to turn around and retrace my steps. I climb back over the gate, walk under the yellow and bronze of aspen (or birch?) and oak...

...and along the still-green trail towards home.

A beautiful, beautiful walk under the blue skies and fiery leaves of fall.

~ ~ ~

*I think I've been confusing aspen with birch for some time now. Will have to start paying more attention to bark colour and leaf shape! :)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~