One of the things I most enjoy about being outside, either in my yard or in the woods, is how there is always something interesting to see, no matter the time of year. Not only do the changes of the season provide variety, but even the sharpest eye can’t take everything in, which means the same yard or the same trail is never monotonous.

Today, we took Liam for a walk on the trails by the high school. The following pictures are a record of our short journey, where Liam got to sniff as much as he wanted, and I got to take pictures of whatever caught my attention.

On Sunday, before the dusting of snow, before crisp weather came, Clif, Liam, and I went for a walk in the woods. The day was gray and moist, but the rain held off until night time, when it eventually turned to snow.

Usually when we walk in the woods, we go on a trail not far from our house. It loops down to the Lower Narrows Pond, and to my way of thinking, a pond makes any walk special. On Sunday, however, we decided to walk on the community trail by our town’s high school. I had heard how pretty the trail was, but I had never been on it.

“It won’t have the Narrows,” I said to Clif as we started out.

“No,” he replied.  He loves water just as much as I do.

Nevertheless, right away I knew I was going to like this trail. It was well taken care of and thus easy on my creaky knees. There were little bridges over streams, which made them easy to cross. Best of all, the dog didn’t have to be on his leash, and he could amble and sniff and do other doggy things to his heart’s content. (Yes, I bring little baggies in my pocket. Just in case.)

We walked for a while, talking about this and that—somehow the nature of time almost always seems to slip into our discussions—when we rounded a bend, and I heard the sound of running water. Through the trees, not far from the trail, I caught sight of a large stream.

“Let’s have a look,” I said to Clif, and he didn’t argue.

We walked to the stream and saw that it was connected to a huge marsh. Water tumbled over rocks and rushed through the woods.  Naturally, we had to take pictures.

Reluctantly, we left the hurrying stream and continued our walk in the woods. Once upon a time, the whole area had been cleared for fields, and we came upon the remnants of stone walls, a common sight in central Maine woods. (We have some behind our house, which, in an earlier time would have been the little house by a big field. Somehow this just doesn’t have the same ring as the little house in the big woods.)

After an hour or so, we returned to our car, and Clif and I agreed that we had had a very good walk. This trail, which is only a mile and a half from our house, is not only well groomed but it also has water—not the Narrows but really just as beautiful.

We’ll be back to walk that trail again.

Not much time to write today. I’ve been busy with errands, cleaning, and cooking. Thanksgiving is just around the corner, as is a craft fair where Clif and I will be selling our cards, calendars, and prints.

However, this drippy day was so lovely, so filled with little jewels, that I thought I could at least share a photo on the blog.

The tree is beside our driveway. All I had to do was step on the porch and snap the picture.

Yesterday afternoon when I looked out my kitchen window, I saw a deer running in the backwoods. I waited for the sound of gunshots, for the flash of orange as a hunter chased the deer. Neither came.

“Good,” I thought.  My sympathies are always with the hunted, with animals that are often coldly referred to as prey. How terrible to have to run for your life, to know that death is not far behind.

We are halfway through hunting season. For me, and especially for the deer, the end of this season can’t come soon enough. Then, I can work in the backyard without fear of accidentally being shot. (This doesn’t happen often in Maine, but it has happened, most notably to a young mother with twins. She was shot dead in her own backyard as she tried to warn a hunter he was too close to her house.)

When hunting season ends, Clif, Liam, and I can walk in the cold woods—my favorite time of year to walk in them. I’ll bring my camera and take pictures of all the little things that catch my eye.

Fifteen more days to go.

“So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.”
~Robert Frost

Robert Frost was right—nothing gold can stay. Perhaps that’s a good thing. I’m not sure if we Mainers could take more than thirty-one days of October’s golden beauty. It would be too much dazzle and burst for us, and like overstimulated children, we would wear ourselves to a frazzle. With that in mind, November’s austerity—its russets and browns—has a soothing quality and a quiet beauty of its own.

Still, I wouldn’t want to be without glorious October. And as Gladys Taber observed, “When the blizzards come, I shall not only get what I can out of being snug and toasty by the fire…but I shall tell myself, as always, that without our special climate, no October.”

Taber was writing about Connecticut, but the same applies to Maine and its “special climate.”

What happens when you take four Benadryls in a four-hour stretch? Well, you don’t cough. This was a very good thing when my dentist installed my new crown.  Everything went smoothly. No interruptions because of coughing.

However, I did get a little bit drowsy as my dentist worked on my crown, and when the procedure was over, I was glad Clif had driven me to my appointment. I napped all the way home, woke up, made myself do a couple of chores, and then napped for a few hours on the couch.

On the one hand, it felt like a wasted day. The sun was shining and rather than nap on the couch, there was much I could have done outside. On the other hand, the deed was done well before our dental insurance expired. (Why eyes, teeth, and ears aren’t included in general health insurance is a great mystery to me. Good vision, teeth, and hearing are essential to good health. They are not luxuries.)

However, this particular crown is behind me, and I don’t have to worry about paying over $2,000 out of our own little budget. In celebration, I’m gong to share some pictures I took last week on a glorious fall day as I did errands around town.

October is such a beautiful month!