Another Autumn Stroll

Two days off in a row! This is a rare event in my job. Since tomorrow is supposed to be rainy, I went for my weekly hike today. It started out sunny but quickly turned overcast, raw, and blustery. It's okay, though - the light is good for photography and the temp is fine for sweat-free hiking!

Today I decided to focus on Autumn colors again. We've had some hard freeze nights recently, and it has stayed cool since, so the color situation amped up considerably. Today I went to Ballard Park and Gooseneck Cove, but instead of turning up Brenton Rd. I decided to keep going on Ocean Drive until I got to Harrison Ave. and I followed Harrison from start to finish. And with some interesting results, as you'll see. 

Ballard Park 

Looking down Wickham Rd. from the park entrance:

Looking down at the floor of the quarry from up on the rim:

Scenes from the overlook on the west end of the park:

 The Maple trees overhanging the pond on the quarry floor:

The woods on the other side of the pond:

Gooseneck Cove

Looking east from Hazard Rd.:

The "backyard" of the Salt Marsh House on Hazard Rd.:

And one view of the cove south of Ocean Drive:

Harrison Ave. 

A driveway scene along Harrison Ave.:

And farther up Harrison Ave. near Hammersmith Farm:

Hammersmith Farm 

Hammersmith Farm used to belong to the Auchincloss family, Jackie Kennedy's stepfather's family. The Kennedys often vacationed here, they were married just up the road at St. Mary's Church on Spring St. President Eisenhower was also a friend of Hugh Auchincloss (Jackie Kennedy's stepfather) and often stayed on the farm as well. Now it's owned by the same people as the Swiss Village Farm, and like SVF it's used to preserve heritage breed farm animals.

On the farm there are cows...

Shetland ponies...

and Eyeore:

There are also sheep...

a Llama...

and two of the Three Billygoats Gruff:

An autumnal landscape on Hammersmith Farm:

The Swiss Village Farm

The Swiss Village Farm was founded for the preservation of heritage breeds of farm animals. Today we saw another Llama...

and some sheep coming up over the crest of the hill above the Llama:

Our hike today ends at the corner of Harrison Ave. and Beacon Hill Rd., at the Harrison Ave. entrance to Edgehill, a private mansion that was once used as a drug and alcohol rahabilitation center and is now being converted to condos. Here at the entrance this burst of Maple trees adds some autumnal color so bright you could read by it on a dark night!

I hope you've enjoyed our stroll. There will be a slide show video later, when I can decide on the music.