Morning Walk (Nature): A Photo Essay

Photographic Essay Contest

An early morning walk always yields surprises along the path -- small gems often easily overlooked, or large vistas seen in a new light. I don't usually walk with my camera but I brought it along yesterday morning as I started walking just after 6 a.m. Overnight rain clouds were just beginning to burn off as the sun rose.

I started out at my usual pace,which is basically foot-foot-foot-foot-don't look around and above everything else don't touch anything in case there is a devious tick lurking upon it.

But despite myself, I soon noticed leaves beaded with rain drops from the early morning shower. 

Then I passed a hydrangea bush, blooming blue in a neighbor's tidy yard....

....some tiny pink climbing flowers I'd never seen before.... 

....and a spray of delayed fireworks in the brush.  Someone tell me, is this Queen Anne's Lace? 

About a half a mile from my house, the sidewalk veers briefly through the woods before it emerges at a pond.

The lifeguard's chair isn't vacant only in the early morning. Our town is having a great deal of difficulty this summer finding kids who are willing to work as lifeguards.

It looks so quiet, doesn't it? But there was actually a lot of early morning traffic on the road behind me.

As I reached my turn-around spot, the overcast sky was beginning to break up and lighten.

Rocks, ripples, and reflections.

Looks cool and peaceful enough to get in!

But I didn't. I turned around for the return trip.

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For a short distance, the path runs right next to the road, which tends to be busy with traffic. It's a good idea to concentrate on your feet during this stretch, but I noticed a couple of small purple flowers blooming in the brush.

It was still early enough, though,  that the ducks had the beach to themselves.

Heading back up the path from the pond, my attention was grabbed by raindrops hanging like tears on the very tips of the branches of a beach pine. I wish the drops showed up better in the photo.

As I made my way back up the hill to home, this little yellow flower nodded to me from a thicket at the side of the road.

And this stuff is probably very bad to touch, but I loved the color.

And so went the morning walk of a non-naturalist! And as far as I know, I brought home only sweat and photos -- no ticks.