This Time of the Year

I love being outdoors hiking the countryside, and I especially love doing that this time of the year. I love the feel of my feet in my hiking boots and the feel of the tops snugging my ankles. I love the cooler temperatures. I love the tannin smell of the fallen leaves in the air, especially when that smell becomes stronger when walking in the woods. I love the often moodily overcast skies so characteristic of the season. And most of all I love the colors. As Albert Camus said, "Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." I walked through the Dykeman Spring Nature Park this morning and collected this visual poem to Autumn, my favorite season.

Along the Dykeman Walking Trail

Entering the nature park on the Dykeman Walking Trail

Virginia Creeper climbing a tree along the Dykeman Walking Trail

An autumnal view of the Dykeman Spring wetland

And an autumnal view of the upland meadow

© 2016 by A. Roy Hilbinger