Walk With Me . . . Fall Into Winter

Two years ago this month I started a blog series called Walk With Me. My intention was to post photos of my daily walks. I walk everyday. I love taking photos when I walk. I love looking at different details along the way. Something different catches my eye everytime. Sometimes it's color. Sometimes it's the details of nature or even manmade things. There was never a plan or schedule for posting, but I didn't intend for the posts to be so far apart and sparse.

I'd like to get back to sharing some of my walks and today it's all about the beautiful details from a recent fall walk. I came across a concrete bowl of water full of both leaves and ice. The patterns of the leaves floating on the surface and also partially submerged into the ice was beautiful.

Most of the leaves are off the trees here now and we are expecting our second decent snow tomorrow. One day it's fall, the next it's winter. Soon enough it will be all winter, so I'm enjoying the warm days when we have them.

If you'd like to see my previous walk posts, go to the tab at the top of the page.

Give thanks for all the beauty in the world. It's all around us if we just take a moment to stop and notice.

Happy Thanksgiving.  : )

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Walk With Me . . .

I've picked up the pace of my daily walking since the first of the year and it feels great. Unfortunately I haven't kept up the same pace with my blogging posts so it's time for a little catch up. These photos cover walks over a period of time, but they do have a common theme.

I walk on all sorts of terrain. Crushed rock trails like the one behind my house. Roads. Mountain trails. Boardwalks. Grassy trails. And of course concrete sidewalks.

Regardless of the trail surface, I need to spend a fair amount of time watching my step.
Here are a few of the things I see when I'm looking down.

It fascinates me how the simplest of things can capture my attention if I look for them. If I just pay attention. Things like the shadow from a seed pod . . .

The cracks in the sidewalk . . .

Or the cracks in parched soil . . .

Things left behind and blown around . . .

Things peeking through . . .

Interesting surface textures . . .

And tracks left by those who went before me  . . .

I love to isolate details of line and shape with my camera. To focus in on how they can be cropped into pleasing compositions. I'm amazed at how a simple group of cracks in the pavement can be cropped into numerous compositions. Try it the next time you go for a walk.

Least you think I spend all my time staring at my feet, I'll leave you with this beautiful composition of line found far above my head . . .

Do you enjoy walking? The weather is getting nicer and nicer so get outside and take in some fresh air. It's time for me to take another walk. See you later.  : )

You can see photos from my other Walk With Me posts here.

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Walk With Me

I admit that when the weather turns wintery, I'd much rather be inside with a cup of Earl Gray and a good book. There is something beautiful about freshly fallen snow though. I like the stillness. So here's my latest walk . . .

Snow means  . . .

Have you ever noticed how blue the shadows are on snow?

The trail is barely there. So peaceful . . .

Goose tracks. They don't seem to mind the snow.

I'd rather be sitting here with a beer soaking up the sun but it will be a few months yet.

This wintery white is beautiful but I'm kind of glad it's not going to last. It's supposed to be in the 50's for the next 3 days. Maybe another walk will be in order.

Have you taken any interesting walks lately?

I've created a Walk With Me tab at the top of my blog so now you can find links to all my walks in one place. If you like these white images, you might also take a look at my White post found under the Color Inspiration tab. Take a look and then go take a walk.  : )

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Walk With Me

Time for another walk. Are you ready?

I love taking walks in the fall.
I love kicking up the leaves and hearing them crunch beneath my feet.
I love the colors of fall . . . yellows, golds, oranges, reds.

This walk was all about color . . .

The soft yellow and gold in the photo above was a happy accident as I didn't realize the camera setting was on soft. The painterly quality of the image is just lovely. In another life, I'd love to be a painter. I dabble here and there but have little real training. My aunt was a wonderful watercolor artist and I believe I inherited her artistic side.

As I walked, I noticed that some trees are still completely full of leaves and beautiful glowing colors. The range of colors here is just amazing . . .

On the other hand, some trees have only a handful of leaves still hanging on set against an intense clear blue sky . . .

The park nearby has this lovely mini grove of trees. The band of bright green running through the middle of the photo caught my eye.

The intensity of the reds is always beautiful. Colorado falls are mostly yellows and golds so the really red reds here and there are a real treat . . .

The golden tones of ornamental grasses simply glow this time of year . . .

After all the beautiful colors, this is what I found outside my back door this morning. White! We've had a lovely long fall but this was bound to happen sooner or later . . . 

I'm hanging on to fall just like this last little leaf . . . 

In case you're wondering, I am still sewing. A little. Just not as much as usual because we've got some house projects that are eating into my time right now. 

Hope you enjoyed another walk with me. Each time I go out now I find myself looking at things in a whole new way. Try it. You might be surprised at what you actually see.

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Walk With Me . . .

I go for a walk most every day. On the treadmill. Around the neighborhood. To the park. Along the nearby trails. Many times I take my camera along.

I'm starting a new series called Walk With Me. My plan is to turn my daily walks into little trips of discovery. To pay attention to both the details and the overview of my surroundings. To see the little things that are often overlooked. To record the things that catch my eye or inspire me in some way.

When I did my Color Inspiration series, I was specifically looking for color in my world. Paying attention and really seeing color. With this new series, I'll be challenging myself to simply see more. Wildlife. Texture. Shape. Line. Composition. Ordinary things. Extraordinary things.

There is no big plan. No set schedule. Just walks and photos.
I'd like to invite you to walk with me . . .

As I leave my house each day, this little red brick sidewalk leads me out into the world.
And this is what I found on a recent little stroll around the park.

Lots of wildlife caught my eye. The park pond has always featured frogs at all stages of life. Tadpoles. Little froglets. Big voiced bullfrogs. Bunnies have now invaded and multiplied. And squirrels and birds are plentiful.

The wildlife around my home has always captured my attention. Birds visit the feeders and birdbath in my backyard. I especially love to watch the robins take a bath. Mama raccoon and her babies visit the tree right outside my bedroom window on a regular basis during summer nights. The great horned owls hoot on and on from dusk long into the night. An occasional skunk wanders through the yard. The coyote howls often wake me in the middle of the night. The cows bellow in the field . . . and sometimes right behind our fence if they've managed an escape. Deer are more infrequent visitors off in the distance. Thankfully the mountain lions, bear, moose and elk that are common visitors in many Colorado towns are seldom seen nearby.

I attribute my wildlife watching to my dad. He had a good eye for spotting animals while on country drives we used to take when I was a kid. He paid attention and that's what I want to do. Pay closer attention to my world.

I encourage you to get out and take a walk. Bring your camera along and really look at the details of your surroundings. Maybe something will spark an idea. Inspire your next quilt or creative work. Or simply brighten your day with it's beauty.

Hope you will enjoy walking with me. I'd love to have you join me.

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