Today was gorgeous. I love the days when we spontaneously decide to get outside and enjoy our nearby trails. There were so many things to see, both views of the landscape and colorful trees, as well as tiny green mosses and fungi showing off. I'm so happy we have a resource like the Nicandri Nature Center only 20 minutes away from our house. The kids love both the trails and the indoor educational center. We are lucky.

Even puddles in autumn look pretty! The reflection of clear blue sky and autumnal foliage in a puddle can be heavenly!

Driving up CR 27 toward Canton, I saw two bald eagles sitting in a mowed field along with several crows and ravens. Perhaps they were at a gut pile?  The smaller birds began to harass the eagles who took flight. One landed on a nearby power pole where it was dive-bombed a few times. The other was harassed in flight, eventually landing back on the ground. The bad pictures from my phone don’t do the observation justice. 

The trip to High Rock is an annual paddle for me- it is a classic Adirondack paddle that I never tire of. The leaves are past peak, but the spruce & pine still offer vibrant greens to the landscape. The water is very low right now and makes paddling a bit difficult. There are a few beaver dams that are obstacles and there are a few other tight spots that will hopefully be taken care of with the spring high water. Round trip is a little over 7 miles round trip.

What a glorious day! The sun is out today and the blue sky really pops up the colors of fall foliage in Potsdam NY.

Beautiful afternoon at Bayside Cemetery on a glorious autumnal day, 13th October 2019.

Took another hike at Lampson Falls to enjoy fall colors. The chewed beech was new since being there 2 days earlier. The porcupine on the walk out was a bonus - ran into 2 of my advisees right when we saw it. Amazing given my Twitter name is @porcupinedoc. Without diligent Tulip the Labrador there to notice I don’t think any of us would have noticed it. 

A still river becomes a mirror to doubly enhance the beauty that is autumn in Potsdam, NY.

We started out our Columbus Day weekend in Tupper Lake with a trek to Deer Pond. The trail we used starts out along the Old Wabeek Road.
There are several trails as well as a loop to Deer Pond, our route is the shortest, and we were told the most scenic. It starts on Old Wabeek Road but soon turns north through a Balsam & Spruce forest. This eventually gives way to more hardwoods.

Just before the rain started to drizzle this afternoon, the autumnal view reflected on Raquette River was quite magical. We are lucky to live in this beautiful area.