Tag Archives: fall foliage

The Pit and Lame Post Friday

Here I am again, letting it get to be evening before I make my blog post.  It is just about 7 p.m. on Friday, I add, because my WordPress timestamp does not agree with my own time and date.  Then again, I often do not know what day it is or think it is a different day from what it is.  However, it is Lame Post Friday and I expect to post accordingly, with random observations and half-baked philosophy.

I veered a little bit into the half-baked philosophy yesterday, with those remarks about wine and roses.  Today I got nuthin’ in that direction.  My random observations is that the tree which was glorious yellow one day, then dull brown a few days later, looked a lovely orange in the slanted light of dawn.

Picture from the past to pep up the post.

The tree did not look as bright as these pictured.  I did not take a picture of the tree I looked at.

Well, one observation does not a blog post make.  Perhaps another picture will help me.

 

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It is creepy, yes!

I use my newfound skill of copying an image to the post to add a picture.  This is the movie I am currently watching. Who doesn’t love a little Vincent Price for Halloween?  Unfortunately, I missed a really creepy part while I was looking for and copying the picture.  There is some half-baked philosophical lesson there, but I cannot articulate it.  If anyone else would like to try, have at it in the comments, please.

In the meantime, I am over 250 words and have the rest of this movie to watch, and perhaps a few more classic horror selections.  I hope you are all having a delightful Friday.

 

What Kind of Days?

It is after 9 p.m. and I almost forgot to make my Thursday blog post.  I am very tired and want to go to bed.  However, I am dogsitting and want to take the poocher out for his final business meeting a little closer to ten, in hopes he will not want to go out again at two.

A little more fall color, because I am still seeing some.

I had meant to make a Pedestrian Post, although I took no pictures when I went on my walk earlier.  I enjoyed what fall color remains.  I noticed one tree which had been brilliantly yellow only a few days ago is now a dried-out brown.  I always feel I should just stare at the colors, because they last such a short time.  As I was thinking of this, I heard in my head a portion of a poem which was quoted in the movie Laura (good movie, highly recommended): “They are not long, these days of wine and roses.”  I thought that was rather apropos.

Before I got too depressed about days that did not last, I thought to myself, “They will make more wine, and I can plant more roses.”  Someone will argue (you know who you are) that the actual wine and roses are not the point, but the rosy glow of youth.  To that person I will explain, with a nod to S.J. Perelman, “Shut up.” (S.J. Perelman famously penned the line, ” ‘Shut up,’ explained the policeman.”)

And now I am over 200 words.  I find that sufficient for a blog post.  I hope to see you all tomorrow on Lame Post Friday.

 

Help from Skeletons on Slacker Saturday

It’s going to be a Slacker Saturday and that is all there is to it.  I can’t even think of anything to say.  I can’t even bear to look at my phone to see if there are any pictures I have neglected to use.  Oh dear.

Somebody waiting for me to make a good blog post.

I think this picture was taken at an antique/second hand place that is now closed.  It is so sad to me when places I like don’t stay open.  At least I still have a picture of a skeleton to pep up a Slacker Saturday post.  And I see he is drinking a cuppa.  I have had a cup of coffee.  Perhaps another, or a cup of tea will pep me up as well.

A little color, for continued cheeriness.

I add another shot of fall foliage, because I am still reveling in the autumn colors.  I shall take a walk later, to enjoy more of it.  If I can manage to so bestir myself.

Can I roust myself out of the muck?

As you may have guessed, I am in something of a funk today.  However, it is early, especially for a Saturday.  I will try to get something done today, even if it is only to find some small bit of happiness on an October day.  I wish the same for all of you.

 

Walk, then Wrist

Oh well, I thought it had been another week since I last posted, but it seems it is a matter of three days only.  I’m not sure what malaise I suffer, but let us not worry about it, shall we?  For one reason, I ought not encourage myself to whine over my real or imagined ills.

Still there! Still red!

I throw in a picture to pep things up.  I fear this will be a Wrist to Forehead Sunday post.  For one reason, it is Sunday.  For another, well, I said I ought not encourage myself to whine, but I admit I tend to do so with little or no encouragement.  I took that picture yesterday when I went for a walk.  That tree has been cheering me up for some time now.  I am impressed by how long the bright leaves have lasted.  Yesterday’s walk cheered me up, too.  Exercise is a magic elixir, I find.

A local landmark.

This was the other picture I took on yesterday’s walk.  It is now an apartment building, but it was the Margaret Tuger School, remembered by some of Herkimer’s older residents.  They brag about being paddled by Ms. Tuger.  I first heard of her when I saw her portrait at the Herkimer County Historical Society.  I was fired with ambition to write a biography about her.  Unfortunately, I had no idea how to research and write a biography.  I still don’t, but I love to read them.

In addition to my walk, I went to a rummage sale at Herkimer Reformed Church yesterday.  I thought of going to a tasting at Valley Wine and Liquor, but my steps took me in another direction.  So I did at least three blogworthy activities yesterday.  I will content myself with this Pedestrian Post, and hope to post again before another three days pass.  Once again, I thank you for tuning in.

 

Another Walk, Another Post

I am daring to make two Pedestrian Posts in the same week, because we are enjoying a short stretch of the most beautiful weather.  In fact, as I type this I am sitting on my front porch, enjoying a slight breeze and the tune it plays on my wind chimes.  I ran yesterday but had less oomph today.  Finally I said, oh just go take a walk.  I hoped it would improve my disposition.

I had my phone with me, because I use the Map My Run app to track my walks and runs.   It makes a map, which I post on Facebook, so my friends and family can amuse themselves and me by saying what it looks like.  I had not thought to take any pictures till I paused right below a gorgeously colored tree.  Would a picture come out?

It did!

There were two trees, so I walked by them and took a shot of both.

Twinsies!

As I started to continue my walk, I heard a voice say, “That’ll cost you $45!”  An old man (he may actually have been my age, but I’ve been told I am old) came up the driveway and said it would cost me $45 to take the picture.

“Oh, OK, just send me a bill,”  I said.  I usually don’t argue with these things.  The man told me how he had planted the trees about six years ago.  I said I remembered seeing them when they were just small.  We agreed that they are beautiful now.

I saw other beautiful trees and some delightful Halloween decorations as I continued my walk. I would like to go for another walk when it is dark, so I can enjoy the ones with lights or glow-in-the-dark.  I did not take any more pictures, because my sister Diane called me, and I did not like to put her on hold for a photo op.

It was a very pleasant walk, and, I hope, a pleasant blog post.  As for me, I am going to continue my porch sitting for a while.  Maybe a cute dog will walk by and I can pet it!

 

A Colorful Walk

I had thought about doing a Saturday Running Commentary yesterday, but it never quite happened. Today I was too lazy to run but took a nice walk so perhaps a Pedestrian Post with Pictures is eligible.  This weekend has been quite wonderful, weatherwise, with lots of sunshine.  In addition to my run yesterday, I took a long walk.  Today I actually had a couple of photo ops.

One lone bloom bringing hope, always a good sight.

I set out to do a long-ish walk.  I paused to take a picture of one lone flower.  It just seemed so symbolic.

I gotta love it!

Part of my walk was by the construction that has been going on at the end of German Street for some time now.  They seem to be making progress.  I turned up Maple Grove and was delighted to see that someone had added to a detour sign. I’m sure a lot of people have felt this startled to see the bridge was out.

Pretty! 

Of course I had to take a picture of some fall color.  Perhaps things are not as vivid as other years, but I love what color I see!

A little more color.

I walked up behind Valley Health Center and past the Do Not Enter Sign into the parking lot.  I knew I had a picture of the sign in my Media Library but thought a picture of another autumn tree would be nicer.  Regular readers know I love to defy Do Not Enter Signs; I don’t always have to show them as illustration.

Not exactly on fire, but…

I was wondering if these were the kind of tree called the Burning Bush; I know their leaves turn all red this time of year.  In any case, is it some more color to add to my blog post.

I felt quite invigorated by my walk.  Of course I did not use the energy to do much afterwards.  It is Sunday, after all.  However, I see I have made a blog post of over 300 words.  That has to be worth something.  I hope all my readers are also enjoying fall.

 

Once Again, The Best Lame Plans…

I really, truly meant to make my Lame Post Friday post on Friday.  They say something about the best laid plans, but my plans are almost never best laid, so never mind that.  It is early Saturday morning, earlier than I have been getting up, so that is something different.  I always say I don’t like getting up, but I like being up.

And now I have the Type It In Backspace It Out Disease!  I even backspaced out “type-it-in-backspace-it-out disease,” because I decided to capitalize instead of hyphenate.  Which is better?  Please feel free to comment or just discuss amongst yourselves if you prefer.

Weren’t we beautiful?

I threw in a picture to pep things up, one I have shared and will continue to share.  It is the cast of Fabulous and Fatal, a murder mystery we presented in 2019 to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  It would be a good idea if I started writing more murder mysteries, ahead of the time when I actually have to start rehearsals.

Another kind of fabulous.

In searching for another picture to help along the post, I found this one from October 2020.  For once I was not too lazy to go back and look.  It is from a post I made about a walk in Russell Park I took with my sister Cheryl and her daughter Jenna.  That is Cheryl, posing on a bridge for a photo op.  I should give Cheryl a call and see if she is up for another such walk.

This is what I’m talking about!

I see I am over 250 words, so I close with another fall photo.  I don’t think this is as good a year for color as others (this pic is from 2022), but I am enjoying what I see.  I hope to take a walk or run later and see more.

 

A Few Sights of the Season

Now I can do my Waste Not Want Not Wednesday Post, and we can pretend it is not early Thursday morning (I said we CAN pretend, I didn’t say you had to! Sheesh!) (you know who you are).  These are just a few pictures I took on walks.  Perhaps today I will take a walk and take some more for a real Pedestrian Post with Pictures (preview of coming attractions).

They smelled pretty good, too!

I took this during one of my cool-down walks after a run, because I was so surprised to see lilacs blooming in October.  I later noticed something somebody shared in a Facebook comment saying how sometimes lilacs would bloom late and why.  Of course I did not read the whole thing, nor further research the matter.  I just enjoyed the sight of the flowers.

LOOOOVE the changing leaves!

Here is a more familiar October sight:  beautiful colored leaves!  I do know why this happens; I read it somewhere and had it explained to me by a biology student, but I shall not burden my readers with the knowledge.  For one reason, I might remember it wrong and look even more foolish than I normally do.

I tried to get a closer look.

This is not as good a shot as I had hoped, but I did say Waste Not Want Not.  I actually took the tree pictures a week ago (I just checked on my phone; you see I do research some things).  There are more colors to see now.  I’d better take that walk, while the colors are still here!

 

Sunday Stroll, Post-Pedestrian Post

I took a walk with my phone on Sunday, thinking to make a Pedestrian Post. I don’t see any reason not to makes the post now (for the record, it is early Wednesday morning and I failed to make my Tired Tuesday post) (me and my obsession with accuracy).  Sunday was perhaps the last beautiful unseasonably warm day, and I decided to take advantage of it, waiting till the sun was up to take my stroll.

I suppose it would be a stay-cation if I stayed here, but I would like to.

On a walk some time ago, I wanted to get a picture of the Grand Colonial Bed and Breakfast, to give them a shout-out, but could not get a good shot from across the street.  Sunday, I was on the right side of the road.  I have been inside there (when I wrote about them for Mohawk Valley Living magazine).  It is beautiful!  And I’ve seen the breakfast menu: Wow!

Another view.

Continuing down German Street, I turned left onto Main.  I wanted to walk up the hill, where it is only open to local and pedestrian traffic.  I like the exertion of walking up a hill, although I admit I can get too much of a good thing.

As usual, the picture does not seem as steep as it seems to me when I am walking or running up it.

They recently paved it.  I wondered if that means they are going to do something about the area on top of the hill, where the road is partially collapsed.

This section has been collapsed for some time now.

I see they added a branch to the barricade.  As usual, I interpreted it to mean it was closed to vehicular traffic, not middle-aged pedestrian ladies (other pedestrians, too, of course, but I was the only one there at the time).

Pretty!

As I continued my walk, I took care to appreciate the color that yet remains on our trees.  This time of year, I feel I must just look and look, because it lasts such a short time.

I don’t know why this caught my eye.

Bare trees and dead trees have a fascination for me, too.  I will probably share a lot of pictures of bare branches against the sky in future Pedestrian Posts.  To me, it never gets old.

I maybe should have gotten to this tree earlier in the season.

I have been admiring this particular tree for a while.  So big!  So bright!

I enjoyed my walk very much, and I see I have gotten a 400 word blog post out of it.  That’s long for Mohawk Valley Girl!  I hope my readers have enjoyed it.

 

A Colorful Post

I am tired again and disinclined to make a whiny blog post, but I remembered:  Wordless Wednesday.  I can just use some of the pictures I’ve been taking lately.  If they are truly worth 1,000 words, I will have a long blog post!

I miss the other tree!

 

This tree was the main reason I went for a walk yesterday.  I could see it from my front porch and thought it would make a nice addition to a Pedestrian Post.  I do not know why they cut down the other tree, but I am a little sad about it.

Alas, not dry enough to scuffle!

 

One of my favorite things to do in the fall has always been to scuffle through dry leaves.  We have had so much rain, on and off, this year, that the leaves are usually too soggy.

Love the color!

I think trees still look beautiful as they begin to lose their leaves.  This one had plenty of bright color left.

Another bright one!

I saw this one a little further down the road.  It even has some green leaves left on it.

I guess I was not particularly wordless.  Full disclosure:  I did not really expect to be.  However, I have used some of my pictures, and I made a blog post.  Score!