Into the Colors! / I'm Walking Here!

It was the last day of the really nice weather, and we decided to go up on Sandy Ridge chasing the colors. Well, we caught them! The foliage colors locally are at peak, as good as I have ever seen! Here is a shot of the graveled road we walked, into a gameland where we spent the afternoon.

The milkweeds have gone to seed, and the pods are shining out in the wilderness - nothing but angel feathers and pure light. In the parking lot, we saw a mourning cloak. I think I've seen one each time I've been out hiking lately, and they are such a welcome sight: flying darkness, with a white band along the edge of the wings.

We were sitting in our chairs and I looked down at my feet to see a walking stick. Now, I've seen walking sticks before, but usually around our house. I think this may be the first one I've spotted in the wild!

The walking stick walked right up to me, and I am sure it meant to walk right over me, if I hadn't stood up for myself! I could just imagine it saying that movie line, "I'm walking here! I'm walking here!" Yes, you are, and you are one fine bug! (Walking stick included in the extras.)

Now, my husband and I have finally watched all of the Hunger Games movies, and I loved it when Katniss Everdeen sang that song about the tree: "Are you, are you . . . going to the tree?" Um, yes, it's fall, and that is almost ALL we do, going to see the trees!

So my first song is James Newton Howard with Jennifer Lawrence singing The Hanging Tree, from that film. I'm including the original version, plus the ultra-fun Rebel Remix. For my stick insect, the song has to be about walking, so here's Dire Straits, with The Walk of Life.