First long fall walk - almost waited too long...

We started late, but all of us needed to be outside. We all needed to stretch our legs and work out the soreness - from inaction for some and too much exercise for others.

Paddy and Scruffy were so excited it was hard to engage the leash.

About half-way to the park we were accosted by a dog who often terrorizes the pups and me. He is not a guard dog. He is a watch dog. He watches and barks like a maniac, but he does not pursue us. Still, why is he off-leash? Why is he loose in the front yard? It is not really safe for those passing by and is not safe for any animal to be unrestrained along this busy road.

This guy is NOT our friend.

As we reached the bottom of the hill, Paddy tried to cross the street three times. She was more than ready to be in the park, but we waited until we were all together and The park was almost empty and we decided to take the dirt road to see what might be happening in the meadows.

Deer made noises in the brush on either side of the road. We all heard them. The dogs could smell them and we noticed many tracks on the road. But no deer would break the cover of the woods.

We were about to leave the park when we saw two big does run up from the creek and traverse the empty lot across the street from the park. Then they cleared the roadway and headed into the woods.

The dogs saw nothing, but caught the sent in the air, too late, too late.

We noticed many tiny things: the nightshade tomatoes, the fuzzy topped goldenrod stalks, the waves of dried grass, the wild seeds of the purple leather flower and some strange fungus that appeared like stones along the dirt road.

Looks like a rock to me.

This one too.

But there aren't rocks like this on the road.

It is some kind of puff-ball or other fungus.

The first meadow is a sea of grass.

Grass seeds ready to blow off the stem.

Fuzzy tops of the goldenrod.

More seeds to torment us next summer.

My companions "patiently" waiting.

 

Poisonous nightshade fruit - some color on this brown/grey day.

Mistletoe ready for the season.

There were only a few insects showing they had survived our minor freeze this week. Some butterflies and dragonflies still flitted through the fields. And one yellow jacket hid inside an old container.

Yellow jacket - moving slowly.