Autumn Walk

One day last week I thought I can't sit one minute longer on my butt and knit. So I hopped into my car and drove over to the lake for a "short" walk. Of course it did turn out a longer walk than I had planned. I should know this by now.

It was a beautiful day with very pleasant temperatures. Down at the lake I met one of my friends, a Green Heron. He was busy waiting for his lunch and wasn't the least bit interested in me.

When I'm at the lake on my own, I seldom walk the entire length around the lake, but turn onto the smaller trails that lead away from the water into the drier areas where more often than not I enjoy complete solitude. Just the way I like it.

I admired the different lichen on the trees...

... as well as the beautiful Lace Lichen, our state lichen.

The bark of California Buckeye is very interesting.

Some of my favorite trees in this part of the lake area is the Manzanita.

It's a slow growing little tree with fascinating red bark. 

The berries display a similar red.

Manzanitas are some of the earliest plants to bloom, often already in January, and an important food source for bees at that time. Lichens like to grow on them as well and give them an interesting appearance.

Someone had stashed away their food in the hole of a tree trunk.

Was it this little Ground Squirrel? Or someone else?

There weren't many mushrooms, at least I only saw this one.

The trees around the lake - mostly natives - don't show a great autumn display. The more I was delighted to discover this group of trees.

Almost at the parking lot I saw this beautiful California Foothill Pine cone on the ground.

So, now let's turn to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's T Tuesday. I don't have a "real" drink to show this week. However, while I was cleaning up a bit I found this emptly bottle of wine sitting in my studio. I think I kept it because I liked the label and was thinking of painting something like this. I hope it counts as a "drink" ticket.