Wednesday, October 21, 2009

AN UPSTREAM VIEW

This upriver shot is for the benefit of Weaver of Grass (see favorite blogs list) who asked, when I posted a similar shot a couple of weeks back (here), if I would take a photo of the same view once autumn's color had progressed. I don't know if today was the peak of the color here along the river—but it's surely close to that point.
I took the stream photo this morning, when I went out to make a shot of the island-roosting turkey vultures sitting and sunning in one of the big sycamores across from the cottage. I probably should have waited until the sun was higher, which would have made the scene less contrasty. As you can see, though, while there is a lot of yellow and rusty gold showing in the riverbanks vegetation, there aren't any reds. That's the usual case with reparian woodlands hereabouts, especially once the Virginia creeper vines have lost their twining scarlet leaves; most maples and such are on slightly higher ground.
Should the color hang around a bit longer and possibly increase, or if I manage a better upstream photo, I'll stick that one up on a future post. In the meantime…this is the upstream view from Riversong Cottage. (Yes, the buzzards are all looking downstream. There's just no accounting for taste in scenery…even among birds. Also, notice the bird in the lower left corner with his wings spread—taking some sun before the morning's flight.)

18 comments:

KGMom said...

Scribe--as you might imagine, with a wedding coming up this Saturday, I have not been making the blogging rounds.
But I stopped by your place this evening--so glad I did.
What a gorgeous shot. It captures entirely why fall is my absolute favorite season.

Grizz………… said...

KGMom…

Hey, I'm glad you made a quick stop.

I left myself a note and stuck it on the side of the computer earlier this evening, to drop you an email tomorrow and make sure you weren't down with the flu or something. (Last I heard, your students were passing along their latest viruses and wreaking havoc with your immune system.) I forgot about the upcoming wedding.

I'd say I'm relieved to hear it is JUST as wedding keeping you off the blogworld…but you haven't yet survived the event. And having married off a daughter myself, I know how utterly crazy and traumatic it can be for a parent. So you're excused through the weekend.

Good luck.

Bernie said...

Loved the upstream view photo... beautiful....:-) Hugs

Kelly said...

....ooohhhh....love the photo of the roosting TVs--a perfect look for Halloween. The color is gorgeous. I hope to make it to the river tomorrow to see the leaves before the rains set in.

Helen said...

Beautiful river view. Helen

Gail said...

Hey Grizz-

Oh my - the river is ever-changing and so beautiful. Thank you for sharing the magic.

Love to you
Gail
peace....

Grizz………… said...

Bernie…

It's even prettier this morning…overcast, soft light, glowing browns and golds.

Grizz………… said...

Kelly…

They're sitting in the same tree this morning, too—although in a few weeks they'll be gone until March 17th. There's well over a hundred TVs at this roost, but you never see more than a handful until the leaves begin to come down. Then it's like the sycamores grow buzzards!

Grizz………… said...

Helen…

I never tire of the view—upstream or down, all the seasons around.

Grizz………… said...

Gail…

It's so lovely here along the river this morning.

Hope your own photo trip north went well.

Take care.

Gail said...

Hi Grizz-

I posted a few photos of our trip. :-)
Love Gail
peace.....

Grizz………… said...

Gail…

I'll be there to take a look forthwith!

TheChicGeek said...

Good morning, Scribe :)

Love the turkey vultures in the trees...great shot. It seems the colors fade so quickly. I had always thought the fall colors lasted longer but as I am reading blogs around the country it seems as though it is only for such a fleeting moment in time they are in color. I suppose that is why we appreciate them so much.

Have a wonderful day on the river!

Grizz………… said...

ChicGeek…

Alas, those turkey vultures will soon be off to their winter hangouts. I'll miss them floating homeward come midafternoon, or sitting like a gathering of solemn funeral directors in the sycamores every morning, waiting for to dew to dry and the sum to warm their chilled bones.

Yes, the color is more ephemeral than most folks realize—including me. Three days ago I took a number of photos in a maple woods near the cottage; yesterday, 48 hours later, I walked the same trail. So many of the bright colors were gone; blooms on certain wildflowers had faded. Yellows were brown, crimsons darker than amethyst. The color peak reigned no longer than a single day.

Rowan said...

The upstream view is lovely - and those photos of the Cooper's Hawk in your last post are really good, you did well to get them in the short time you had. It's good to be back reading your posts again, it's taken me a while to get myself back together after my trip but I'm more or less up to speed again now.

Grizz………… said...

Rowan…

It's raining fairly hard here right now—with rain predicted until tomorrow. A lot of the color for this season is now probably over.

I trust you had a great trip, and are now rested and refreshed from having gotten away for awhile. But it's probably also good to be home.

So…welcome back, both to home and the riverbank.

The Weaver of Grass said...

And I am not disappointed, Scrib - the view is just as beautiful and the autumn colours are exquisite = let's make the most of them while we can. Now I will give you another challenge - please take a shot both ways when the frost has tinged the trees and again when there is snow. You make your river sound so beautiful that I want to see it in all its moods. Thanks for taking the trouble,

Grizz………… said...

Weaver…

You're quite welcome…and I'll tell you the river views look much different today under a gray, rainy sky.

Leaves are browner. Many already on the ground,. The scene is tattered, ragged around the edges, stripped open.

I'll be happy to comply with your request—but please remind me. I'm like an old dog who needs his chain rattled every so often.