Sunday Afternoon at the Lake: Late Autumn

Another lovely day, warm and calm, but my outdoor adventures couldn't start until mid-afternoon. Not enough time for a river paddle, but plenty of time for a walk around Moreau Lake, even though the lowering sun was already casting the western shore in shadow as I started off.

Crossing the bridge at the northern end of the lake, I moved toward the sunlit eastern shore. There were many folks out with their dogs today, and four women came along the beach on horseback. A grand day for all God's creatures.

The eastern shore was serene and pleasant, warmed by the sun and the golden glow of aster and goldenrod leaves.

The seed puffs of the Heath Asters were as pretty as their flowers had been.

All too soon, the sun began to sink behind the trees.

On the southern shore of a bay, where the sun never warms the sand this late in autumn, my feet crunched in the mud, which was partially frozen and filled with needles of ice, despite the warmth of these past few days.

Nearby was this weathered stump that looked like the face of a Chinese lion. Be sure to click on this photo to see all those curls and swirls in the wood.

Click on this photo, too, to see all the detail of sunlight and shadow, mountains and trees and sky. I stood and looked at this scene for a long, long while, overcome with a sense of peace and serenity.

Thanks be to God for this beautiful, beautiful world!