Moreau Shores

 I hurried over to Moreau Lake on Wednesday afternoon, hoping to join some friends of Moreau Lake State Park as we celebrated the raising of a nesting platform for ospreys.  I'd been told that the platform would be located in the cove opposite the swimming beach, so that's where I went, coming down through the woods to the back shore of the cove.  And I waited.  Hmm. . . .  Nothing happening here, except for one Black Duck swimming back and forth across the reflection of shoreline trees in the water.  And a beautiful clump of caramel-colored mushrooms adorning a fallen log.

But then I heard voices over on the shore around the bend of the cove, and I followed that sound.  Sure enough, here was that osprey nesting platform, and here were my friends, happy to have seen that the deed was done.  Well, it would be grand if an osprey pair found this platform to their liking.  To me, it seemed a spot too heavily trafficked by lakeshore walkers and their dogs, but who knows?  I've seen these raptors nesting in other heavily trafficked areas before.  So we shall see.

It certainly was a lovely day to visit Moreau Lake, especially now that the trees have come into their autumn glory at last.  This fisherman would have the entire quiet lake all to himself.

Many people don't realize that both banks of the Hudson River are now part of Moreau Lake State Park, a fact I celebrate every time I drive home along Spier Falls Road and stop to gaze on this beautiful scene that will remain unchanged, under park protection.

As I stepped from my car to admire the river view, the sunlight poured through the branches of this  young White Oak and lit the leaves aflame.

As I rounded the bend of the river, I stopped again to gasp at the glory of this mountainside ablaze with autumn colors.

I wasn't the only one there to admire this spectacular view.  This pair of artists were doing their best to capture that glory with colored crayons on paper.