A Walk at the Paul Smiths VIC

 

Yesterday, I went to Saranac Lake to deliver 3 framed photos I was entering in a show. On my way home, I stopped by the VIC. I did not anticipate taking a lot of photos. The autumn color is mostly gone in the ADKs, it was mid-day, and the light was harsh, bright sun/clear sky. As I walked, a 2.3 mile loop around Heron Marsh, I started seeing interesting things and ended up shooting 30+ photos. So this is my walk. There was no one else there, so the remainder of this post will be only what I saw.  You will have to imagine the nature sounds and smells. Enjoy it with me.

Copyright Jim Bullard 10/29/2025

Taking a Walk - Communing with Trees

 

 As I often do when I am in a funk, I went for a walk this afternoon. It had been raining off and on, and finally, at 3:45pm, just as the Weather Channel predicted, it stopped. That was supposed to be the end of the rain until at least 7pm, so I decided to take a walk on the Munter Trail and commune with the trees.  

The river is unusually low, and the remains of the old piers for the Hannawa RR are in full view. The foliage is past peak but still colorful. Despite the traffic noise from the road that parallels the trail and river, I enjoyed the company of the trees. 

I did get sprinkled on during my return trip, but the sun broke through after, highlighting the tree tops.

The leaf in the photo at the top came home with me after having its portrait made on a picnic table. We needed the rain, and we have gotten over 2" in the past few days. It was a good walk. Trees are good company. They teach us to persevere in the face of adversity.

Thank You & Photos From Owls Head

 Thank you to all who support my photography. In response to those who commented on my writing on my portfolio site at Zenfolio.com, I don't consider myself a writer or particularly good at writing. I write the blog like one would write a diary, a record of what I did to get the photos. Like Grady, I have trouble getting started. That's why my blog posts are infrequent. When I started the blog in 2006, it was my intention to write weekly. If you look at the number of posts next to each year, you will see that I rarely succeeded. I guess this is a long-winded way of saying I don't feel that I am the person you should ask for writing advice. I'd promise to add to this blog more regularly, but history does not suggest that will happen.  Also, you can leave your comments here on individual posts. Click on the "comments" at the bottom of a post to get a space to post a comment. They are moderated by me to avoid promotional comments that have nothing to do with this blog. Unfortunately, some people do that.

 As long as I am here, I should post some photos of my recent outing to Owls Head Peak. Owls Head Peak overlooks Keene Valley just off Rt 73. I try to climb it at least once a year. The trail is open from 7am Monday to 4pm on Fridays/closed every weekend and on holidays, because most of the trail is on private property. The closure is the result of hikers blocking the driveways of those who have homes near the trailhead. If you go there, please be considerate of the private property.

Here is a mixed selection of photos I made, both 'normal' and infrared images. Reminder: if you click on an image, you will get a larger version.