Forest, November 2
We went to the creek on November 1 but the above picture is from November 2. Notice that the reflections are mainly blue sky and green foliage.
Franklin, staying comfy while on alert
Franklin stays busy making himself comfortable but he’s ever watchful too.
November 3, reflecting
On November 3, fall tree color was beginning to show in the water.
November 1, beguiling edges
The shimmers
We were there on November 1, when most of the action was at the edges. The creek was running high and silty from several gully-washer rain events. It was reflecting, just not at full tilt. Parts of the canopy looked like this:
Reds were there, a few speckles in mostly green canopies
Glorious Sourwood
. . . and the ground looked like this:
Loud, and unclear
And the water was like this:
First November day of 2019 in the US southeast
Ruffled travels
Even fast and murky, it was haunting:
One of my favorite haunts, keeps haunting me
The next two days we had:
Pond of sky
Drifters meet
Floaters wait
Raccoon tracks were revealed on sandy edges:
Evidence of critters
Frankie the explorer
“Y’all have to see tracks to know those raccoons are out there? Just sniff for ’em, that’s how I know they’re around.”
“You have a better sense of smell than we do.”
“Snort! Yeah I knew that!”
Just looking into the water, on November 2 and 3 we could make abstract art of whatever image fragments were being tossed up from the depths:
Currents we’ve witnessed
Tossed spectrum
Rays twisting through slow waves
Tranquil pine as we left the creekside:
Longleaf-pine-green will stick with us through the winter
Y’all, I have a gazillion autumn creek and tree pictures this year. I can make posts of these for some time. Our crawling autumn drags special effects along its way to winter. Stay tuned because a few days after these were taken, around November 5th or 6th, we walked to the creek and saw this glowing up at us, which means a bunch of even wilder and weirder pictures are within and around this scene:
Glitter fest bodes well
Franklin wants to remind everyone that “our” book – now he feels he had a paw in seeing it through to publication – would make a great holiday present! Here’s the Amazon link, for other online booksellers see the “Order Catwoods The Book Online” page under the banner above.
Catwoods, Stories and Studies of Our Feline Companions
I live near a creek in a forest, in close observation and awe of the wildlife outside, as well as the domestic animals of the household. I'm writer Leah T. Alford. I was "catwoods" on this site Catwoods Porch Party, Itchmo Forums for Cats and Dogs, and a few other sites that may or may not exist now. I have now published a book, and the publisher wanted it called Catwoods. I never expected the book title to be the same as my username, so for now I've changed the username to Leah. For more info, click the "About" button above.
Like a giant box of crayola crayons fell into the water. 🙂
Thanks Eliza! I love that thought!
Your creek is beautiful, Leah, and Franklin is, of course, darling.
Franklin and I thank you, Candace!
Your autumn colors were very colorful indeed. You captured some beautiful scenes.
Thank you Tanja, I appreciate it!
I recognize those little raccoon tracks – isn’t it fun to watch them ‘washing’ their food? Lovely shots, especially your handsome boy. Have you seen the viral video of the cat that sounds like a southern gentlemen? Google ‘Well, Hi”, cat and you will really laugh.
Thank you so much, Kerry! We have seen the raccoons washing food, they are fun to watch indeed! I have heard the video of the cat, it is funny!
🐱 Well, Hi!!
It usually takes me a while to read your posts not because I’m too busy or don’t give them any priority. It’s the opposite. Whenever I see Catwoods in my inbox, I think, “Oh, GOODY! She’s done another one,” and then I keep it unopened until I need to quiet my mind for a few minutes and be simply mesmerized by beauty to relax. Thank you!
Karen thank you so much, it makes me happy to hear that! It’s exactly what I hope my pictures will do. I hope also that they will show that the southeast US has natural spaces that need saving. Next week sometime I hope to get another post up that will have more pictures from the creek after more leaves leaves fell so they’ll be even more convoluted and colorful. Hopefully if time permits it will have an environmental message.
I also live in the southeast (Virginia) and wish I could find the beauty of it the way you do. I know it’s here, but I just don’t have the right mindset. I particularly LOVE your photos of water. I see faces in every one of them, for some reason. It’s like your creek is teeming with spirits. In a good way.
The colors, the shapes, the marvelous, joyous chaos that you capture on your walks is like a tonic for the soul.
Your photos are such a gift to the world. You make me think of Thoreau, if he had a camera.
It’s all I can do to catch pics of my cats where their eyes aren’t radioactive.
Thank you so much for such kind words! Sometimes I see faces in the water pictures too! I have trouble getting the cats’ eye to look “right” or at least visible, depending on which low light situation Franklin is in at the time. Making his features show up with the black fur without getting too much distortion is a challenge too.
Really great sets of images of trees and leaves. Color of foliage is breathtaking and refreshing. Franklin looks like proper sweetie as always. Thanks for sharing.
I’m happy you enjoyed the pictures, Ashraf! The colors are striking once they get going. Thank you for commenting and all good wishes, always!
Absolutely beautiful pictures. Too bad the leaves don’t change colors where I live.
And Franklin is a beautiful cat, with eyes tinted a bit yellow, or maybe it’s just the light. He does look watchful and a bit anxious. A black cat among all these colorful leaves, a sight for sore eyes.
Franklin and I thank you Feral cats’ videos, we are happy you like the pictures! Franklin’s eyes are basically gold but do change with the light, looking greenish or other shades of gold and yellow at times. All the critter noise of the forest keeps Franklin on alert, and since he lived as a feral he is wary. You can see that in the way his ears are partially rotated towards the back to catch sounds that aren’t directly in front of him. However if he was really concerned his pupils would probably be more dilated than they are.
We love your pictures, they look like in a fairytale and Frankie, you’re as cute as ever😸Pawkisses for a wonderful Wednesday🐾😽💞
Franklin and I thank you, Little Binky and Granny! We are happy you enjoyed our pictures, and send greetings and good wishes for today and every day!
I know when the cats have been in my garden because they pull the covers off the drain pipes looking for bugs to eat. They need to learn to put the covers back on the drains.
They do indeed! Frankie doesn’t go outside but he can hear and smell the raccoons when they are close to the house. He’s exaggerating when he implies he can sense them when they’re as far as the creek though.
Mee-yow wow Franklin yore lookin gorgeeuss!
An Miss Leah yore photoess are speck-taculer….such deep colorss an so many! Here wee have white snow efurrywhere an grey skies…sorta monotoness…. **sighsss**
Iss goin to bee a l-o-n-g Winter here…..
**purrsss** BellaDharma
Many thanks BellaDharma and LadyMew, Franklin and I are happy you enjoyed the pictures! Actually we now have gray skies and cold weather too, i’m just not quick about getting the pictures up as they happen. Most of the leaves came down during two high wind events. There are only a few patches of color left out there so I am sighing too.
Mew mew mew Miss Leah an Franklin Old Man Winter iss here…guess wee have to accept what wee cannot change! Wee had 2 bad windy eventss an they made all THE treess nekked!
Today there iss a dumpy truck an workmen an they sawed THE driveway an sidewalk an put mew pipess inn an now they has a hole inn our lawn an a man INN THE hole…iss sorta noisey butt mee just watchin….they all bundled upss ’cause it iss C-O-L-D out there!!
GORGEOUS images … love the leaves-in-water shots!
Thank you Jazz, I’m so glad you like the pictures! The leaves in the water are some of my favorites too but there weren’t as many all at once this year as in previous years; and, I missed some of the peak days – next post will tell how.
Sparta says the photos are beautiful, especially the one of Franklin. The monkey-servant agrees x
Franklin and I thank Sparta and we send purrs to her and to you! I’m very happy you like the pictures!
Remarkable colors! Go kitty!
Claudia thank you, I’m happy you like the pictures! Franklin sends purrs!
Lovely pictures, and I really love Franklin … so cute!
Yvon, thank you for the kind words, I’m glad you like the pictures! Franklin thanks you too, he is really pleased with your comment and sends purrs!
Beautiful, so beautiful photographs dear Leah, and also so artistic too, I love colours of the creek… Thank you for you both, Love, nia
Thank you so much Nia for your kind words, I’m happy that you like the pictures! That creek gives us all that color, it’s there in the water, just waiting to be enhanced. Love ~ Leah
Your photos are beautiful! And such cute kitties too😀
– Debra
Thank you so much nannasworldweb! The cats and I appreciate it! ~ Leah
Hey Leah..these are all beautiful photos, but I especially love Drifters meet and Floaters wait…and of course the ones of Sir Franklin..😊 And I’m loving your book as well!
Cathy thank you so much, I’m happy you like the pictures, and the book! And lol Franklin really likes the sound of Sir Franklin!
It’s so nice to see how the leaves turn. Those water photos look like oil paintings.
Thank you so much arlingwoman, I’m happy you like the pictures and I appreciate your kind words!
I love the beautiful photos you captured of the water. My husband and I are both enjoying your book.
Thank you Tanya, I’m happy you like the pictures! And thank you so much for getting and reading my book!
Beautiful fall scenes, Leah, and of course, I love little Franklin!
Franklin and I appreciate your kind words, Lavinia, and we’re happy you like the pictures!
Beautiful photos. Franklin looks mad in the first photo and a little puzzled in the second photo.
Thank you so much Tim, I’m happy you like the pictures! Franklin can certainly do resting grouch face. He retains some feral smugness. But he has a thoughtful side too.
Hi. You’ve got some terrific pictures here. Patterns and colors galore! See you.
Neil S.
Thanks Neil, I appreciate it and I’m happy you like the pictures!
Those are beautiful pictures, including Franklin. 🙂
Thanks Chuck, Franklin and I are happy you like the pictures!
Absolutely beautiful pictures
Thank you so much Margo, I appreciate it. I always enjoy seeing your pictures!
Magnificent colors and a super cat named Franklin.🐱🤗
Many thanks from both Franklin and myself, Lauren!
Beautiful fall photos. And Franklin is adorable.
Franklin and I thank you so much, Ellen!