Fall Trees, Creek, and Cat, Part 2

November 6, 2019. Leaves!

On November 6 we trekked to the creek and found the leaves had made their appearance, big time. It was all like, Tree Parts Department, what can we help you with today?

Franklin throws a glance my way while on a nature investigation of his own

Tulip tree leaf bops on

Better act fast, we’re moving along!

Traces of forest, as seen on the creek surface

Trees at the house a day before this creek walk

Stay with us, we will have an important environmental message at the end of this post.

Bigleaf magnolia leaf scoots along

Lookalikes in the water

All these colors are gone now. I have a limited activity capacity and I’m slow to do everything. I’m always out of sync!

Some leaves stay at the edges

Ritzy fall colors adorn the creek

We’re on our way

Bright sunshine brings out color on a November day

All water, no solids here

Stones we can step on. Sometimes they shift a little.

I can’t resist the wild, found abstracts

Unreal, but . . .

The trees, around November 11 and 12. One of those afternoons was so bright and sunny it would have made a good creek day but it was so bitter cold I didn’t go that day. I did go later in November and I’ll make another creek post, hopefully next week.

We waited for this!

Sweetgum turning

They changed late, we welcome them

Oak leaf jam session

For Curtis

Happy Holidays to all as those days draw near. Don’t forget that my book Catwoods would make a great gift! We now have more feral cats to feed and TNR, (their photos and stories will be posted in the future). And, the book includes nature and coloration in nature, animals other than cats, some details about art groups, cats, and lots of different stuff! Here is the link to Amazon, and the page with several online booksellers is in the header bar:

Catwoods, Stories and Studies of Our Feline Companions at Amazon

Almost all the leaves are off the trees now. Two windy nights brought them down, along with the seasonal creep towards winter. Everything changes.

I have fun making and posting these pictures, but I also want to show everyone the beauty of the creeks, forests and wilderness near the southernmost end of the Appalachians. Lately I’m concerned as to whether I will always be able to protect this sweet creek. I’m not in good health, my husband and I are aging, friends are becoming seriously ill; and friends in our age group and even younger have died in recent years. Will I be able to make these autumn excursions next year? And, deforestation is happening in some areas around us.

Beyond this small place that I know well, we have so much freshwater biodiversity in our state, and it needs protection. The US southeast has a multitude of rivers, creeks, wetlands, and other waters. Our creek flows into a larger creek, which flows into a river. The Mobile-Tensaw Delta is known as “America’s Amazon”. We have people who are actively looking out for those natural spaces and resources here. We also have many who want to protect them. We may be not always be highly visible outside this region, but we are here, we do exist.

The International Waterkeepers Alliance protects water worldwide.

We have so many Waterkeepers for so many waterways in Alabama I can only list a few:

Hurricane Creekkeeper‘s website with beautiful fall pictures of another creek I know. My own favorite! Check it out!

Black Warrior Riverkeeper

Cahaba Riverkeeper

Mobile Baykeeper

Little River Waterkeeper

All these Waterkeepers and others not listed have Facebook pages, too. Check them out!

So if advocacy for natural spaces is something any readers are into, I just want y’all to know that we are here and would love to be recognized! We too want a clean natural environment, and if you’d like to help us in any way we would so welcome you!

Stay tuned for more pictures, I still have more from this fall!

About Leah

I'm Leah T. Alford, a writer fascinated by the natural world and animals, especially cats.
This entry was posted in black cats, Cats, Creeks, environment, Feral Cats, Nature and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

52 Responses to Fall Trees, Creek, and Cat, Part 2

  1. RMW says:

    Great to know that so many people and organizations are actively protecting the waterways and nature in general. We take so much for granted. I often wonder what will be left for future generations at the rate we are going.

    • Catwoods says:

      I wonder, too RMW! I’ve seen so many changes and I remember how things used to be and how there was so much more nature out there! Sure hope we can turn things around!

  2. Pam Lazos says:

    Love the vibrancy of these photos, Leah! Happy holidays!

  3. Eliza Waters says:

    Like beautiful abstract paintings… nature amazes!
    I wonder if The Nature Conservancy has a chapter there? They often partner with area organizations to protect land, particularly riversheds.

    • Catwoods says:

      Thank you Eliza, I am indeed surprised by all the color that shows up! That’s a good idea about The Nature Conservancy, I will check into that!

  4. Lavinia Ross says:

    Those are beautiful photos, Leah!

    Wishing you and your family good health for the coming year. I hope you will be able to protect your creek, and wishing good luck to all these waterkeeper organizations in their own efforts.

    • Catwoods says:

      Thank you so much Lavinia, I’m happy you liked the photos! And also for all the good wishes! All of us here wish you and your family all the best for this coming year, and always!

  5. PetMom says:

    Love the photos! The ones in the water have an Impressionist feel to them. Beautiful! They would look amazing turned into larger canvas pieces.

  6. Breathtakingly amazing images of colorful leaves. Great work! Have a great New Year!

  7. chattykerry says:

    It is so important that we try to protect our waterways and ecosystems, Leah. We have just so many people moving to our area that the environment is being damaged by building homes. Perhaps we will move further out at retirement? Franklin looks like a panther today!

  8. Charles Huss says:

    I like how colorful all the photos are, except for the second one. 🙂

  9. Lovely colours and anything cat related gets my vote…

  10. niasunset says:

    So beautiful colours dear Leah, great photographs… Franklin, seems so surprised. Thank you dear, have a nice day and weekend, Love and Hugs to you both, nia

    • Catwoods says:

      Thank you Nia, I’m so happy you enjoyed the pictures! Franklin may be surprised that I interrupted him while he was on the watch, to take his picture! Have a wonderful weekend too Nia, love and hugs to you also!

  11. Cate says:

    Such an important message, Leah. Thank you!

  12. Candace says:

    Lovely, Leah. So many beautiful places in our country and I know it’s hard to wonder how it will all survive in our current climate [change].

    • Catwoods says:

      Thanks Candace, I’m happy you enjoyed the pictures! And I completely agree that we need to turn things around to preserve these places. They are key to our survival on all levels!

  13. Bettye Reeves says:

    Absolutely gorgeous and inspiring Leah!

  14. DS Levy says:

    Oh, Leah — as per your usual (I know I always say this, but it’s true-true-true) your photos are absolutely gorgeous! So lovely indeed! Each one is a work of art, and including them here, on your blog, with the conservancy message just shows how powerful a “picture” and it’s 1,000 words can really be. These photos make me want to protect this beautiful world we live in (I do what I can, but your photos make me want to recommit to my commitment). I’m so glad you share them with your readers — protecting our environment is so very important, especially in these dire, and threatening times. I will definitely check out the links you have provided, and try to do even my little part (if we all did just a bit, it would add up to a lot!).

    Sorry I’ve been MIA of late. Been traveling back and forth to Michigan (where we’ve had a lot of snow, and while its very pretty, I’m already over it, LOL) and keeping busy — didn’t realize how “busy” this retirement life could be! 🙂 Wishing you and your husband happy holidays and good cheer and good health for the new year. And asking you to please give that handsome Franklin a pat on the head or tummy rub for me!

    Deb

    • Catwoods says:

      Thanks so much Deb, you always give me a much-needed boost! I’m so happy you enjoyed the pictures! No worries about when you get here, I’m just glad you always arrive. I’m happy to see you any time! I know just what you mean about snow, I thought it wonderful up to a point, but . . . You know, we have found ourselves extremely busy although “retired”. I actually did a book signing a few days ago, didn’t know if I could. It was fun but it absolutely flattened me for several days, I’m still a wreck. LOL. Happiest of holidays to you and your husband and household critters and any wild critters who come your way. I will pat Franklin on the head for you for sure but when it comes to Franklin’s tummy, no one dares!

  15. Beautiful photos – thanks for sharing. 🙂

  16. More thumbs up for your gorgeous photos!

  17. 15andmeowing says:

    Those are beautiful photos.

  18. Lauren says:

    Wonderful colors where you live, Leah! I figure our cats, Effie and Paladin, are the wonderful colors.

    • Catwoods says:

      Thank you Lauren, I’m happy you enjoyed the pictures! Effie and Paladin are gorgeous cats! Cat colors are a world of fascination all in themselves! I tried to cover that in my book as I wrote about the many cats we had in several different colors and patterns.

  19. Gorgeous shots!! Your best! 😘ellen from Moonside

  20. Timothy Price says:

    I love all the beautiful colors. Number 4, as noticed by John, also, is especially nice in its soft abstractness. Franklin looks surprised.

    • Catwoods says:

      Thanks Tim, I’m happy you like the pictures! Frankie is a quirky, funny little guy whose reactions are always of interest and sometimes enigmatic.

  21. John says:

    I love the fourth photo down, wonderful processing! Is Franklin’s left ear cropped atop?

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