The weather was a bit drying toward the end of the summer into early fall this year. As a result, the water in our "pond" was down some. We decided to try and walk around our pond. Usually the water is too high and there are only a few places for us to get down to the waters edge.
As we walked along, we saw quite a few ducks, mostly Mallards, but a few others. We also saw this Heron enjoying the afternoon sunshine.
The Bittersweet berries were so colorful along the bridge.
A few of the many ducks we saw. We walked along slow and as quietly as we could, but with five of us, the ducks soon flew off as did the Heron.
Dan found this really fun hiding place under an overhanging tree. The tree would normally be dipping into the water.
We continued to walk around the waters edge exploring around the drift wood and fallen logs.
There were a lot of ferns and moss along the way.
The day was very still and the water reflected everything.
Mushrooms and other fungus doted the ground and trees.
Deer tracks were plentiful in the muddy spots.
The opposite end to where we usually explore was quite dry and the river coming into the pond was running much lower than usual.
Dan found a spot that was not very dry, sinking into the mud up to his knees. After quite a bit of coaching and a fair amount of tugging on his part, he was able to get out. I must say the other children were getting a lot of pleasure out of his predicament. He took it all in good humor and was laughing himself.
This mushroom was in a form of decay, but had the most beautiful colors.
After we made our way all the way around, we decided to drive up the road and check on the island that at certain times has a small land bridge that you can cross. We walked all the way around, encountering a few fisherman who were also taking advantage of the access. It was a beautiful day. We had quite the adventure and everyone had a great time.
