Contours

...this morning, whilst walking the boys at the VA complex, I was pondering how bleak the landscape gets when all the leaves have fallen and hibernation begins.  Then I saw this tree, standing alone on a small grassy knoll near the parking lot, its bark gnarly and textural.  And starkly beautiful...

A Quandary

...we had the first true icy frost last night.  Woke up to 30 degrees and a frozen bird bath, which seemed to greatly puzzle the doves...

Sentinel

...the chimney that vents the kilns at the Pottery Center caught my eye this morning as I walked the dogs.  Though the trees are mostly bare now, the vivid colors of Fall remain in the lichen on the smokestack...

Sign of Winter

...if the incredible girth of this quail is any indication of what kind of Winter we're going to have, then, holy crap, I'd better start stockpiling food in the event I can't get off the mountain.  Seriously.  This was one very plumb bird perched on the deck rail outside my bathroom window...