TINSEL TOWN

That same icy-blue morning (mentioned in the next blog) created a stunning effect

on spider webs.

This one was surely part of the Web Street of Dreams,

due to the builder's flair for knotting an intricate foyer:

Nature's tinsel



The sun came over the mountain before I left this area,

so this is the same string of web, shimmering differently:

And more, sky-high:

We have white lights strung on the trees in our front yard,

but we sure can't top what the holiday spiders have done!

I have never seen a plain, one-way, hanging web,

but now they are all over the trees, exactly like the most
meticulously-hung tinsel.

 And garlands too!

ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL, AND BRRRRR!

A couple of days ago we had our first heavy frost.

The early morning air was actually blue, and so was I by the time I

got back from my ramble!

Mud puddle art.

Interesting how the tiniest pine needle and twig shard influence the patterns:

Two different focal points of the same scene:

SOLO RAMBLE IN THE WOODS

A last day of autumn, and it was not raining; it was refreshingly cold, and I had to get outside!

This time I truly did go on a "ramble", with no preconceived idea of where I would go.

I found myself discovering the Tokul Creek area:

But the direction I headed took me past a favorite and familiar stopping place first:

Snoqualmie's old mill pond.

The mountains' reflection was not going to be good because there was a riffle

on the water surface, but I really liked the monotone trees on the opposite shore:

I had to break the "don't center objects" rule for this shot; it was

just so nicely graphic to me:

The woods were dark, illuminated only by the ruffles of the creek.

Plus, the last remaining leaves were giving  their all:

 I was surprised to find an actual trail:

  As daylight faded, I enjoyed the solitude, and the gathering of fog over the trail.

I didn't go any further however, having seen a new sign warning of bear and cougar

in the vicinity.

 I was home in time to settle in with this stamp of approval on my outing:

LOW WATER LEVEL/ HIGH EXPECTATIONS

Pat and I headed up to Rattlesnake Lake - a favorite photo ramble.

We had hoped to find the water down enough to photograph tree stumps with their reflections.

No such luck.  Too much water; there wasn't even a "beach" to walk on.

So, before turning around to head back to the car, I

got these tree reflections:

I love how the colors look like abstracts in oil.

 and watercolor.

 The only other color at the lake:

In my frustrations to come home photo-less,

I grabbed these while they lasted, closer to home:

Variegations in a stand of poplars, with a "me too!; me too!" peak-a-boo maple.

 

GOING...GOING...GONE

I'm a little late in posting these colors, which are now completely gone. 

However, our autumn was especially long this year, and these leaves looked like this

until just a few days ago; less than two weeks for sure.

I was wishing for cold weather to come, so I took these photos close to home as a

tribute to their staying power, and a hopeful farewell too.

This is a reflection in the pond across the street from our house:

We hardly ever get to see a good sunset from our house. 

When it is there, it is usually the fringe edges of a whisper of color that we see.

However, a sunrise like this is not uncommon, seen here

from my computer window:

Here is a good example of the part of a sunset that we see from our front porch, zoomed in .

The clouds show uncertain weather was approaching:

 And this is the normal front-yard view with the leaves screaming just before they dropped:

A drive up the road a bit offered this end-of-season picture:

WATERCOLORS

I also considered titling this post "Upon Further Reflection..." because of the nature of the following photos, and because I said that I had completed posting for the Pass Ramble.

Well, giving further thought, I realize I had forgotten to include

these photos, taken at river's edge.

The sky was blue; the rushing water was clear enough that river-bottom rocks projected copper and gold colors to the water's surface.

By zooming in to the opposite bank, reflected golden leaves, and then nearly-bare young trees become  abstracts:

This reflection in a mud puddle at the camp ground is only partly abstract:

END OF THE ROAD

Leaving Roslyn for the return drive, we had to try one more "side road". 

That ended with the option to turn onto a dirt road labeled,  "Primitive Road/Caution!"

We found it to be nicely-graded and wide, and so we went to "just around the first corner".

The sun was lowering with a last-strength effort, and golden trees were bright against the dark evergreens.

This is the typical contrast of the northwest.  Our forests are thick with fir trees and the deciduous trees are scattered, tucked and hidden by the overpowering dominance of evergreens.

You can't blame them for trying:

On the way back out, we knew we'd be stopping for this barn.

Anyone who knows my love for barns also knows my distaste for tin roofs.

In almost every case, a tin roof invalidates a barn, in my opinion.

However, I loved this shape and the fact that autumn was in the spotlight in the background.

So, I tried different camera settings to capture only the barn's shape, and the pop of colors:

On top of the Pass, we stopped for photos.  I turned around and Lo! There was "our mountain"!

Through the fog, there stood Guye Peak where we lived for several years.

Our home was on the flanks, behind the horizontal tree-top line in the picture:

Just about home now, looking up to where we used to pick wild huckleberries

while living at the Pass:

This is not commendable photography, but it is included because it is the perfect natural stamp of approval

to the perfect day.

It was blatant and stunning as I turned down our road,

but had faded by the time I got home and grabbed my camera:

This was the last post for "Over the River and Through the Woods" blog

about day's ramble a week ago.  There are 6 previous posts connected
to this one.