Under the bald cypress and into the woods
Posted: November 4, 2011 Filed under: 365 Yoga Challenge, Adventures in Life, Air, Autumn, Earth, fall, Fire, goals, hiking, home, Local Tourists, NaBloPoMo, nature, Photography, Spirit, Walking, water, weather, yoga | Tags: autumn leaves, Cypress, fall foliage, forest, Holden Arboretum, John Fowles, nature, Photography, postaday2011, quotes 42 CommentsI love the warm, golden tones of the feathery foliage on the bald cypress trees in the fall. I would have a whole grove of bald cypress trees if I could get them to grow. M has planted a few, but we haven’t had much luck with them so far. They should grow here. They grow well enough up at the Holden Arboretum.
I ducked under the branches and pointed towards the sun for the first two photos. In the next one, I looked up so I could capture the sky with it. It would have been a great place to sit down and write in my journal or have a picnic.
I could have stayed there all day, admiring the golden glow of sunlight and bald cypress leaves. The days grow shorter and shorter this time of year. It was best not to linger as I had a full afternoon planned.
So I moved on towards the woods.
Bole Woods is a Natural National Landmark. The Holden Arboretum website describes it as:
…a mature beech-maple forest remnant that is a unique discovery opportunity and visitor destination where horticultural collections and natural areas meet.
I would describe it as a lovely, peaceful place where you can listen to the trees as they converse with the wind and the forest creatures. It doesn’t sound as professional as the description on the arboretum’s website, but it’s just as accurate.
The Bole Woods trail is a little off the beaten path. Most people tend to hang out on the trails near the Visitor’s Center. There are some lovely sights to see there too, but it’s nice to go off and explore areas where there are fewer or no other people.
I know I’ve written a lot already about how wonderful the light is during the autumn months so I’ll spare you too much of that. Instead, I’ll let the photos do the talking/writing for me.
In some mysterious way woods have never seemed to me to be static things. In physical terms, I move through them; yet in metaphysical ones, they seem to move through me.
~ John Fowles
Your mind is your best camera . . . Go out and take some beautiful pictures.
~ Daryl Ryman
Wonderful, amazing, beautiful light, even with lens flare. Maybe especially with the lens flare. I like the way light sometimes bounces around in a photograph.
Day 40/365. Awakening this morning with lots of energy, I decided to see how long it would take to wear myself out. I’m kidding. It wasn’t intentionally done. I’ve been skipping the weight workouts thinking that the yoga will make up for that. It turns out that’s not exactly true. If I were capable of doing some of the balances, particularly arm balances, I might not need the weight training. The bike rides have obviously strengthened my legs and I found the squats, leg presses, and things of that ilk to be challenging but not impossible. The yoga push-ups and planks, however, have not strengthened my upper body as much as I thought they would. I failed on a second set of push-ups, and had to scale down the weight for a few other exercises. I’m not upset about it. It’s good to know where I’m at so I will have a good idea as to where I need to go.
That’s about it from the Bogs for today. Thank you for dropping by and joining me on my ramble through the woods. Our next stop will be the sugarbush area where we’ll find the Sugar House, the Maple Museum, and the Pancake House. Sounds sweet, doesn’t it? 😉
A great trip today with lots of wonderful sights! I really like the lens flare in that shot, Robin. To me it adds energy to the image, like I’m there seeing it myself.
Thank you, Ted. 🙂
I wonder why they call them “bald” cyprus? Any idea?
Hope you have a great weekend, Robin!
Kathy
Because they shed their leaves in the fall and become “bald.”
Thanks, Kathy. I hope you do, too! 🙂
I’ve seen these golden “evergreens” (aka bald cypresses) around here and never knew what they were… until today, thanks to you! They are the only guaranteed fall colors we get here.
Love the golden tones in all of these.
Thanks, Michaela. 🙂
Wonderful autumn colours.
Thank you, David. And thanks for stopping by and commenting. I appreciate it. 🙂
I like the lens flare as well, Robin. Autumn colours are beautiful.
Thanks, Marianne. 🙂
That is a beautiful tree. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen one though.
I didn’t know what they were until I wandered around the arboretum. I’d seen the fringy golden trees along some of the roadsides here. It was nice to finally find out what they are. Thank you for stopping by Saundra. And thank you so much for your comment. I appreciate it. 🙂
Wow! you guys get great autumn colours – I wish we still did in Britain but haven’t done for years now 😦 Lovely photos – really enjoyed that 🙂
Carol.
Thank you, Carol. We’ve had a good year for autumn colors which was kind of surprising as it looked like it might not be in the beginning when leaves were falling without changing color. But it’s turned out pretty well, all in all.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I appreciate it. 🙂
I’m so impressed you still find such vibrant colors to share with us. You lucky devil you. Thank you as I love the shots. 🙂
I’ve been out of the loop with power outages and conferences… now catching up on comments. TY! 🙂
Thanks, Elizabeth. 🙂
Sorry to hear about the power outages. Hope all is well now.
So many gorgeous images of autumn, and I too love the lens flare in the 3rd to last photo.
Thank you, Kala. 🙂
The Arboretum’s description might sound ‘professional’, but yours is poetic…
Three guesses which one I think is better – and the first two don’t count!
lol! Thanks, Marie. 🙂
I do marvel at all the golds and yellows of your photos as fall begins to wane
Since strength training (I used to do pilates), I am stronger than every–even at age 59. In January I couldn’t do one push-up but was so used to doing planks that the trainer let me do that. Eventually I worked the plank into a push-up. Now I can do ten in a row without a problem. You will too, really. Keep up the commitment.
Thank you, Teresita. 🙂
You give me hope. Push-ups have never been my forte. I’m hoping to change that.
Love the orangy glow of your pictures … makes everything look so warm and comfortable. Which is how I think of Fall in the woods. Looks like you picked a perfect day and place for your adventure day.
Thanks, Bearyweather. 🙂 It was indeed the perfect day and place.
Gosh – those magical golden leaves are spectacular!!
Thanks, LadyFi. 🙂
All those fall colors are so rich and beautiful. .the colors and light in your photos are wonderful….
I’d never heard of the bald cypress before. I googled it and see there are a few other deciduous cone bearing trees that I have seen…tamaracks in NH and there’s a Dawn Redwood in Berkeley,CA. near where I live now. They’re all very magical. Thanks for today’s walk in the woods… : )
You’re welcome, Kathy (PP). I’m glad you enjoyed the way. And thank you. 🙂
those golden tones are just magical! i wish we had those colours here in Australia
Thanks, Chloe. I’ve often wondered what the seasons are like in Australia.
Hi Robin. I like ‘peering into the woods’. The stump is peering back at you… Jane
Thank you, Jane. 🙂
You may be right… it does appear to be peering back.
Beautiful colours. I especially love the first one, I enjoy the feeling bright colours give me on a slow day.
Thank you, CWithNuEyes. 🙂
Breathtaking colors! They’re such ethereal shots, like being in a dream!
Thanks, Belen. This fall has been a little like being in a dream. 🙂
One (more) thing that I love about Fall – as the trees lose their leaves, more sunlight can come through! You certainly did capture that here – beautiful!!
“…it’s nice to go off and explore areas where there are fewer or no other people.” – I AGREE!!
Thank you, Holly. 🙂
I love both lens flare and looking up at treetops in the fall. Beautiful photos – thank you! 🙂
Thank you, Carla. 🙂
I didn’t know about the bald cypress until just the other day. I saw a few of these trees on my walk in Sharon Woods, but didn’t know what they were. Then Monday I was walking in the Voice of America park and I saw one planted in remembrance of someone, and it had a name plaque.
Is it a deciduous pine tree?
Yes, it is, Christine. Beautiful tree, isn’t it? 🙂