The Trail Less Traveled
In the wake of today’s DDoS attacks (which, thankfully, are just a temporary inconvenience for us thanks to our awesome devs) and the horrific headlines in the mainstream media I wanted to post something light today.
I savor the last few sunny autumn days like the last bunch of grapes left on the vine untasted. There’s something magical about the the crispness of the fall air coupled with the intense warmth of the sun. The bees even seem to enjoy it.
One of our favorite places to go hiking this time of year are the bluffs along the Mississippi River that divide the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The entryway into the system of hidden trails that lead us to our destination could be easily missed from the paved walking path. Luckily, Amstel remembers the way. We've been walking him here all of his life.
Those who choose to take the paved path miss out on some incredible beauty, especially during the fall. A tiny creek meanders through the middle of the woods and eventually feeds a waterfall and flows on down to the river.
Along the sides of the trails, the wildflowers are just beginning to wither. I'm not sure what these are but the blooms are just millimeters wide.
A tenth of a mile or so after the waterfall, the trail opens to a massive outcrop of rock overlooking the Mississippi River. It almost seems as though you could lean over and touch the tops of the oak trees below. I come to this exact spot when I have writer's block and it hasn't failed me yet.
Amstel clearly wasn’t done hiking when we reached the end of the trail. I hope to have half of the stamina he does when I’m seventy years old (he’ll be ten this year.)
It was a amazing day of fresh air, fall color, and vitamin D from the sun. I was impressed by the camera on the new iPhone 8. It was noticeably better than my old iPhone 6. I hope you all enjoyed our walk through the woods!
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Beautiful scenery- I'm glad you didn't take the paved path :)
I'm going to write you in chat- no hurry, just when you get a chance.
Thank you! So am I! : ) I'll pop into chat later and read your message. Will you been at SteemFest?
I'm afraid that things unforeseen are preventing that trip, I was a bit disappointed, but things tend to happen for a reason in my life so I'm not dwelling. Instead I'll be like those who were around during the first steemfest and declared they wouldn't miss the next. I definitely will not miss the next ;)
What a beautiful day! :D I absolutely love autumn and long walks in the woods with my husband and our dogs! Your pictures are really clear, that is a great camera on the iphone 8! I may have to invest in one of those myself as I always forget to take my camera out when I walk the pooches, and instantly regret it when I find somewhere new by mistake lol Long walks in nature are truly valuable time spent wisely :D
I'm so glad we took the time to do this! We've only had a handful of warm days since, this morning it was 34 degrees! I've heard the Google Pixel 2 phone is even better than this one. I'm very happy with the iPhone 8 though. I have an Apple Watch so I'm kind of stuck in their ecosystem at the moment. Thanks so much for your comment!
Really amazing day you had no doubt truly awesome pics and glad to see this post after steemit is running perfectly now :)
Thanks! Yes, the devs did a wonderful job recovering from that DDoS attack!
Wow ! Nice collection of beautiful nature pictures.those flowers ,leaves,wood and the river looks great. Thanks for the share those clicks
Anyway great post
I really appreciate it!
The walk seems to be pretty fascinating and it feels like we are going through the walk along you ,nice photographs buddy
Thank you, @rehan12! So glad you enjoyed it!
lovely! this fall feels more crisp and beautiful than I remember typically and it's so important to go out in it amidst the busyness. Essential to have those places that reliably loosen the creativity and restore the spirit.
Thank you! It was 34 degrees here this morning. Thankfully this winter I won't have to commute in it every day unless I'm traveling. Yes, it's so important to us creatives to have a peaceful place to retreat to. I hope you're having a good week. I'm sorry I've been so absent lately!
You won't have to commute, what a great benefit!! Instead you can choose to take walks where and when you choose like to the pub ;-).
No need to apologize for absence, firstly I totally understand and secondly am also having a hard time being here enough.
Beautiful wildflowers indeed. I remember I used to stop from walk and admire wildflowers as well when walking in a nearby park. Amstel looks like had such fun. Thanks for sharing the adventure to us all. 🙂 Resteemed.
Thanks! Amstel is such a good dog. He's perfectly happy running in the woods! I really appreciate the resteem!
Excellent walk and beautiful photos, you showed all the charm of nature and communication with it through your walk, it loosened me on such a nervous day. Thank you @ericvancewalton
I'm so glad it relaxed you! Thanks for stopping by and for your comment!
Beautiful pictures! I hope to see more from you. Keep Steeming!
Thank you, @firepower! Ready for SteemFest?
I was about to ask what camera you had for those forest pics - that iPhone 8 does a great job.
That rock outcrop is a soothing view. I can see why you go there for writer’s block.
It's so much better than the iPhone 6 was. They've come a long way! The view is just stunning from that rock. It feel like flying on some magic carpet above the river. Thanks, Lydon!