Come hike with me...

I looooooove to hike. Love it! We usually go once a week, but if I could I'd probably go every single day.
Fall is my very favorite season for hiking. When the leaves turn a spectacular array of colors, the world begins to take on an unnatural feel. The wind blows and the leaves gently float down like confetti. Sometimes the intense blue sky and vivid leaf color literally stops me in my tracks, and I just stand and stare for a while (which I'm told is rather annoying).
Then, from staggering bursts of fall color we merge into the cold, dead look of winter. Of course, winter does have its benefits..... you can more easily see old footpaths and rock walls that are overgrown in summer, and...... snow!! I'm eagerly awaiting the first of the season.

Mollusk in my driveway

What a pretty snail. I keep finding the most interesting creatures around our house. This one was in my driveway while I was unloading groceries and I could have nearly stepped on it! It is about 2 inches long fully extended. Check out this diagram of snail anatomy - fascinating! Not being much of a biologist, I'd never given much thought to the subject. I do have a small collection of tiny empty shells, gathered mostly from the tennis courts where we used to live. (click photos to enlarge)


























I took a bit of video as well... it let me get so close and I was mesmerized by the slow and graceful movements of this gastropod.

It's a rainy day....

.... so let's look at my terrariums! They're so green and cheerful in my kitchen window. Made from recycled jars and bottles, gravel, potting soil, spanish moss, and a variety of green mosses. I did not include charcoal for aeration, I remove and replace the lids in a cycle over the day and I'll see how that goes.