Day off

Each week I try to take a day 'off' for myself. I generally love to go hiking and it doesn't matter what the weather is, I just go. Last Friday was to be our last warm day of October, so Charlie and I headed off to KVR even though the sky looked like a bit dreary.

We chose to walk the Old 131 Trail. It had rained for a few days and the other trails would be muddy. There is still a lot to see if one looks for it.

We were not in a hurry nor were we hiking hard. It was one of those times I just wanted to stroll along and look around.

I put Charlie's hi-vis jacket on. He lets me know that he doesn't really like it that much, but because he is a good little fella, he wears it.

We wear Hi Vis clothing during pheasant hunting season on the Reserve. We saw one hunter and his dog leaving when we parked. 

Even with most of the leaves down on the ground, it was beautiful. The oaks and the underbrush clung to their leaves despite the high winds we'd had. 

I've been on those bluffs with the pines in the photo below. It is humbling to sit on the bluff and watch the river go by 80 feet below.

Everything was beautiful. I had brought my Full Spectrum Infrared camera along. I hadn't been using it lately. For the normal photos, I used a Hot Filter. Basically it allows the camera see in what we perceive as normal light.

It was fun to change the light spectrum and see what the landscape looked like.

This is a photograph taken in the 720nm light spectrum. Boy, things sure look gloomy!

This is the same pond taken from the end of the dock taken in IRChrome. It turns foliage reddish and the sky and water become brilliant blue.

IR also brings out the definition of clouds.

Here is a comparison between normal light that we see and IRChrome.

IR Chrome

Charlie and I enjoyed the damp overcast day and took our time. He sniffed things, and I walked slowly enjoying all the sights and smells of the fall woodlands.

Yesterday, on Halloween we had snow off and on for most of the day. The winds on the ridge howled like crazy and at times you couldn't see very far.

I didn't go out in it! I stayed indoors and did boring things.

Today will be cold but there is a warm up through the weekend.