Crisp fall weather is finally here, and I love it! To mark the occasion, I took a long walk in Rock Creek Park yesterday. It's so nice there this time of year, with the bugs and humidity finally gone. I didn't see any wildlife, or thankfully encounter any coyotes, but I did hear a lot of unusual bird sounds. The foliage wasn't very spectacular, with only a few trees in the yellow and red stages; they seem to be going straight from green to brown this year. Still, it's soothing to watch the leaves fall from the taller trees and flutter to the ground, and to hear them crunching underfoot while walking along the path. I love the sound of the leaves going under the wheels of cyclists going by, and the sight of them floating down the creek like little boats.

I took my camera on my little hike, and have started posting the photos in a new Rock Creek Park set on Flickr. 

The downside of the season is that it is a bit depressing, and the shorter days and falling leaves are a reminder of our mortality. What really seals the deal is the return of Eastern Standard Time in a few weeks, plunging millions into premature darkness every day for the sake of a few farmers(?) and/or schoolchildren. Why we don't have year-round Daylight Saving Time is unfathomable, or at least split the difference and leave it at that.

It's during the shortest days of winter that Rock Creek Park gives a more sinister impression. The natural beauty is still there, but the shadows are longer and darker, the sunlight weaker, the sounds of unseen animals a little more menacing. Thoughts turn to Chandra Levy, and the old stories of stone altars with animal sacrifices in the park. Scary, but remember that spring is around the corner!