Fall leaves and a New Trail at the Old Loyd Place

I love this time of year at our old place in Murdocksville.

Here are some shots of the changing leaves plus a view

of the NEW TRAIL.  Even the grandkids haven't seen it--

YET.  But they WILL!

A wide sector of alder leads to the stream.

Huckleberry

Unidentified shrub

Following are five varieties of oak found on our land.

Willow Oak

Southern Red Oak

Blackjack Oak

White Oak

Black Oak

I love the golden brown of hickory.

I believe this shrub is related to Horse Sugar, which grows on
the Farm Life Nature Trail.

Wisteria.  I can like this vine except when I'm battling it for territory.

It's hard to identify this small specimen, but it may be Blackgum.

This is our cluster of 100 year-old Pear trees.

This Redbud Tree is on our property line.  And YES,
that flash of purple IS a bloom.  It normally blooms in March/April!

Let's head to the stream so I can show you the 

newest connecting trail.

This is the very first path to the stream that I opened after I retired.

I cleared this new path today.  For grandkid information, this
connects the first bridge with the second bridge for the first time.

The diagonal log may be very, very old.  It has been submerged
in the stream, somewhat hindering the free flow of water under
the first bridge, pictured here.  When I dragged it out of the stream,
it turned out it was flat on one side, curved on the other, as if it
were split and used as a footbridge decades ago.  Fun to imagine.

This is where the new trail comes to the second bridge, where
the largest waterfall is.  All of the grandchildren will be able to
step or hop across the narrow channel onto the "island."  I don't
want to add another bridge there and hide the natural beauty.

I love these cinnamon ferns near one of the cascades.
They're most beautiful in fall, I think.

You can see far upstream in this view, but this is only about half
of the area now accessible by trails.

There's an area near the stream that boasts sand as white as any
beach.  Here, the hoofprints of many deer show what a major
thoroughfare it is.

I hope you're enjoying fall around YOUR favorite place!