Brain reboot

September is never a great month for me, I think it's the already shortening days; and then there was all the stress this week. I felt a need to reboot my brain, so took off for the nature center this afternoon despite gloomy weather. Laura wasn't with me, so I could head for my favorite area, the big meadow and ponds on the upper levels of the park. At first I saw no wildlife but bunnies and common birds; but I began to relax, appreciating the varied colors and shapes of late summer. (Spring has brighter greens and yellows, but late summer has more texture, from full grown plants.) Then, as I no doubt became more attentive and stopped broadcasting tension, I started to see more animals-- two blue herons, a greenbacked heron. Then I saw two "swimmy mammals" as we call them moving through a pond, and took a quick pic so I could check ID later. And then.... they swam to a downed tree, and two river otters climbed out!



( more pics )