Beam

Radnor Reflections, November 30, 2011

This is Beam. We’ve never seen him at Radnor before. The two legs behind Beam belong to Steve, Radnor’s head honcho. We see Steve a lot, but always before with a head, body and arms, in addition to legs. Beam comes for crowd control on weekends, which is why we have never seen him. We do not come on weekends. Period. We had been discussing turkeys while on our walk, a logical subject the week after Thanksgiving, so we asked Steve if he knew anything about them. He began by asking how much we wanted to know, and ended with the command to go and write a book. I hope I didn’t use the words ‘herd of turkeys’ at any time during the conversation. Beam was pretty anxious to get on with his duties, and said he didn’t have time to pose for a decent picture. Just like William, but more polite.

Bare Bones Beauty

Radnor Reflections, November 29, 2011

When I finally got back to walking this morning, after two weeks of sneezing and coughing, I found that there was nothing left of fall at Radnor. Not a trace. Wind and rain had stripped it of leaves and color. The thing is that it looks beautiful in a different way, and not at all like it has been on its death bed for the past two weeks. I should have been taking Radnocillin.

Happy Thanksgiving

Radnor Reflections, November 24, 2011

Who says turkeys can’t fly? Maybe the wing action is specific to the November need of the turkey to make itself scarce? They’re safe if they stay within the preserve, assuming the days of poachers at Radnor are a thing of the past.

I love last year’s picture of the turkey face-off. These were puffed up, strutting and gobbling, with their heads bobbing forward and back like, “King Tut, DA, da, DA, da, DA da, DA.  Such funny birds.

Turkey face-off

Personally, I prefer Honey Baked Ham to turkey on Thanksgiving.  We don’t see any pigs on our Radnor walks.

Autumn Winds Down

Radnor Reflections, November 15, 2011

The face of Radnor is changing fast. Soon there will be snow, which has never been my favorite weather condition until I enjoyed its beauty at Radnor.

Suspended in Fog

Radnor Reflections, November 13, 2011

I take a lot of pictures at this spot, where the dammed up Radnor Lake flows over the spillway and returns to its prior life as Otter Creek. Fog changed the looks of things on this particular morning. There was no sound, no movement, just peacefulness.

Dances with Clouds

Radnor Reflections, November 12, 2011

I take a lot of pictures of the lake from the very same spot, where it enters the spillway canal. Without any work on my part, except getting myself to the lake early in the morning, the photos always look very different.

Sycamore Spin

Radnor Reflections, November 11, 2011

I take lots of pictures of a particular sycamore that hangs out over the lake, maybe because one day I think it’s going to go the final distance and fall right into the water. This time I gave the camera a spin while pressing the shutter. There are certain people who pass my computer who still cling to a desire for realism in photography. Their opinion is duly acknowledged. It is so clear to me that this is a sycamore branch with autumn leaves suspended over water, but maybe you had to be there.

Happy Veterans Day, Mr. Realism.

Wood Carver

Radnor Reflections, November 10, 2011

The Deers walked later in the day yesterday, and found many more walkers out enjoying the lake than at our usual 7:30 AM time. One visitor was a wood carver, seated on a bench whittling sweet little birds out of a stick he had picked up on the trail. Whittling is a time honored Tennessee tradition, although sadly missing in its traditional location around the courthouse squares. It is always fun to come upon painters, photographers, and now, whittlers, as we walk. This whittled stick, like the 500 or so made before it, will be given to friends and co-workers.

Fire Eater

Radnor Reflections, November 9, 2011

Fall color turned out to be spectacular, just two weeks or so later than last year. Radnor fosters the beauty of patience.

Incoming

Radnor Reflections, November 5, 2011

I don’t know why these geese would want to leave Radnor for any other place. I wanted to stay all day  myself. They weren’t going quietly, that’s for sure.