Cat Got Your Tongue?

I usually walk around the pond in the park just a few steps from my front door. But every now and then, I like to take to the paths which surround another man-made lake about fifteen minutes by foot. Please join me.

As I approached the dock, I noticed a gull perched upon the railing. He sat there comfortably and watched me closely while I photographed him. I spoke to him as I snapped shots but he just stared back at me.

That bird kept his eye on me as I looked for other subjects to photograph. Some of the leaves were still fiery red.

Other plants had withered away to nearly-nothing.

As long as they're not stuck to your clothing or your dogs, burrs sure can be beautiful in all their thorny glory.

A backward glance told me that the gull was still staring.

In another direction, I saw another pair of eyes looking back at me. This plant is called White Baneberry or the very appropriate Doll's Eye. Its berries are highly poisonous so I snapped my photo and moved along.

Spindleberries are pretty plain throughout the summer, producing small greenish flowers. It's only when late summer arrives that they begin to turn into this brilliant pink flower which releases these bright orange seeds. They tend to hold on until some point during the winter, though their blooms begin to fade to a much duller, dryer colouring. Still, they look lovely against the snow.

Over by some houses, I found one of the few remaining red maple branches in the area. In the background, you can see a bicycle parked outside a back door.

When the camera came away from my eye, look who was still staring at me. I stared right back and asked him if he had something to say. He silently held his gaze. Finally I asked him "What's the matter.. did the cat get your tongue?"

He gleefully showed me that it certainly did not.

Thanks for joining me.