Fall

[Changing4Best]

I went on a long bus ride yesterday and the trees on the mountains were mostly naked of leaves, but not on the foothills of the Smokey Mountains. I live in The Nantahala National Forest and so there are literally millions of trees here in this area. The foot hills are awesomely full of color still. I could not get any photos from the bus unfortunately. One thing I did see though, was some vultures hanging out in a tree. We drove so close by them that I could see individual feathers! There were maybe fifteen or twenty of them there and many of them were spreading their wings in the sun.

 

[Mach123]

We walked on the beach it was quiet. Trying not to be triggered. Trying not to run over the dog thing in my mind. Gnawing. That's what I used to clear it. Grinding. Keeps me up at night. Like flashbacks but events in the present get superimposed on feelings from the past. Welcome to cPTSD dude.

We are in shape from this though I really want to report that it worked and it's working. Walking 3 miles at a very brisk pace is nothing. My daughter lags behind being a little heavy still and having never been athletic all. The beach provides a long distance view and ill let her get a half mile or so back sometimes, then I push my pace to catch up.

I ordered a baton yesterday so I can act in the case of an actual dog attack God forbid. I feel horribly vulnerable especially after my reaction when I got charged by a dog the other day. I'm on edge. That mutt was harmless but I reacted like it was an actual threat. Still it should've been leashed regardless and I had every right to yell. I didn't swear or say anything unkind. I just yelled call off your dog.

 

[blackemerald1]

Wow @Mach123 those photos are so beautiful I can almost smell the sea and the salt and the wide open beach. It's all so serene. :)

I just yelled call off your dog.

Still it should've been leashed regardless

^Well done you and yes it should have been on a leash.

If you need to strike a dog aim for their nose. (imo)

 

[Changing4Best]

Lovely photos, I really enjoyed the first one especially. The birds just made it so perfect with that background. Keep at these photos, we love them!

 

[Mach123]

i just got back from a trip up north. Family business. Much more like winter and we had snow squalls while driving. We just got home.

 

[Deanna]

i just got back from a trip up north. Family business. Much more like winter and we had snow squalls while driving. We just got home.

We are suppose to get a winter mix Monday. ? I was mowing the yard four weeks ago. Glad you made it home!

 

[Changing4Best]

Good thing you made it home safely. We are expecting that winter storm here in the forest on Tues. 13 degrees F. and snow. SO I guess it is time to break out the boots and such.

Meanwhile I was in a lovely place today with the sun shining and they still have some fall color there. There were three fall colored trees and the mountains behind them. I did not have my phone with me. I also got messed up at the grocery for not having it, I went to grab my debit card, and it is in my phone jacket, and I had to use the last of my cash that I use for the bus to pay for my groceries. Oh well, I guess I have to go to the bank on Tuesday ( it is closed Monday). Life is strange sometimes.

 

[Changing4Best]

This tree still has a bit of fall color.

OK, I got myself into this one by accident, shooting with the sun directly behind me.

This is some cudzoo choking one of our trees near here. It makes some nice red color earlier in the year, but it is just dull now.

 

[Mach123]

So we took that trip up north and I don't have any good pics. I do the driving and both days we ended up later than we wanted and had to drive at night. I was happy at how well I did. I didn't think I could drive at night anymore.

Coming back we were had dropped my son on an army base and we didn't know how to get back out the way we came in so I just told google maps to take us even though it took us to a closed gate on the way in.

This is not always a great idea. Last year we ended up on dirt roads in Vermont doing that. I have not figured out how to make it do what I want exactly but, leaving the base we went down a secondary road for about 60 miles which saved time and took us through a bunch of farms and villages that probably haven't changed much in a hundred years or so.

Manure, milk and corn seemed to be the big concerns In the area, the manure and corn were everywhere to be seen and smelt and they weekend even trucking it from one place to another.

Utica was the first big town and we got back on the interstate. It was a cool adventure.

 

[blackemerald1]

I love the photo with the sunset, snow and the truck. :)

 

[Mach123]

I love the photo with the sunset, snow and the truck. :)

It's sunrise. We got in after dark and I was up when it was dark still wandering around the hotel. When I got back in the room I knew we had snow. I got to surprise everyone. : ). That's out the room window.

 

[blackemerald1]

:sorry: I thought it looked like a sunset bc it was yellow? Idk why...