Ferns, firs, and a hint of Fall in this part of the forest... Not a lot of fallen leaves yet, but it is mostly evergreen.

 

Fall, big and bold!

 

All of the colors of the day's end...

 

Softly Fall...

 

Bosch? Bruegel? Or just nature...

Here's a strange, other-worldly look to this part of the wetlands.  The light was just right.  It looks like it could have been painted in the 1500s by the Flemish artist, Peter Bruegel, or the ever-famous Dutch painter, Hieronymus Bosch.  They both came up with some very bizarre things. 

That little tree is trying to show us some fall colors!

 

Sometimes you just have to marvel at how beautiful things can be!

 

It's the first day of Fall!

 

The mountain is a bit bare, but there's still some color in the east end of the wetlands...

 

And when she dances, the darkness crawls away, crying...

 

To everything, there is a season... As the lily pads curl and turn to leather, this yellow water lily, our most common one here, still grabs attention.

Bumblebee dreams...

 

Closed...

 

Cattails, people in a boat, and Minnie Peak in sunshine and shadows. It's a fine place to be.

 

Mt. St. Helens is obscured by some beautiful clouds, but Elk Rock is glad to be the center of attention!

 

Over in a darker corner of the wetlands, the lily pads haven't totally given in to the season's change, and one lily shines proudly.

 

A couple and their dog are out doing a bit of fishing on a nice September afternoon. Most of the lily pads are turning yellow and scrunching up as the season changes. A lot of the water plants simply disappear beneath the surface until spring.

 

Sometimes leaves can be more beautiful than flowers!

 

This is Boris. Boris loves to dance. He's very colorful!

 

Sometimes flowers will jump out of the shadows to show their glory!

 

These flowers at the park make it seem like Christmas in September!

 

Cattails along the edge of Coldwater Lake--

 

This little guy says he's in charge of this garden near the county fairgrounds! He likes flowers. DId somebody plant catnip in with the herbs?

 

One more, then it's home for dinner!

 

The colors are deeper, and the leaves and trees have a savory scent. Fall is heavenly in the forested parts of the wetlands walk.

 

t's still early September, but there's a change in the light in the wetlands. A bit of overcast and humidity couldn't make it anything but beautiful.

 

It's September, and a few leaves are falling around Olequa Creek.

 

Here comes Chipper, ready for a handout!

 

Beautiful feathery clouds over the mountains-- About 50 miles away, that's Mt. Adams in the lower right corner of the picture.

 

The moon and the mountain...

 

Another path...

 

Nature's cathedral...

 

The queen of the Cascade Range volcanic mountains-- Mt. Rainier is visible from only a few high spots near where we live. At 14,411 feet, Mt. Rainier is only 80 feet below Mt. Whitney, the tallest in the contiguous US. I love seeing it from this vantage point about 75 miles from the mountain.

 

I've been expecting this old barn to fall down for a long time, but it just keeps hanging on...

 

Just a hint of Fall, but there's still a lot of green!

 

Sometimes everything just comes together to make magic...

 

A twisty-turny thing...

 

Like a dream--- A beautiful morning for fishing on Coldwater Lake.

 

Shadows on the winery door...

 

All four of them seem to be in a hurry to go someplace. Do you suppose they know something we don't?

 

There's a hint of Fall in some of the trees today.

 

Electrifying!

 

The little waterfall up there feeds the little stream down here.

 

Look at me, I can fly!

 

Look who came out to say hello!