Views Along the Roadside

With all the time I've been off from work lately, one would think I'd be travelling all over the Park and doing all sorts of naturalist things. Sadly, no. Most of my time has been spent finishing up projects and filling out job applications. Catching up on sleep. Reading.

The days have been rather grey and drippy, too, so that doesn't really encourage field trips. Even so, the colors are coming right along, In fact, we must be pretty near peak here in the central Adirondacks. I drove down the Blue Ridge Road Saturday (my next post), and the colors were spectacular, although difficult to admire when one is at the wheel on a very windy road.

Still, a break in the clouds Sunday found me out with the camera locally.

I was really amazed (in fact, I did a double take) when I saw this monarch caterpillar on some milkweed. We've already had a frost, and I'm sure these cool days (although yesterday and today it was VERY warm and humid) are not good for insect development. Will it have enough time to finish its larval stage and pupate? I have my doubts.

The geese weren't hanging around. I have yet to see a large flock, but a few small ones have passed overhead.

I think I mentioned before about the rock cairns at the golf course. I built a small pile on one of these boulders a few weeks ago...it seems to have bred.

In the fall the grasses really come into their own. I've been playing around with the camera trying to get some good photos of them. They haven't always been successful, but this clump came out pretty well.

I saw a daddy-longlegs hunkered under a small ledge on a cedar post and took its photo, only to discover afterwards that there were two of them! A further examination of the post turned up several of these arthropods. I wonder if they were all seeking refuge from the cool drippy weather in the shelter provided by the fence posts.