Walktober wanderings

A walk in the woods here on the Wabi-Sabi Ranch.

We are adept, if occasionally embarrassed, at saying what we make of places – but we are far less good at saying what places make of us…

~ Robert Macfarlane, The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot

This morning.

Let’s start with a big thank you to everyone who participated in Walktober this year.  Some of you are old hands (or would that be feet?) at this.  Welcome back!  And some are newcomers.  Hello and welcome!  I apologize for taking so long to join some of you on your walks, and for the lateness of this round-up post.  There has been a lot going on lately, and I’ll tell you about it during out next coffee chat.  For now, let’s walk.  There’s lots to see.

A note about the images in this post:  Most are from a walk I took this morning.  It is a gorgeous autumn day here on the Eastern Shore, and I spent a good part of the morning wandering around in the woods.  I didn’t take a lot of photos so I’ve added some in from previous walks I took during the month.

Single.

Our first walk is with Frank (of A Frank Angle), On Walktober 2016.  This is Frank’s fifth Walktober walk, and I always look forward to seeing where he’ll take us next.  This year I was excited to see that we were heading to Cinque Terre, Italy!  Frank and his wife walked from Monterosso to Vernazza, a beautiful and (from the looks of it) somewhat strenuous walk.  The views are worth the effort, and there was a reward waiting at the end.  Gelato, anyone?

In with the crowd.

Our next walk takes us to Michigan where we join Dawn (of Change is Hard) for her Walktober at Kensington Metro Park.  Oh, the sights we’ll see on this walk!  Gorgeous fall foliage, beautiful birds (including one eating from Dawn’s hand), orange ruffled fungi, and more.  I don’t want to give it all away since I’m sure you’ll go over to see for yourself, but there is a surprise near the end.

Autumn colors.

Sallyann at Photographic Memories, who has been joining the Walktober event since it started in 2012, takes us on a wander through her memories and around the old city wall of York in Walktober: York memories.  I’ve always enjoyed the unusual perspectives Sallyann uses in her photographs, and her puddle shots are wonderful.  As someone from the U.S., a fairly “new” country, I marvel at the age of walls and buildings in Europe.  As Frank commented at Sallyann’s, it’s interesting how the old is incorporated into the new.

Wild cherry.

Daily Musings of A Day In The Life, a newcomer to the event, mixes history with nature shots in her Walktober.  There are bridges and butterflies and barns to see.  I was going to try to pick a favorite sight, but it’s difficult because there are so many beautiful things to look at as we join her on her walk through an area that once served as headquarters for General George Washington in 1780 during the Revolutionary War.

Just the right light.

Our next walk leads us quite a distance from the others.  Another newcomer to the event, Thistles and Kiwis, takes us on a Sunday stroll in Makara, a beach in New Zealand about 16 km north of Wellington.  There we’ll see amazingly blue skies and water, wind turbines, ruins from WWII, and enchanting scenery.

Gracefully autumn.

It’s time to jet back to the U.S. for a walk with Eliza:  Walktober 2016.  Eliza lives in Massachusetts and she takes us on a stroll through her woods on a beautiful Indian Summer day.  Her descriptions are just as breathtaking as her images.

Skylights and silhouettes.

Since we’re in the U.S., let’s visit with Merril of Yesterday and today: Merril’s historical musings, on her walk: Haunted by Waters.  I’m having trouble describing Merril’s mesmerizing prose and poetry, and her urban walk.  Best you go see and read for yourself.

Sunset rays and silhouettes.

Our final walk takes us across the country (the U.S.) to join Seattle Park Lover at Park Preview for what she calls An Unexciting Walktober.  Perhaps it wasn’t exciting for her, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I gasped when I saw Tahoma (Mt. Rainier) and the Cascades.  I love mountains, something we don’t have here on the flat land of the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Back in the Poconos (Pennsylvania).

Thank you, again, to everyone who participated.  I loved all of your walks and very much appreciate your willingness to join in and share them with us.  If you haven’t done so already, please visit the Walktober participants and meander with them.  There is so much beauty to enjoy, and I know you won’t regret it.

I hope to see you next year for another Walktober event.

Light in the maple.

Be good, be kind, be loving.  Just Be.  🙂

Blazing.

P.S.  If I missed anyone, or messed up any links, please let me know so I can fix it.  I wouldn’t want anyone left out because of my error.