Despite the fact I’d already attended my 6:30 T’ai Chi class and my 8:00 Pilates class, and taken Skye on his 30 minute walk, when I read that yesterday was predicted to be the only sunny day all week, I headed out to Nisqually, tired knees, sore ankle and all, and I wasn’t in the least disappointed though I doubt I took a single photograph that will last past the next editing session.

I’ll admit I WAS a little disappointed to discover that Taco La Fuentes, my favorite Mexican-restaurant-in-a-bus was closed and that I had to settle for a glass of Porter, barbecued chips, and a Reuben at a nearby bar instead of my usual fare before heading out to take photos. Sometimes roughing it leads to better photos.

Not today, though. Instead, I found myself taking pictures of summer’s leaves floating in a creek that next spring will Spring forth with new life,

wondering why we insist on cleaning up leaves when they seem to produce such abundant new life when left to Fall naturally.

And here in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest the dropping of leaves doesn’t mean bare trees because with the sudden increase in light, ferns suddenly burst out in vivid greens from bare branches:

But there are no new birds, and most of the day is spent taking more shots of birds that I’ve already taken too many pictures of, in some vain hope of getting a better shot than I already have, forced in the end to settle for the sheer joy of seeing what I’ve seen many times before:

Still, even when you’ve seen it all before, there’s a certain thrill in seeing the first American Bittern of the season, especially after having spent most of the year looking in vain:

And perhaps, even, the slightest bit of pride in being able to share the discovery with visitors who have walked by it but are excited to see the bird for the first time.