Farewell to the Reservoir until spring

[kenjari]

This morning was probably the last good day for taking a walk around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. Getting to walk there everyday over the past few weeks was one of the true upsides of being unemployed. It's still very pretty and wonderful there. The leaves on the trees have become very colorful, making the view out across the water truly lovely, and there are still a few late-blooming wildflowers here and there. However, with the colder temperatures and crisper air, the breeze coming off the water is getting decidedly icy and nippy. Parts of the walk are starting to get noticeably uncomfortable, even with the sun shining.
All the geese have flown south for the winter. They were just starting to hatch their young when I began walking on weekends in the spring. By the end of the summer the goslings were all grown and no longer distinguishable from their parents. Now they are gone. Only a couple of swans are still hanging around, and all the ducks are gone, too. I did see a blue heron twice in the last few weeks, though, just standing in the shelter of some bushes growing at the water's edge.
The last time I saw a bunny was in midsummer, and I haven't seen a chipmunk in three weeks. Even the more interesting insects are nowhere in sight, except for a lone monarch butterfly I spotted at the beginning of October.
After I got my iPod, I started taking it with me during my walks. I created a playlist that was particularly well-suited for the walks, things I thought complemented the scenery and experience very well: Sigur Ros, Mum, and Helium Vola. I think when I come back in the spring and summer, I will add music for the hotter weather, too. All the Sigur Ros and Mum has given me an urge to read novels by contemporary Icelandic authors.

Comments

[epilimnion.livejournal.com]

Well, except for those few freakishly warm days we often get in January...