We haven't been in Easton for a few weeks -- too much going on back on the western shore -- but I was still hoping for a "mid-Fall" ride -- full color, on one of the same routes I did (and photographed) in the Spring and Summer, to show the changes in the seasons. But there have been heavy rains and winds during the last couple of weeks, so when I went out this morning, the trees were bare -- all the leaves had fallen.
I started out the Oxford Road, past Peachblossom Creek, and then over to the Easton-Trappe road. It took me a little while to get into the rhythm of a late Fall ride -- subtle colors, with the sun struggling to break through the high, thin clouds. Peachblossom Creek was beautiful, in a quiet way. The fields on the Easton-Trappe Road were barren, which made gave the terrain a more open feel. There were geese and ducks on the ponds and in the air.
The most interesting part of the ride may have been the side trip to Trappe Landing, which has appeared in a number of other rides. After the turn off, I saw an eagle fly overhead -- awesome. Down at the Landing, there were far fewer trailers than on earlier visits -- fewer folks talking their boats out this time of year. But there was a group of three hunters who had just pulled their boat -- a well camouflaged open skiff -- out of the water after a morning of hunting. They hadn't had any luck, but agreed that a morning on the water was better than just about anything else -- "sure beats working." We talked about how it was a perfect day for bike riding, with almost no one around and plenty of wildlife to see. I mentioned that I'd seen an eagle, and they said that there were eagles circling overhead during their morning on the water. We wished each other a great weekend, and they said that after some rest, they hoped to be out hunting again. On the ride home, I noticed that many of the smaller trees and bushes still had their color -- something I missed earlier in the ride, in the hopes of seeing that in the big trees. I also saw some beautiful scenes of waterfowl on some ponds, in the protected area on Spring Road.
The mid-Fall on the Eastern Shore seems to be about the striking beauty of spectacular colors. Later, as things get quieter for the Winter, it gets more subtle -- hunters on their boats, waterfowl on the water, and traces of color below the big trees. A nice transition, before the cold sets in.
