October 2011 Snow Storm...

Winter Storm Warning, are you serious... it's only October isn't it?




The last of the apples are clinging to the tree, some how they remind me of "Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs"... eerily beautiful...

Moose on the Loose...

On a recent ride up to Bennington, Vermont I shot a few pictures of a Moose sculpture at road side stand. You can also find these Moose sculptures along the streets of Vermont as part of an ongoing arts outreach and fundraising program. I would say these moose are a "must see" if you are in the Vermont area.

Rambling Along Country Roads in Autumn...

Although the days are becoming shorter and shorter fall has always been my favorite time of year. The foliage that we enjoy in October, is visually stunning and we enjoy many colorful weeks of autumn that "Mother Nature" blesses us with!

During the colorful foliage season, the focus shifts to lazy days, cool evenings, weekend naps and the harvest of crisp apples. I love the "Pumpkin" stands that can be found along many of our country roads. Any and all of these are good reasons for me to take many rides to explore our beautiful countryside.

We have many rolling hills and beautiful lakes and this is a perfect time to visit the "Berkshires". Come jump in the leaves, carve a pumpkin, go on a hayride, eat a caramel apple and feel the crisp Autumn breezes.

State Forest...

This picture was taken by my nephew recently.

Gorgeous waterfalls, babbling streams and flowering shrubs can be found in Pittsfield State Forest. There are about 65 acres of wild azaleas in pink blossoms in June. Fishermen love to frequent the scenic Berry Pond, one of the highest natural water bodies in Massachusetts at 2,150 feet. The vista from the top of Berry Mountain is a striking panorama, a good place to watch the sun set on any day. You will find around 30 miles of trails that will encourage you to escape into the stillness of the woods. Balance Rock is located in the northeast corner of Pittsfield State Forest. This 165-ton limestone boulder is balanced upon bedrock. There is an earthen dam at Lulu Brook which holds clear, cold spring water perfect for a brisk swim and I mean brisk. State Forest is a beautiful place for a picnic or even just to take a ride through to view the incredible scenery.

I hope to be able to take a recent picture of Balance Rock to share with you in the near future.

For the love of a Dog...

This past Saturday I decided that the day would be all about my dog; Alexis. She gives us so much joy that I wanted to spend an entire day out hiking at three area lakes with her. The pictures I have shared today are of Onota Lake, the mountain views are breathe taking at this time of year. It was a perfect Autumn day, Lexi swam and played in the water and let me take many pictures of her. I'm not sure which of us enjoyed it more her or me.

Beautiful Autumn Night...

It was a beautiful night here in the Berkshires. To really see this picture I would suggest that you click on it to enlarge it. I love the contrast of the dark sky against the colorful leaves.

Columbus Day Weekend in Vermont...

On Saturday I took my mom for a ride through the Berkshires and up to Bennington, Vermont. We first stopped in Cheshire and enjoyed the view of Cheshire Lake and the surrounding mountains, the views where breathtaking and it was a perfect "Indian Summer" day. While in Vermont we stopped at the "Old First Church" where the Congregation was first organized in 1762. The Church was dedicated to Separation of Church and State and was founded by those seeking religious freedom.

The cemetery located at the Church was very fascinating to me, I love looking at old stone markers and there were so many interesting ones. The Author " Robert Frost" is buried at this very cemetery, however, I wasn't able to see his grave as my mom was a little tired, so we decided we would take the drive back up another day. I have been past that very church many times and never knew of it's history nor did I know that Robert Frost was buried there.

I really enjoyed taking pictures of the cemetery and the Church, the shadows at that time of day made the pictures even more interesting to my eye. On my next trip back to Vermont I plan to stop at the Bennington Battle Monument. The monument is the tallest structure in Vermont and commemorates the Battle of Bennington, a battle that lead to the turning point of the Revolutionary War. I have visited the Monument before but I didn't have the chance to take pictures.

This weekend was absolutely beautiful, the weather couldn't have been nicer and my mom and I spent a wonderful day together. We ended the day with a nice dinner at a favorite spot of ours where you can eat in your car or sit at a picnic table. We laughed and we sang our old favorites songs while driving along, what more can you ask for, a day spent with your Mother!