Recently (October 2018) I spent a week in my old hangout around Peterborough, New Hampshire. Foliage season was winding down, but there were lots of yellow and gold colors left on the trees, with some red around the lakes.  My vacation was a good one, but the weather turned cold and rainy after this one good day.  I spent it outdoors at my favorite lake.

Red and orange leaves by the lake

The day I arrived in New Hampshire the weather was beautiful with temps in the seventies. Unfortunately I had been up since three in the morning dealing with airports so I was a bit tired to enjoy it.

My first full day of vacation brought another beautiful, sunny day and it was the last one in the forecast for the week! I had to take advantage of it.  There were clouds, but it was beautiful weather for walking and photography.  Some of my photos are dark because the sun did not come out when it should have!

Geese family on Gregg Lake

A sweet friend, who lives on a lake, had invited me to go kayaking that afternoon. I was determined not to waste the morning hours so I headed to Gregg Lake for a walk.  Her lake was not far away, so I tried to plan it so I could walk and then kayak.  Yikes, I was horribly out of shape, and I did pay for all that exercise the following day with some sore muscles, but it was well worth the hours spent breathing in gorgeous New England air!

Some bright leaves remain

Revisiting The Bridge

Most of my old, favorite Fall photographs are from the Gregg Lake area because I lived close by at one time. I’m a bit of a nomad and have lived in many spots, but my time near the lake was special.

I walked this area in all types of weather including after snowstorms, to get my photos.  Blueberry picking is good around the lake in summer and I traveled back here to do just that when I lived in Peterborough.  But my favorite season was always autumn.  The summer people and beach goers were gone and peace and quiet returned.  Each day I watched the color change on the trees and could pick the best days to get my pictures.

A favorite view of the little bridge

The picture above is one of my favorite views for photography. The lake is to the left and the water in this photo is more of a shallow pond. Kayaks can go under the road bridge, which is to my left and out of view here, and travel around this small area. The bridge in the distance connects this pond area with another shallow area of water. The road is a dirt one and is good for walking, except that it was hunting season so I did not venture into the woods, or down that road.

Quite a few years ago I made my photo of this bridge into a postcard to sell in my Zazzle store. You can see it below.  That photo was taken many years ago.  If I had made my journey to New England a week earlier I may have seen these bright colors.  Beginning of October is when the color was usually best around the lake and I visited in mid-October.  A bit late, but it couldn’t be helped.

The wooden bridge in Fall  (above)- This is an old photo taken in 2008 maybe?

Another favorite spot to photograph

I have taken many photos from the spot shown in the photo above.  If you catch it right, the foliage, lake and wooden fence make a beautiful image.

The old wooden fence adds interest to the scene where the road stretches around the lake to show the beach area and a few houses beyond.  A red tree grows from a small island near the shore with some yellows left on the trees roadside.  This area of water is where the geese hang out and when I used this road daily, it was not unusual to have to stop my car to let the babies follow mom across the road here.

I made another postcard of this view which was taken earlier in the season.  Leaves were just beginning to change, so probably early to mid-September.  (See image below)

End of summer lake photo

The hours I spent walking this road were some of the most peaceful in my tumultuous life.  This area will always be special to me and any time I travel back “home”, I will make a point to take in the views around Gregg Lake.  I suppose next time the view will include wind turbines.  I’ll be writing about that.

Road at the lake