Amrchair Leaf-Peeping

Great shot of Electric Peak (within Yellowstone National Park) from the Web cam at Corwin Springs (a few miles north of the Park) this morning. It's absolutely wonderful to see abundant snow on its heights relatively early in the season. The thermometer on the Web page from which this was taken says it's 35^o F this morning. Compare this photo to these I collected last summer during the height of fire season. Any wonder I'm thrilled?
The 4-legged beast in the distance is a cow or horse, not, alas, wildlife.

Leaf-Peeping in Door County

Yeah, so OK I've not posted in a while. Part of my excuse is that we spent a long weekend in Door County, Wisconsin. The idea was to combine a little fresh air and exercise (it has several notably nice state parks for quality walking and scenery, though no wildlife other than some darned fine Midwestern birds) with a little retail therapy and some good eating. We achieved the latter two ambitions, but as to healthier outdoor activities, that was a bust. The reasons were the fact that the nation's midsection was bathed in humidity and unseasonal warmth on the very weekend we were seeking autumnal crispness. And we just felt like being fat, lazy and indulgent, especially given how much mileage we put in in Yellowstone and the Tetons last month. One exciting excursion was a most pleasant 45-minute ferry ride from Northport, at the peninsula's tippy-top, to the land-dot beyond known as Washington Island. Washington Island is the perfect place for doing nothing in beautiful countryside. Well, it's good for bicycling around, fishing, and probably for bird-watching on Rock Island, the next micro-land-dot in the archipelago reachable by an occasional passenger ferry. Washington Island is also the home of the modestly interesting and very productive Sievers School of Fiber Arts, which has the good sense not to spell itself fibre. If I had any talent what-so-ever in the sewing, weaving, knitting, or crocheting department, I might think it would be a lot of fun to take a course there - the setting is wonderful.
Otherwise it's not much of a happening place. But at Nelsen's we had a pretty good burger, yet more transfat-cooked French fries, and an interesting neighbor in the parking lot. The woody was in exquisite condition, and the Bernese mountain dog in the back seat as sweet and pretty as he (she?) could be.
I might add, the trees were at their absolute peak of fall color, and against the blue sky just made the heart sing.