Open Your Eyes ...

"Open your eyes, and see what you can with them before they close forever.”

This quote from the wonderful novel All the Light We Cannot See

by Anthony Doerr is one of my favorites.

I remind myself all the time to open my eyes and see.

During the past few days we have had beautiful fall weather,

and I have been walking along Piney Creek taking in all the sights.

I'm delighted to be home and to have the time to wander,

to say "Hi!" to my favorite trees and to search for animals.

Juvenile Cottonwoods Surround Their Likely Father

(the big dark trunk in the background)

Along Piney Creek,  Aurora, Colorado, USA

October 21, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

Here are some things I've opened my eyes to see:

Alert Mule Deer ~ Don't you love those ears?

(near the entrance to the park)

Aurora, Colorado, USA

October 21, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

Cottonwood Tree

(near the entrance to the park)

October 21, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

Milkweed Seeds

I've been watching the milkweed slowly spread along Piney Creek for years. 

Along Piney Creek,  Aurora, Colorado, USA

October 21, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

My "Upper" Pond

There are many, many ponds along the length of Piney Creek,

but there are three along the east side of Heritage Eagle Bend where I live.

Along Piney Creek,  Aurora, Colorado, USA

October 21, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

Common Mullein Stalks Are Everywhere This Fall

October 21, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

Old Man Cottonwood

October 21, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

Old Man Cottonwood is my favorite tree in "my" section of the park.

I've been photographing him for many years.

I like to visit him to see what's new, touch his branches, and talk to him.

I feel vindicated in my actions after just finishing an amazing book,

The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger, last week.

Some of the Lovely and Rooty Textures at the Base of Old Man Cottonwood

October 21, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

Leaves Caught in a Crotch in Old Man Cottonwood

October 21, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

Old Man Cottonwood

Here you can see how he's toppled over exposing his base in the left background.

This is why I call him old ~ He's fallen and he can't get up.

October 21, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

I remember asking one of my high school science teachers, Jerry MacLean,

if he thought that trees could communicate.

He told me I'd be better served, if I stopped looking out the windows

and paid attention in class.

I hope Mr. MacLean has lived long enough to read The Light Eaters!

If you read it, you will never look at plants the same way again!

Till Next Time, Old Buddy!

October 21, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

I encounter lots of people along the trail following Piney Creek.

This guy blew by me peddling his recumbent bike

with Van Morrison blasting "Moondance" in all directions.

Simpatico!!! 

I like to roam off the path searching for less obvious life

The Last Dandelions of the Year

October 21, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

A Damselfly

What bright blue eyes and a long body you have!

October 22, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

Prickly Pear Cactus Hides in Dry Areas

October 21, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

Asters Still Bloom in Scattered Spots

October 21, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

A Ruddy Darter Dragonfly

October 21, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

The park is very quiet, its life preparing for the coming winter.

I never tire of seeing bullrushes, leaves against the sky, duckweed blanketing a pond

or a path with with leaves to shuffle through.

Fluffy Bullrushes aka Cattails

October 22, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

Almost Gone

October 22, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

Leaves Resting on a Duckweed Blanket

October 22, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

It's Impossible to Resist Shuffling Through Leaves 

October 23, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

And if you're lucky like I was today (Thursday), 

you might chance upon some wildlife you've been searching for. 

I was pulling a U-e on the way home, and there were the deer beside a house:

Mama, her two almost grown fawns and a fourth unfamiliar deer.

The moment I hit my brakes and rolled down my window, 

Mama and her offspring were moving away while the fourth deer looked on.

Serendipity!

October 23, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

Mama and Her Fawns

October 23, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

Mama and Her Fawns by Our Driveway

July 21, 2025

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved

May you see wonderful things in your corner of the world!

Have a great weekend!

 Till next time ~

 Fundy Blue

 

Standing Into Danger                                    https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

 Copyright ©2025 – All rights reserved.

My next post will be 

Friday, October 31, 2025 🤞 

On a completely different topic ~ The world recently lost a member of the Moody Blues.

John Lodge, the legendary bassist, singer, and songwriter for The Moody Blues died on October 10th.

I've loved the Moody Blues and their music since I was a young teenager,

and I was fortunate to see them perform at Fiddler's Green in Greenwood Village in the late 1980s.

Sadly only Justin Hayward remains.

Here is one of my favorite song of theirs "Isn't Life Strange" written by John Locke.

The Moody Blues ~ "Isn't Life Strange"

Filmed at Red Rocks, Colorado in 1992

Isn't life strange?

A turn of the page

Can read like before

Can we ask for more?

Each day passes by

How hard man will try?

The sea will not wait

You know it makes me want to cry, cry, cry

Wished I could be in your heart

To be one with your love

Wished I could be in your eyes

Looking back, there you were and here we are

Isn't love strange?

A word we arrange

With no thought or care

Maker of despair

Each breath that we breathe

With love we must weave

To make us as one

You know it makes me want to cry, cry, cry

Wished I could be in your heart

To be one with your love

Wished I could be in your eyes

Looking back, there you were and here we are

Isn't life strange?

A turn of the page

A book without light

Unless with love we write

To throw it away

To lose just a day

The quicksand of time

You know it makes me want to cry, cry, cry

Wished I could be in your heart

To be one with your love

Wished I could be in your eyes

Looking back, there you were

Wished I could be in your heart

To be one with your love

Wished I could be in your eyes

Looking back, there you were

Wished I could be in your heart

To be one with your love

Wished I could be in your eyes

Looking back, there you were

Wished I could be in your heart

To be one with your love

Wished I could be in your eyes

Looking back, there you were

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: John Charles Lodge

Isn't Life Strange lyrics © Johnsongs, Halesouth Ltd., Sparta Florida Music Group Ltd