Centennial Park - December 2014

I visited Centennial Park between rain showers yesterday and photographed the Canadian Geese. They were conveniently at the lake shore close to my favorite parking lot.

It is fun to title pictures…give the geese people-like personalities. What do your think of The Orator (below)? The geese in the water look like they are paying attention!

There always appears to be one Guard Goose in the flock.

When one decides to leave - there is often a Follow the Leader exodus.

And what about the strategy of the Big Stretch when they first get out of the water?

Centennial Lake in November 2014

I made a quick stop at Centennial Lake (in Centennial Park in Howard County, Maryland) on my way to an appointment this week after our first very cold weather of the season arrived. Most of the leaves had fallen off the trees but the reflections on the lake were still dramatic. There were a few intrepid souls on the path around the lake. None of them were sitting on the benches. It was a morning to keep moving.

The boat ramp are with the stones that extend into the water is one of my favorite vantage points. I took several vantage points. The angle of light makes a difference!

There were a few trees that retained some color. I wondered if it was the type of tree or the micro-climate along that part of the lake shore since so many other trees had dropped their leaves.

Closer to ground level I noticed some colorful vegetation closer to the ground.

As I drove out - I stopped to photograph a grouping of gingkoes. Most of the trees still held about half their leaves with the ones that had fallen in yellow drifts around their base.

Centennial Lake in August 2014 (part 1)

The path around Centennial Lake (in Centennial Park in Howard County, MD) is a little over 2 miles. It has a mixture of lake views - from shady areas, through trees, and wide open meadow down to the water.

Even at 9 AM there are lots of different activities on the trail:  walkers (solitary, couples, and gaggles of chattering groups), joggers and runners (mostly solitary but a few pairs), an occasional biker. Some people were fishing from the shore or the lake; the ones on the lake must have had their open boat because the concession wasn’t open yet.

The morning had progressed enough that the birds were into their morning feeding rather than morning songs.

It was warm enough for insects to be investigating August flowers.

Somehow the people and wildlife was not making any jarring noise; the place sustains a natural serenity even with quite a lot of activity.

I will plan some early morning walks when there are autumn leaves.