Rural Autumn Path
Terri Webster Schrandt

Sunday Stills: #Paths and #Trails Take You to Happy Places

Now that the northern hemisphere is abiding in mid-Autumn, it may seem odd to post about paths and trails. Some of my best hikes have been in the Autumn when the air is cool and crisp, and the views are lively with Fall colors. Of course, my friends in the Southern Hemisphere are in full-on spring mode so hopefully, everyone is out enjoying fair weather.

If you haven’t guessed yet, this week’s theme for Sunday Stills is paths and trails.

As a dog owner, I manage to take a walk almost every day. There are so many places to walk just in my neighborhood alone, from a rural trail in the hills, a one-hour walk around the “block,” to a trail along the backyards that border the homes on the private roads. Shown in the gallery.

“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” ― John Muir

Neighborhood Trail
The Call of the Autumn Trail
Walking dogs on a trail
Aero and Brodie love their neighborhood trails
sunflowers invade the forest
How many sunflowers?
Rural road walk
One tall Pine tree

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” ― John Muir

Lately, I’ve bemoaned the fact that Fall was terribly shy to show her lovely face. She made up for it this week as you can see at one of my neighbor’s homes!

Rural Autumn Path
Rural Autumn Path

Early this week, I was out and about running errands in a neighborhood a few miles away. The shopping center has many stores and other amenities not found in Nine Mile Falls. While Hans was at the eye doctor, I walked Brodie around the area while we waited.

Park path dog photobomb
Autumn Park Path
Suburban Autumn Sidewalk
Suburban Autumn Sidewalk

My Word of the Year—WALK

I wasn’t organized enough to share my WOTY at the end of October. One reason is because of my new gig as a part-time reporter and photographer for our local monthly newspaper, the South Stevens County Times. Writing 2-3 articles a month has been keeping me a little busy. Marsha shared a bit about it in her last PPAC.

“For all of us, whether we walk old paths or blaze new trails, friends remain important.” ~ Lois Wyse

Bowl and Pitcher Suspension bridge
Marsha walking the bridge at the Bowl and Pitcher in September

For October’s edition, I reported on the Centennial Trail found in the Nine Mile Falls area where I live. I had no problem conducting research by walking and biking these trails. You have already seen many of the images.

Centennial trail article
Centennial trail article made the front page
View of Lake Spokane
Mid October? Where are you Autumn?
Almost Autumn Trail
Strolling with Aero in September
Autumn Colors on Spokane's Centennial Trail
Faux Fall Colors view from Centennial Trail
Centennial Trail Nine Mile Falls WA
Sunlit Centennial Trail
Views along the Centennial Trail in Nine Mile Falls

“I like trails that lead nowhere, that leave you wondering where you are.”― Marty Rubin

Walking and hiking are the best activities for staying fit as many of you already know. If you follow me on Twitter, you might have noticed I changed my Twitter handle to @ahikerchick. I guess HIKER is a good identity for me these days.

Twitter Screen shot

I’m currently working on an article about Cold Weather Hiking for the December edition of the newspaper. I’m sure to have first-hand experience because this happened Friday!

early November snow
Snow Too Early! View of our backyard and neighbor’s property

“If you walk on snow you cannot hide your footprints.” — George Herbert

Inspiring Photo Challenges This Week

Each week I am inspired by my fellow bloggers’ photo challenges. I find it fun to incorporate these into my Sunday Stills weekly themes.

Now that Becky B is back with her wonderful squares challenge, please feel free to double-dip for walking-squares!

Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Reminders

Sunday Stills weekly photo challenge is easy to join. You have all week to share and link your post.

  • Remember to title your blog post a little differently than mine.
  • Please create a new post for the theme or link a recent one.
  • Entries for this theme can be posted all week.
  • Tag your post “Sunday Stills.”
  • Don’t forget to create a pingback to this post so that other participants can read your post.
  • I also recommend adding your post’s URL to the comments.

This Week’s Featured Bloggers

Sunday Stills is a wonderful community of bloggers and photographers who desire to connect with one another. Below are this week’s links from bloggers who shared photos. I add these all week as new links are posted.

I need to postpone the next Sunday Stills challenge to November 20, which will be the monthly color challenge (leather–shades of brown). I’m traveling to Sacramento to attend my former MIL’s funeral next weekend. I’m posting more about that on Friday.

Where will paths and trails take you?

graphic

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136 comments

  1. Excellent theme for the day and the season. Fall walks are wonderful – especially when it happens at the right time … A time when many goods seem to align. I wish I had a beach walk about paths but I imagine one will show up in 2023 because it is currently still in draft mode. Enjoy your Sunday!

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  5. Nice trails bringing back memories of our August visit! Love the centennial sunlit photo. The sun shining through trees always draws us forward, doesn’t it? Due to unexpected family obligations, I’ve been somewhat delinquent in posting Sunday Stills. I hope to find time and mental energy to show off my favorite trail(s). There’s quite a few to pick from and I’m sure this is just the diversion I need to start my week off. Cheers.

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  6. Hi, Terri – Congratulations on your new posiiton with The South Stevens County Times. That’s awesome! Mid-Vancouver Island has finally joined you im autumn and it’s been pretty colourful….atleast by VI standards! I love an autumn hike and am just going out the door to meet friends for one right now. Gotta keep up my steps so you do not surpass me too much! 😀

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  9. WOW – the beautiful colors on the trees you waited for were well worth the wait. They even looked pretty peeking through the white snow. You’re so fortunate to have those places to hike, I’m jealous. Congrats on your new part-time gig, you’re perfect for the role. I wish you peace as you travel and safe returns. We’ll see you back here on the 20th.

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  12. Congrats on your new writing gig.
    That would be a dream come true for me at this stage of my life.
    I love that sunlit centennial trail, the trees, the shadows, and of course the reflection picture. Gorgeous images.

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    • Thank you, Dawn! I tried two other part-time jobs since moving here, both education-related, but this has been a blessing and a great way to meet people. It’s very part-time which is perfect for me and I can mostly choose what I want to write about. You would have chuckled as I balanced my mountain bike with my notepad and phone checking out the Centennial Trail in September. I even stopped and interviewed people–so fun!

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  28. Hi Terri, What lovely colors you captured. Wow! I even made it into your post today! What a fun time we had hiking. I love my pictures. I’m going to post more from our Cape Meares Trail for this post and Becky’s Squares probably tomorrow.

    I’m sorry to hear about your former MIL. You knew it was coming, but it’s always sad when someone leaves us. Have a good trip to Sac, though. Lots of love and hugs. 🙂

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  42. Terri,
    This collection of photographs represents some of your best–and that’s saying something! Awesome colors on the paths and contrasted with snow, no less. Helen and I are basking in 70-degree weather in Edisto Beach, SC for the next two weeks, but there’s a tropical storm to the south. Maybe I’ll catch up on my reading if it passes through.

    My contribution is a pic taken on a hiking path in Glacier NP last fall. Congrats on the new gig–they’re lucky to have you. Joe

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    • Thank you for those very kind words, Joe, I am truly humbled! So far I’m enjoying this p-t gig and it helps me connect more with my community. Wow, that image you shared is a stunner and another reason why we hope to camp at Glacier NP next summer! Enjoy your sunny weather–we got 3 inches of snow again today…hello winter!

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  47. I’m sure glad autumn showed her face in your part of the world, Terri. But has winter arrived a little too early, or is it usual to have snow in early November?

    Great news about your job writing for the local newspaper. You must be very pleased. Congratulations on the new venture.

    I love all your photography, but the photo of the Centennial Trail is one of the best I’ve seen.

    Here’s my entry for this week.

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    • Winer arrived way too early the weathercasters are saying, Hugh. I’ve visited here a few years ago when it snowed a couple of days before Veterans Day (Nov 11) but it melted and didn’t snow again for another couple of weeks. This will stick around for a while, we got 3 inches yesterday and now freezing temps (20F today!).
      Thank you so much for that kind compliment about the image of the Centennial Trail! I’m also very excited to be a part of the community in this capacity as reporter–it has been fun and interesting so far.
      Love the image you shared of the leaf-strewn trail–do I spy one of your dogs?

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  48. The colours are fabulous, Terri. I was a couple of hours north of the Algarve this weekend and it was cooler with more signs of autumn, but nothing to compare with this. Thanks so much for sharing and wishing you a safe trip.

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  49. I am beyond excited. for you that you get to write for your newspaper. I think you will take in in so many new directions, and they will love you. Your meandering photos through the autumn trails are fantastic. So bright and welcoming. Funny you got snow. Always something new to smile at life. Trail on my friend. Congrats again.

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  59. I love the contrast of autumn colors and greenery, and the snow-covered autumn trees as well. I also love the light and shadow and the tall tree in your black and white photo. This post is such a feast for the eye!

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  62. What better way to see the world than walking where you can stop and savor what you see, especially when the colorful leaves are gorgeous. I like all the quotes you paired with the photos Terri. What a fun new job you have writing for the South Stevens County Times. Yes, that will keep you busy – you were already busy with your own photos and blogging and running challenges … I don’t know how you do it.

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    • Thank you, Linda, I now realize I must be your blogger focus tonight 😁 great strategy. I’m enjoying the reporting/writing, but glad it’s very part time and I have a month to write. I enjoy wiring about my area which I can’t really do with my blog, to that detail.

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  63. I forgot to add my favorite long trail is at Lake Erie Metropark. I discovered a brand-new trail there last month. I strayed off the beaten path when I saw a group of deer in the distance and after walking about three miles I ended up walking out of the park on the other side. Oops!

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