Leaves Of Gold There Grew

I often have a mental image as to where I'm headed on a walk or to take pictures on a particular day; this of course is driven by a number of factors. One being, I'm alone so there's always a limitation as to places I feel safe wandering by myself especially depending on the hour--I can be out when it's still dark before dawn or when it's getting dark around sunset. Another factor is the fact that I'm a transplant here, there's only a handful of places I know and it's hard to discover new ones when you don't want to trespass on private property or get hopelessly lost. So, despite the pretty landscapes I manage to find, I often feel as if I keep going to the same spots again and again. Thankfully with the changing seasons even the familiar spots can be temporarily transformed. I didn't intend to take pictures by this lake today, but had intended to pass it on my way to another spot when I saw this beautiful blanket of ginkgo leaves (fun fact: ginkgo's are living fossils) covering the ground. It was so striking and lovely I altered my plans and snapped a few pictures; a welcome moment of spontaneity.