I spent most of this morning hiking at Eno River State Park.

A faithful hiking companion is always a prerequisite, and Sydney did a fantastic job of protecting me from the wilds.  Dogs are remarkable creatures, and Sydney would never hesitate to run ahead if she sensed something ahead - especially something that could be dangerous.

With water levels at a record low, many riverbed rock and plant formations have been revealed for the astute observer.   Of particular interest to me are the pebbles; some have been rounded smooth by a millennia of running water and erosion; others were fractured with jagged edges that may only be a few months old.

My real photographic interest today was the autumn leaves.  Instead of wide landscapes, I tried to capture the details of these amazing natural gifts.

Water shots are especially difficult, since the water is constantly in motion.  Given the high degree of “chance”, I put the camera on “continuous frame” mode and opened up the shutter for about fourty frames.  I think this is the best one; as still as the leaves look, the water is just out of focus enough to give the shot movement and life.