Autumn On The Rutland Trail - Part 3

The dogs and I were hiking a section of the Rutland Trail (see also previous two posts) and had gotten farther than ever before because someone had built a bridge over a formerly inundated section. Other spots were still wet, however, and I tried to keep the dogs from drinking out of the shallow pools:

Red Clover was in bloom along the trail. Certainly a common plant, it still surprised me to see flowers in bloom so late in the season:

Virgin's Bower Clematis seed heads made for a striking, autumn display:

When we returned to an access point to the main body of water, I encouraged the dogs to drink there instead of from puddles along the trail:

We were a happy group, making our way back along the trail:

The wind began to pick up as we arrived back at the bridge, and it was gusting with enough force that I wondered if a big storm was brewing. It turned out to be only wind, however, and merely added to the spirit of autumn in the air:

The dogs have seen so much water lately that they are enjoying it more than they used to:

And Beavers were clearly nearby. I wondered if the bush on the left had been Ironwood, but I never found out:

And then we came to a spot where the dogs could wade into shallow water, causing much excitement and merrymaking. I've seldom seen the dogs so happy. Perhaps it was a plot to get my car muddy, revenge for my not letting them run amok on the trail:

But when the fun was over, we kept walking:

This was an Insect Gall on a Goldenrod stem, a common sight along the edge of the trail:

Some places were so stunningly beautiful that I had to snap a photo. Notice the water and cattails in the center of the picture. These were marshes, and there was nowhere for a person to leave the trail:

Seamus and Fergus, my two "Poodly" hikers:

This Chicory flower caught me by surprise. Chicory quit blooming a long time ago. This was indeed a strange year, with warmer temperatures later into the season:

Jack often let the way, followed by Seamus, Daphne and Clover. Fergus often trots along at my side and that's what he was doing when I snapped this picture. We were almost back to the roadside where I'd parked, so I put the dogs on leashes and finished our hike. This trail is only 3 or 4 miles from home, a valuable asset: