Autumn Fog

For the last two days, a front has stalled over the northern Piedmont.  While we've had showers off and on, the front's most dramatic effect has been to envelope us in a soft, gauzy fog.

Last night, after an early dinner, enough light remained to entice me out into the fields to capture some of the muted landscape.

In some places, goldenrod (Solidago spp.) blooms are past their prime and beginning to turn brown...

...but in other places, they're still going strong.

A friend of mine, a Welsh ex-pat named Keith Collins, haunts the preserve taking pictures, too.  He shared some of his images from yesterday's foggy afternoon.

White-snakeroot (Ageratina altissima) and Indian-grass (Sorghastrum nutans) by Keith Collins

Kaleidoscope of autumn wildflowers by Keith Collins

Staghorn sumac leaves (Rhus typhina) by Keith Collins

As I neared the end of my walk, I came across this bumblebee preparing to spend the night under the protective overhang of a decurved goldenrod spike.