Autumn in the Kettle River Valley...

Its autumn now. Even the small hints of the summer season are fading. Fire-weather forecast is calling for scattered showers in northeastern Washington. Temperatures are falling to near freezing during the lengthening nights and snow is expected in the mountains. Sailing season is nearly over as the last embers of our northern fire season are extinguished.

Here are a few images of autumn in the Kettle River Valley to enjoy...

This is a photograph I call "Morning Rock". The name comes from the white vertical cliffs in the background. They are approximately 250' tall. A mountaineering friend and I were doing a lot of rock climbing in the '80s and one sunny November morning we went to lead climb the tall vertical crack you can see in the cliff face. Turned out to be more of task than we had bargained for. Our one & only failure at a first ascent. We belayed down sporting a new assortment of bruises, frayed ropes and slightly tarnished egos. But looking back now, many years later, it had been a fine way to spend a late autumn morning and we gained a good story to tell in the process.

"Kettle River Morning" is the title of this photograph. An autumn image captured just off the deck of what I call Riverhome, my log framed house along the Kettle River. As autumn settles in the river valley and temperatures drop accordingly morning mists rise off the liquid surface providing a delightful backdrop to the silhouettes of the large cottonwoods trees lining the waters edge. Its quiet enjoyable to take your cup of morning coffee, sit on the riverdeck and watch the play of morning light.

And what northern portfolio of autumn would be complete without an image of maple leaves. These leaves are special to me in that I planted this tree and three others just like it nearly 20 years ago. The four maples encase a gardenscape area I call "the Maple Room". Of course at this time of year they are exceptionally beautiful and quite photogenic.

Well that's it for this session. Remember to carry your camera with you wherever you go and take lots of photos of the changing colors of autumn.