Places have moods, and it takes a few visits to really see them. The first time I went to the Goat Trail along the Buffalo River, it was cold, windy, overcast, quiet and slightly creepy. Somehow it was literally the complete opposite last weekend: warm, calm, sunny, full of people and a lot less creepy with the glow of autumn. Without the wind threatening to blow me off of the bluff, I also ventured a bit further along the 5-foot-wide trail. Slowly.

I just love these junipers so much — strong, worn smooth with age and leaning into the steep drop of a couple hundred feet.

As the sun sank, a little bit of the old creepiness came out. I didn’t mind.

Thanks for lookin’.

Dan