Autumn On The Grasslands
Sunrise on the grasslands is a beautiful thing, particularly in autumn when the entire landscape, from horizon to horizon, seems made of gold. On hazy, cloudless mornings, for just a few fleeting dawn moments, the sky and earth blend together, awash in pure amber light as if the clear dome of sky is an overturned cup, pouring its golden contents out onto the tawny horizon. The effect is dazzling, leaving onlookers, tiny specks of humanity, breathless, swimming in a veritable sea of gold. But my favorite mornings are those when great masses of rolling clouds await the dawn, filtering the clear light of sunrise into a thousand shades, from the lightest, brightest white and gold at its heart, to rose, salmon and coral, its fiery glow suffusing the dusky purple half-light with warmth and brilliance. Photos (at least, my photos) don't do it justice. Anyway, enough about the sunrise. On to the birds! While autumn is not exactly the "best" time of year out on California'