When I entered Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge early one morning last week, a layer of ground fog was hanging over the fields, giving the landscape an eerie feel that somehow seemed appropriate for the Halloween season.
As I made my way to the water’s edge, the skies brightened a bit and the fog seemed to lift a little. I was filled with a peaceful and serene feeling as I enjoyed the early morning moments with a Great Blue Heron in the distance.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Beautiful light – the heron silhouette is particularly nice.
Thanks, Eliza. I personally prefer the gloomy, foggy fields, but knew instinctively that many folks would probably prefer the somewhat brighter image with the silhouetted heron.
What a peaceful morning! Lovely!
Thanks. I really enjoy the stillness of early mornings, with the silence broken only by the occasional call of a bird.
I am slowly becoming more of a morning person and enjoying the stillness. 🙂
Most of us have a “to-do”list from the moment we open our eyes in the morning. I like to get up early to give me the time to ease into the day. As an old joke says, it’s no coincidence that in the US we celebrate some of our presidents on a mountain that tells us to rush more. 🙂
If you’ve put your favourite at the top, that too is my favourite.. that ghostly channel of fog is pure magic! I savoured each photo, clicking on each to enlarge. These peaceful scenes are a balm to my overwrought mind! Thanks Mike 🙂
I do tend to put my favorite on the top, Liz, though I will occasionally put the images in chronological order if I am trying to tell a story. I am glad that you enjoyed the images and that they had a kind of therapeutic effect on you. It’s so easy to let our minds race in a million directions and worry about problems that may be real or imagined. In our Western culture, relaxation and contemplation are often viewed as “doing nothing,” but I believe that it is an important part of gaining or regaining a sense of inner peace.
Nicely photographed.