The weekend before last, I went upstate with my husband and a few very good friends. We spent most of Saturday in the woods, hiking…inspecting…breathing in all of the clean air. It was an incredible escape from the city and the first time I’ve opted out of Halloween mayhem and intricate costume design. It was a welcome move…one that felt appropriate for my second trimester days of pregnancy.

Here are a few photos from our hike…and while there weren’t any birds left, the binoculars came in handy for the changing hues. We also found bark moonlighting as gold and leaves that looked like lace – all in the natural process of decomposition. In catching this special transition, it felt like we were witnessing a loss of symmetry throughout – and all that accompanies the random beauty of autumn.