Autumn colors can be vibrant. But some of the most beautiful are very, very subtle.
Here are pics from our Sunday paddle from Larchmont (Westchester) to City Island (the Bronx), and back. The water was delightfully warm, the brisk October wind most welcome on the way to brunch but a real challenge, post-herb-dusted-French-fries! On this foggy day, nature didn’t provide color—we humans did.

Fall has arrived at the boathouse

The HHYC school boats get a well-deserved rest

City Island THATAWAY, 6 nm West…

A flock of Canadian geese fly over as we launch

Alex passes Echo Bay, New Rochelle. Home is a fogged-in hi-rise… (pssst…hi, Kuno!)

Cormorants on rocks near Glen Island contemplate migrating…

Fall colors…on Jean’s kayak!

High tide provides enough water to paddle under our “short-cut bridge” between High and City Islands

A horseshoe crab greets us at City Island

Bea beams—it’s her first kayak landing at City Island. She’s an awesome HHYC paddler, naturalist, educator, and NYC marathoner. AND she’s wearing The World’s Orange-est Hat!

“Female,” declares Bea. The evidence: a lack of big-clawed clinginess. (Yup.)

Autumn leaves on Cross Street

Butternut squash thrives in a City Island “raised” garden—raised 3 feet above the driveway!

Jack o’ Lanterns on the corner of Cross St and City Island Avenue

Bea at brunch mecca

Colorful Sunday brunch specials

Butternut squash, apple, basil and cheddar sandwich—i.e., delicious fuel for paddling back home!

Pastries at Sugar & Spice

On the way home, we ducked in through the marina behind Glen Island

Paddling under the bridge to Glen Island

As the sun sets, another wave of migrating geese welcomes us back to HHYC
the raised squash bed is brilliant. Will keep the chickens from pecking them! I also paddle year round and love SNOW paddles.
Oooh, snow paddling! How often do you get the opportunity to do that? About the squash bed: it’s actually a double-decker! They also grow green beans! We’ll post more images of it, if you like. Haven’t seen any chickens, however. They aren’t a big threat in the Bronx 🙂
So great.
And tasty! We’d paddle 12 miles for a Sugar & Spice cupcake any day! 🙂
Oh, that sandwich sounds interesting – a well deserved treat. It’s fun seeing the horseshoe crabs…
Yes! We’re not the sort of folks who take pictures of their meals (talking about the sandwich here, not the horseshoe crab), but we wanted to try to re-create it at home. (Have you attempted it yourself?) Every time we go to Sugar & Spice, we say, “This is the BRONX?!” Worth the paddle through wind and wintry conditions!