It’s been quite a long time since I walked along the Palisades; when the skies are blue and the temperatures mild, the trails are full of other folks walking, running, or riding bikes. This morning I calculated that the misty weather would mean fewer people — and I was right. It may have had to do partly with the fact that the mist soon turned to rain. And even though I left my umbrella at home, it was impossible to feel unhappy in the wet weather. For me, the real beauty of this area comes out when the sun declines coming out to play.

Acorn woodpeckers don’t mind a little rain

Empty trail