Autumn foliage viewing is now called "tree peeping," with the nature lover as peeper. Yesterday, though, walking around Golden Ponds, I saw the first yellow leaf peeping among the green foliage, like a young girl. The cottonwoods were muttering to themselves in the breeze.
The islands in the middle pond seem to be Goose Haven. Bolder Canadian geese strolled on the banks and slipped in and out of the water. None attacked, but the males kept a close eye on me as I walked close by.
In one patch of cattails the stalks were yellowing, reminding me of a VFW unit on parade. The cattails in the river bottom, of course, were strutting like young marines. On a circling of the entire pond I saw two milkweed pods that had burst their silky seeds to the wind.
A sign claimed the fish stocked in the ponds are perch, rainbow trout, catfish and crappies. Directions indicate how to catch and release without harm to the fish: Let the fish rest in your hands in the water before releasing it, so it can catch its breath.
Probably only a dozen people were strolling, biking or fishing the pond that afternoon--all men or teenaged boys, except for one girl giggling with a boyfriend. I wished I had brought my big black dog.