Under the shelter of the beginnings of a warming trend and sunny skies after Saturday's showers, 18 walkers gathered Sunday, October 5, at 1 p.m. for Shirley's 2003 Fall Foliage Walk at Farandnear on Center Road. After a longer-than-usual photo session for those who wanted to document the beginning of the outing, the walkers bid farewell to Arthur Banks, who provided parking for the event, and started out for the cranberry bog. There they inspected Arthur Banks' restoration efforts and looked over an old rock-lined dug well near the trail. At the suggestion of Paul Wade, they had reached the bog via Paradise, a tranquil hemlock-lined ravine.

As is customary, once the walkers had passed through the bog and reached Holden Road, they divided into two groups: those who wanted to make a beeline to Kate Field's refreshments at Valley Farm, and those who wanted to make a more adventurous meander before partaking of the refreshments. The beeliners left under the able leadership of Cliff Hatch and his mother Dot, while the meanderers had John Rounds' equally able, though somewhat frustrated, leadership.

The meanderers chose the most ambitious of the alternatives John placed before them and, contrary to his advice, took many opportunities along the route to pause, discuss and photograph. As a result, they encountered many of Shirley's backwoods wonders: the glacial erratic, the pest house cellar hole, the natural tree arch, the trees blown down at a couple places where the mini-tornado of a couple years back touched down, the pile of potato-sized rocks by Spruce Swamp Brook, a heron surveying a detention pond at Birchwood Hills and even an occasional burst of colorful tree foliage.

The meanderers' social lives suffered however, as by the time they reached the refreshments the beeliners had partaken and left. Kate had thoughtfully kept the cider warm though and saved some goodies so the meanderers were able to console themselves and discuss further the day's sightings and other news.