The November woods here are in their transition to winter. Now is the time when their mysticality is mostly in the streams of low light that increasingly penetrates the various populations of woody creatures, seemingly searching for something or someone.
For the most part, we have “mixed” woods, a combination of hardwoods (e.g., leafy oak and maple) and softwoods (e.g., needled spruce and balsam fir) with leafy deciduous undergrowth. Now, most of the hardwoods and undergrowth have let their leaves go; I often can see patches of sky when I look up through their sparse crowns. Thus, in many areas, the November woods are brighter than the August woods.
The light can change the “mood” of the woods. If it’s a dark, gray day, the woods can feel somber; if it’s a bright, sunny day, they often feel cheerful to me. When the sharp cold comes (if Climate Warming allows), another dimension will be added to a walk in the woods.
(Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on November 6 and 11, 2023.)