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Hey, Texas! Get out to Guadalupe Mountains National Park before you miss the fall colors. McKittrick Canyon is one of the best places in the state to enjoy autumn’s brilliance as the leaves shift from green to spectacular shades of yellow and orange. Under a gorgeous blue sky, breathing in the fresh air, you’ll never want your walk in the woods to end. Photo by M. Haynie, National Park Service.
Top Shot: Impressions of Autumn
Top Shot features the photo with the most votes from the previous day’s Daily Dozen, 12 photos selected by the Your Shot editors. The photo our community has voted as their favorite is showcased on the @natgeoyourshot Instagram account. Click here to vote for tomorrow’s Top Shot.
Your Shot photographer Aleš Krivec photographed this autumn scene at the Lower Fusine Lake in Italy, also known as Lacs de Fusine. Photograph by Aleš Krivec
17 simple steps you can take to help animals this winter.
When one of those storms hits, stock up on hot chocolate, get under a blanket, and get ready to wait it out while you finally catch up on “Mad Men” (seriously, it ended ages ago what are you doing with your life?).
Just remember, while you’re wrapped up all cozy and planning your best snowstorm Instagram post, there are other creatures out there who need to stay warm too.
Here are some things you can do to help your pets and other animals survive yet another winter wonderland.
1. Keep your pets indoors as much as possible.
The quickest, easiest way to make sure your pets are safe and warm during wintry weather is to keep them inside.
Outdoor cats will throw you some serious shade, and you’ll obviously still have to walk your dog, but make sure all members of your family are inside while the worst of the winter apocalypse bellows through.
2. Dog sweaters! They’re cute AND practical.
Who doesn’t love a dog in a sweater? If a dog in a sweater were president, there’d be no more war. That’s just a fact. Besides being adorable, dressing your dog up a little for their walk helps them avoid injury and hypothermia. Not to mention, it’s just not fair for you to put on seven layers of clothing and then march your dog outside naked.
Short-haired dogs are especially sensitive to cold air, and wind chill can cause frostbite, which can lead to permanent damage. So dress your pup up beforehand.
3. Build an outdoor shelter for your pet.
If your pet spends most of their time outside and simply can’t stand the thought of staying indoors all day, its important to have a winter-proof outdoor shelter for them.
Make sure it’s dry and big enough for your pet to lie down comfortably. Also make sure it’s raised a few inches above the ground for protection from the snow.
4. Don’t forget about the stray cats in your neighborhood.
It’s always a good idea to keep an eye out for neighborhood cats that spend most of their time outside. They may be feral or owned and just wandering.
If you see one, and can do so, offer them shelter in your home (if you have a screened-in porch and a box and some blankets, or even just a box and some towels to put out for them) and some food and water.
Stray cats may talk big, but even they can’t entirely fend for themselves in winter storms.
Read the other 13 tips here, including what your car has to do with stray cats, how animals can make use of old wreaths and branches, and how to protect your pup’s paws from salt.
Summer green becomes autumn orange in the blink of an eye at Denali National Park in Alaska. Termination dust – what Alaskans call the high altitude snow that signals the end of summer – coats mountains and sprinkles onto valleys. The red leaves of blueberry bushes carpet the landscape and offer bears a last dessert before hibernation. It’s a feast for the eyes. Photo from a previous fall by Tim Rains, National Park Service.
Check out this beautiful shot of a snow-covered autumn landscape near Fallon, Nevada. This area is a small part of the Newlands Irrigation Project that brought water to the desert. Photographer Dennis Doyle captured this image a few years ago, and of the experience, he says, “I am a native of Nevada. I have lived 60 years in this little piece of heaven we call the Great Basin. I have always loved the beauty of the wide open spaces and our version of ‘Big Sky’ country, but what really fascinates me is the ‘little’ spaces; the small springs and oasis areas that define our nature. The areas that feed and water our wild animals and the areas that provide shade for a nap!” Photo by Dennis Doyle, Bureau of Land Management (@mypubliclands).
It’s autumn, when a politician’s fancy turns to thoughts of a Grand Bargain.
Right now it looks as if the two sides are at an impasse. But the President’s “no negotiations” posture only applies to the debt ceiling, and his budget still includes the “chained CPI” cut to Social Security. The Republicans who are attempting to force a showdown over Obamacare are still railing against the programs they call “entitlements.”
Our friends in #ohio county are ready #autumn. And sending a message to #Congress. No Chained CPI. earnedasay.org #AARP #SocialSecurity
The Chained CPI would hurt seniors, veterans, and the disabled!
Autumn is a spectacular time to visit Santee National Wildlife Refuge with its cypress forest turning shades of red. This wildlife refuge is located on the north shore of Lake Marion – the largest lake in South Carolina – and is home to a wide diversity of wildlife species. It’s a major wintering area for ducks and geese, as well as a nesting and stopover area for neo-tropical migratory birds, raptors, shore birds and wading birds. Visitors can take in the amazing fall colors, try their luck fishing in Lake Marion or enjoy the sight and sounds of all the birds. Photo by Marc Epstein, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.