Walk. Think. Look. See. Those who live close to land know the importance of noticing – an animal that seems out of sorts, a fence down, predators spooking a herd, insects on the march, weather coming in.

“There is but one photograph of a person within this body of work and that person is David Dudley on his farm in North Guilford in 1989. Otherwise, the photographs portray a place without people. However, people are present in every photograph because what we see is what their minds, their hands and their sweat created,” according to Randy Smith, photographer and a Guilford resident. “The photograph of David Dudley is special to me. Mr. Dudley had just walked me to my car after I had spent several hours photographing his farm house and out buildings. We had a few words and said goodbye, then as I finished loading my equipment into the car I looked back and saw this photograph. As you view the photo of David walking around to the back of his house, it’s as if he’s inviting you to follow. And if we were able to do so, we could follow David Dudley all the way back to 1639.”

North of Route 80: An Unnatural Landscape is a collection of photographs by Randy Smith on exhibit as part of the 375th Celebratory of Guilford’s founding, open to the public at Guilford Town Hall, 31 Park St., Conn. Hours for viewing are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed major holidays). An artist’s reception will be held on Thursday, Nov. 6, 5:30 to 7 p.m. The Shoreline ArtSpace Series is a collaborative effort of Shoreline Arts Alliance and other nonprofit organizations, businesses and municipalities that wish to encourage local artists by hosting art exhibitions in public spaces.

To visit a former farm in North Guilford for yourself, go see the Dudley Farm Museum, “built in 1844 by Erastus Dudley, a prosperous North Guilford farmer, gristmill and tannery owner. Today, the house, barns and surrounding 10 picturesque acres occupy a portion of the land farmed by the Dudley family for almost 300 years.”

“This exhibition is dedicated to those people that came and stayed and reshaped the natural landscape of North Guilford. The photographs are drawn from a larger book project that documents the rural character and charm.” Those with an affinity for a working landscape will feel the affinity to the rural images Smith has captured.

To walk is something most people take for granted, a gift of movement and ability that may be taken away or modified by life's events. So on an autumn day, head out to fill your eyes with light and mind with outdoor discoveries. I did. Here's what was found, along with a few ideas for your own outing in a one-of-kind glorious New England day. (Take it and go.)

A cloud of birds overhead, hundreds of them swirling, dipping, climbing, chittering. The tang of a nearby salt marsh. A cormorant riding the whitecaps, diving in the waves. Wind whipping, blasting to move sand across manmade roads, paths, rock.

A natural phenomenon you have to see for yourself, a video by Steve White on the Connecticut River.

An intact horseshoe crab washed up by the tides but no longer alive is a treasure. Crunching underfoot at heaps of slipper shells. Autumn lights up the marsh grass in vivid reds contrasted with flat tawny stretches. Walk daily and natural wonders will surprise, intrigue, delight. The quiet and calm gives room for thinking and digesting life, ebb and flow. Wander where curiosity takes you and serendipity will sometime intervene to place a person with a gift or idea smack dab in those travels.

Just start walking. Here are a few exceptional ways to get you hooked on the places to see just around the corner or a short drive away. Stay for a sunset; find a bookstore to get lost in. (The Book Barn in Niantic has three locations with heaps and stacks and shelves of reading for the cold weather ahead or just curling up with a good book. Stop by any location to find help on where to locate books that are kept by subject or genre. The staff knows and loves books by heart, another pleasure to swap titles and listen to opinions on good reads.)

The Hill-Stead Museum Hay Day on Sunday, Oct. 19, 1 to 4 p.m., gives visitors a ride on a horse-drawn hay wagon through countryside a glow with color. Rain or shine. Admission $10 in advance online; $15 day of event; ages 5 and younger, free. Live music by The Shinolas, activities for the children. Bring along a picnic or purchase dinner from Soup ‘r Samich; beverages and wine will also be for sale.

Or walk through time with a visit to the massive stone-built fort-like Henry Whitfield State Museum, owned and operated by the State of Connecticut.

“For more than 100 years, visitors from around the world have explored this unique site and learned not only the history of the Henry Whitfield House but the story of the English settlement of Connecticut and the coming together of the European and Native American cultures. Today, visitors may tour three buildings on the site.” Take a self-guided tour of three floors of artifacts and leave time to explore the landscaped grounds and stone walls. Programs and special events are presented monthly. Admission is charged.
“Sweet are the uses of adversity,
Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous,
Wears yet a precious jewel in his head;
And this our life, exempt from human haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in everything.
I would not change it.”

– William Shakespeare

Note: To find your own good things to do on the weekend, see our Ag Events/Let's Go page. Remember, most state parks offer miles of trails for a free outing. Bring water, a snack, let someone know where you are going (always a good idea) and snap an image of the map board for guidance on the route. Guided walks are great, but the paths and byways stand ready for an adventure at quieter times during the week too.