Friday, October 07, 2022

In Which I Talk About Fall, Robins, Lovely Views, And The Little Tree That Could

(This quote was NOT said by Daisy, but by Jordan. It's a lot of work to redo this graphic, so this correction has to do.)

N
ot much is happening except for Fall trying to figure itself out. It is definitely here, but it is having a hard time settling in and unwinding. We've had a few frost warnings, many days of blustery north winds off Lake Erie, and more rain than I care for. Sunshine has been in short supply, but there were two magnificent days of low seventies, slight breezes, and warm autumn sun that revived us all. On those days my walks were glorious.

The robins, who had disappeared sometime in August, are suddenly back. When they vanished, it was incredibly strange because it was all at once and completely. One day there were simply none at all anyplace, and it is the same with their return. A few days ago, they were everywhere again, on my walk, in my yard, and in neighboring trees. I'd mention it in conversation with my mother, but she interprets everything now as a sign that it's going to be a hard winter, and I am sick of hearing about it. Lots of pine cones? Hard winter coming. Less leaves turning colours this month? Hard winter coming. See a chubby squirrel? I think you get my drift. 

I won't be showing her this photo; I took it on my walk yesterday. It's either a crabapple or apple tree, and it's put out new blossoms on a few branches:

There are more in several other areas of the tree, but this is a representative sample. (I know:  it's going to be a hard winter, right?) I don't know what's up with this odd occurrence, but I like this tree's attitude, and I told it so. 

I have a good relationship with a great many trees on my route. I've just grown fond of these two baby redbud trees based solely upon their fashion sense. They've mastered the Art Of Ombre:


These sisters are in the same yard, and they're going to be even more beautiful when they start producing flowers. 

This Fall is full of mysteries so far. Many, many of our trees are still lushly green. Some trees have only a few big limbs that have turned colour completely. Yards still need to be mowed regularly when it isn't raining. In the herb garden, only the basil has been pulled out. The rest of the herbs still flourish (an understatement when it comes to my sage). A juvenile redheaded woodpecker frequents my feeder; isn't it awfully late for young birds?

This weekend we are dry-docking the boat and putting the deck furniture in the storage shed. Lake season will officially be over. We never completely close up the house, and we'll probably still weekend there from time to time. Here's a sunrise photo taken from the bedroom view on a September morning:


The fog soon lifted, and we had another lovely day.


Earlier in September, we had this sunset:

No need for filters--it's an awe-inspiring display on its own. I'll miss boat rides; they afforded us the best views for sunsets. Still, it's not good to become spoiled.

Talk to me of your Fall in Comments. Are you noticing, like me, anything unusual?


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25 comments:

  1. Wonderful photos! This is the first fall in my life when I didn't have to wash and put up storm windows, and it's the first year in my life when I haven't had to rake leaves. I've never liked fall because it was also the time of the year when we worked on moving summer equipment into storage and bringing plow equipment into town. So it doesn't really feel like fall.

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    1. Jean--Thank you. It's easy when the subject is Nature.

      I understand completely your memories of fall being worky. IT IS. We have porch and deck furniture to put away and the pond to winterize yet.

      Now that you're a Woman Of Leisure, you can make new Fall Rituals that are relaxing and fun. Maybe knit a hat and scarf set or a sweater for yourself. Maybe write an Ode to Autumn, like Keats. Or perhaps you'll want to paint a fall landscape. Whatever it is, it can be whatever YOU want now.

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  2. My memory failed me. The quote in my post header graphic was said by Jordan, not Daisy. I am without my PC this weekend, so fixing it must wait. A true Test for my Patience.

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  3. We had a hard frost last night and this morning it is raining leaves. Soft patters as they hit the ground, golden or red and shining in a strong sun. It is Thanksgiving weekend here and later today, as I make pies and other goodies, the YD will arrive, with cats, home from her posting to Pakistan. For which I give thanks, in spite of having just set up two kitty litter boxes. (her cats do not share).
    We have no robins. Our local contingent has left us and the fall migration, if it is happening, has not passed through our yard. But we have turkeys, in quantity and a variety of sizes and flocks. They do not like one another, and gabbling ensues when two flocks arrive at the feeding station at once.
    Our woodpeckers, I believe, stay all winter. Maybe your juvie is with you for the duration.
    Lovely, lovely photos. I gather that your cottage faces east and that you admire sunsets from your boat?
    I have to go and start on the baking. Checking my email obsessively to find out when daughter will arrive.
    Happy autumn to you and yours.

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    1. Mary G--Happy, Happy Thanksgiving! So glad your daughter can be at home with you.

      Yes, the lake house faces full east, and we take sunset cruises for the best evening views.

      My cats also have two boxes. The actual recommendation is one for each cat plus one more. I am absolutely NOT GOING TO DO THAT, EVER. I might as well just spread litter on the entire floor of the basement room, then. I think that idea is batty.

      Enjoy your fall, and please keep some pretty leaves on the trees for a while yet. We are headed up there for a jaunt soon.

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  4. We have many beautiful colors in our trees right now. It is glorious to see. Chilly today but sunny and we will be at the Morton Arboretum celebrating my cousins 75th birthday so I am looking forward to the fall beauty there!

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    1. Ellen--Fall certainly is Glorious. That's a perfect descriptor. I hope you enjoyed your trip to the arboretum. I looked at photos online and what a wonderful place it is! I hope I can visit one day.

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  5. Beautiful sunset pictures

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    1. Mary--Thank you. The first one was actually a sunrise, but yes, the skies are beautiful at both times. I feel so privileged to witness such displays.

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  6. Your photos are lovely, especially that stunning sunset! Growing up in the northeast, autumn was always my favourite season: seeing all the leaves change into so many colours, jumping into big leaf piles on the lawn, the start of school. Starting school again was huge for me because I was always looking forward to learning new things (and getting out from under my mother's watchful eye for several hours.) I even thought September was the first month of the year, lol. This was back when school actually started the day after Labour Day instead of early August like it does in so many places these days, or at least in Texas.

    This year, starting in October, we finally got some relatively cool weather after 5 months of temps averaging between 95-105 degrees. Unlike your mother's prediction, I suspect we'll have another mild winter here punctuated by a couple of horrific freezing episodes. Climate change has been happening for years, IMO. We're just starting to feel the more catastrophic effects of it on an alarmingly frequent basis recently.

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    1. Ortizzle--Doesn't your year still begin in September? Mine did, while I was still teaching. Even when we started school in the waning days of August, I still counted it as Summer, with the remnants of vacation and long evenings attached.

      Our cool weather happened literally overnight. A huge cold front blew in and dropped our temperature about 25 degrees as we slept. The next day, rain arrived and it got even colder. We were lucky to see 60 for the next couple of weeks while it rained, blustered, and clouds blocked the sun. We have had only a handful of days in the 70s.

      I've had to run the furnace. There have been several mornings in the 30s. This is NOT normal.
      I agree with you that it's climate change accelerating.

      I hope you have some lovely autumn days to enjoy. And I hope Beto wins and straightens out your power grid!

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  7. Your last photo is stunning. Oh to be near a large body of water. I do miss that here in the land of rivers. Our fall is slow in coming and everything is so green, abnormally so after our wet, wet, wet summer. I don't know if it's going to be a beautiful autumn because of all the rain. Time will tell.

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    1. Ally--The sunsets and sunrises continue to be gorgeous. There was a full moon last night, and it was huge, hanging like a silver disc over the water. I can't imagine becoming blase about the beauty around me there.

      I think once your area gets a few frosts, the trees will get the hint and start producing colour. We just had two nights of temps in the 30s, and I can see a difference already. The orange leafed trees are blazing like fire now. They came out of nowhere.

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  8. Our fall is proceeding rather normally I think. We had some pretty cool days, and then a week where we got up to 80, and next week will be 60s/70s. Mornings are chilly. I'm forever trying to decide whether to wear a sweater that I will then forget to bring home or just shiver until the car heater gets warm.

    Your photos are lovely! I especially love the sunset over the lake - it looks like total serenity to me.

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    1. Bug--It is quite serene. We truly appreciate our times there.

      Thanks for the compliment re: my photos. It's not a tough shoot when the subject is Nature.

      Mornings have become really cold here. I woke up to 33 degrees today! And you're right about trying to figure out what to wear. Everyone talks about layers, but that's easier said than done sometimes. And who wants to be all bundled up? I hate that. I also hate being under a blanket unless I'm in pajamas. I know--I'm such a project.

      You'll still have some flowers for a while, won't you? I wonder why you don't have a pot or two of tomato plants in the mix.

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    2. We tried to grow tomatoes on our deck the first two years we lived here and got some sort of blight both times. Maybe I should stick some in with the wildflowers.

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  9. Wow is that a beautiful sunset photo. I prefer summer to fall. When the kids were little, I mostly liked having them home without a school schedule to tell us what to do and when to do it. I lived for hanging out at our local pool, because it wore them out and I got to socialize with other moms. Some of my favorite days.

    I took the tots I sit for to a beautiful nature walk last week. My friend, who also sits, and I hadn't taken our little charges there for years. The kids loved it. It was a beautiful day in the low 70s and we talked about leaves and looked for signs on wildlife and we checked out the little stream. Many of the leaves were still green so we've vowed to get back in a few weeks when there will be more colors happening.

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    1. Ernie--Thank you. The photos are due entirely to their subjects.

      I liked summers home with my sons as well. We always found cool things to do together when they were little, and as a teacher, I lived for those unstructured summer days.

      Oh, Nature Walks! That was my father's favourite thing to do with my younger sister and me when we were little and we were visiting my mother's family. He would get so bored sitting there listening to stories about people he didn't care about, so he'd take us out for long walks. We loved it, learning so much about trees, wild plants, and becoming very good at being observant. I'm sure your littles love it, too. It's so calming, yet exciting in a way, too, finding neat stuff and sharing it. Such a great activity.

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  10. So far, very warm days here...but finally a change is coming...no summer humidity!!! Yay.
    Have a great season and no need to say your photos are beautiful...you know that.

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    1. Anni--That's another thing to love about fall--the humidity goes away and we get vastly more breathable air. Good point! I wish we had more warmth, but as the old adage goes, "Be careful what you wish for." I hope you enjoy a cooler fall as well. Thank you for the kind words about my photos.

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  11. Those lake sunset shots are everything, Nance. I am sure they don't do the real thing justice either. Our cameras simply can't capture what we actually see. I started to take a photo of the incredibly large pale orange moon rising the night before last but I knew from past experience a photo would pale in comparison. So I just enjoyed every second of it on the ride home (as I would not be able to see it once I reached home).

    We are having some lovely Fall days right now after a week of brutal rain (my least favorite thing about this season). The squirrels started cutting beech nuts way early this year and our local columnist/amateur weather forecaster is predicting a very snowy winter. We don't have any leaf color yet and today and tomorrow are sunny and in the 70s. I will take it!

    My main Fall activity is ensuring I have enough firewood. I can go without a fire and simply use the heat pump but I don't want to! I have tried to hire someone to split some wood from some trees that came down last year but so far no takers. I think I'll get a better response when it actually does get cold.

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    1. Shirley--You're so right about photos being a poor replica of the real thing. I was pretty happy to find that the sunrise and sunset captured on film were that lovely. All I have at my disposal is my iPhone. I am not fond of taking pictures.

      The almanac is predicting a wetter/snowier than normal winter for us, too. Ugh. As you know, I detest snow in any amount. It does afford me exercise when I shovel, but it represents so much inconvenience and barrier to me.

      I'm glad to hear that you're not even beginning to entertain thoughts of playing Paul Bunyan yourself with those trees. We have a couple of very cheap sources for firewood near us, one being an Amish sawmill. I know what you mean about having a nice fire. And if you can use your own wood to heat your home, you'll really be ahead. Energy prices are, like all others, rising and rising.

      I know your property there will be gorgeous with colour soon enough. You live in a beautiful area.

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    2. Well, you did well with your iPhone! I'm smitten with the stunning colors and reflection factor.

      I hope the almanac and my local forecaster are both wrong. I love snow but I would be satisfied with one nice light snow. My mom tends to lose power for days when there's much of a storm of any kind so I'd just as soon take a pass on all that.

      The Paul Bunyan imagery amuses me. I bet I'd be frequenting that Amish sawmill if it were nearby!

      Thanks for the lovely words, as always, Nance.

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  12. "isn't it awfully late for young birds?"
    Nance, you know that's probably sign of a hard winter heading your way.

    (sorry, I had to!)

    I love the ombre look on those baby trees; how fashionable!

    That sunset is absolutely amazing!

    Well in Florida, we had a full fall.
    Oh, wait, those trees fell over because of the hurricane! (I'm going to hell in a very fashionable hand basket!)

    We are enjoying some time in GA and it's feeling very fallish; there is a freeze warning for tonight and the ground is covered in orange/yellow/red leaves. I'm very much enjoying having a season.

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    1. BB Suz--Ugh. We've started our Wintertime already with low temps, freezing rain, frost, and a freeze. I do hope there's a difference between a hard winter and an early one.

      I'm glad you're seeing some pretty colours in GA this year. We are, too, now, especially the oranges. It's like the trees are aflame.

      I hope hurricanes are done now. Who needs them?

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Oh, thank you for joining the fray!

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