October 15, 2026
In order to make a perfect apple pie, I absolutely MUST have McIntosh apples. Seems tastes have changed, or maybe people don’t even care if they make the perfect apple pie. McIntosh apples have become an extremely rare item.
But on an errand this morning, I found some. And because I found some, I made an apple pie this afternoon. I even have some vanilla ice cream in the freezer. Dessert tonight is going to be a wonderful experience.
Hallelujah!
October 14, 2026
Up and over the mountains for an appointment and this is what greeted me this afternoon. A huge Sugar Maple (Acer saccharin) showing off its best in autumn color.
Sugar Maple is native to the hardwood forests of eastern North America. Other trees found in those hardwood forests are oaks, other maples, beech and birch, hickory and ash, and various other trees such as black cherry, black walnut, basswood, and quaking aspen.
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A sea of Flowering Dogwood buds (Cornus florida) in a sea of crimson.
These Dogwoods set their buds in late summer, in preparation for the following spring. Winter follows, with the button shaped buds patiently waiting for their time, when they expand and open into showy bracts in early-to-mid spring.
Nature is amazing.
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October 12, 2026
Oh my goodness. In the past couple weeks, so many many MANY Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs (Halyomorpha halys), outside and inside the cabin. Good grief. The vacuum cleaner has been so busy. It doesn’t get put away because it is always ready for BMSB duty.
That’s why I was so happy to see another stink bug. Not the usual Brown Marmorated Stink Bug which is native to East Asia, but one, just one, native to eastern North America. This one native stink bug is a Green Stink Bug (Acrosternum hilare). And apparently it knows it is not welcome inside.
Admittedly it is an agricultural pest, but there has only been one that I’ve seen, and I’m not a farmer, so that one is no worry for me.
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October 11, 2026
Sweet Birch (Betula lenta) adding yellow to the colors of autumn. Native to eastern North America. Crushing the leaves, twigs and bark of Sweet Birch releases a strong, sweet wintergreen scent.
The bark of a Sweet Birch. A favorite spot for Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus varius), who will drill small holes, called sap wells, in straight lines into the bark. These holes attract other bird species for the sap they release, and birds that come for the insects that arrive for the sweet sap.
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October 10, 2026
Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica), right now, showing its leaves leaning toward crimson. A lovely bush that is native to the eastern and southeastern United States.
In late spring it brings forth drooping spires of small, white, star-shaped flowers with a light, sweet fragrance that calls to pollinators such as bees, and butterflies.
And now autumn, with its leaves joining in with the rest of the mountain’s leaves, turning yummy colors.
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October 9, 2026
A Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina) migrating through, on its way to its summer breeding grounds of Canada or northern United States. Fortunately, for my camera and me, it stopped at some fading Goldenrod (Solidago), looking for insects to dine on.
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October 8, 2026
What a surprise to discover a Scarlet Beebalm (Monarda didyma) blooming in one of my gardens. They are a perfect flower for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds with their red color and tubular flowers, and maybe this one helped out some of the Hummingbirds that have migrated through, but today is the second day that there have been no little birds coming through.
A member of the mint family (check out the square stems), Scarlet Beebalm is native to eastern North America, including the Appalachian Mountains, Ohio and New Jersey south along the mountain ranges to Georgia and Tennessee. A flower that generally blooms mid-summer to late summer.
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October 7, 2026
I don’t think much about Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) except when I see it invading my garden spaces, or in autumn when sunlight hits its scarlet leaves.
But in the spring Virginia Creeper sends out blooms, in small pale green clusters. And then in early autumn those flowers become berries, small and hard, the color of Concord grapes. About a quarter inch in diameter. They hold oxalic acid which can cause kidney damage and death to us humans. So don’t even think about taking a taste. Birds however have no problem with the berries, making them a great winter source of food for many of our feathered friends.
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October 6, 2026
I seldom see (or hear) a Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) up here. But for the past few days I’ve been hearing one, and yesterday I was able to see it and get a picture of it. Along with some Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis), they were enjoying the berries in the Flowering Dogwood trees (Cornus florida) which are prolific this year.
Their song is a long series of varied sounds, often lasting for many minutes. The song includes whines, nasal tones, gurgles, squeaks and whistles. But the one thing that I notice in particular is the catlike mews.
So very glad I was able to get a picture.
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