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No Leaves Left
Our autumn is now past its peak. The wind has come through in a rage, taking not just the leaves but some branches and trees as well. Here, sitting in a Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) is an Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe). Dogwoods are so beautiful all year long. With their leaves gone and the berries…
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Yoga Moth
Yesterday at yoga I noticed something high up on the wall, near the ceiling. It looked like a bit of a smudge. I wondered how it got there, but didn’t give it another thought. Today that smudge turned into a moth. A yoga moth, or in the real world, a Dot-Lined White Moth (Artace cribrarius).…
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A Symbol Of Halloween
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos). One smart bird. Smart enough to use tools to accomplish tasks. They remember human faces and mimic sounds. I have conversations with them, although I have no idea what I’m saying since I don’t have knowledge of the language of the Crows. When I do start a conversation with one crow, others seem…
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The Last Leaf On The Dogwood
There was just ONE leaf left on the Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) out by the pond yesterday. This morning. This afternoon, still it held on. Then came the cold front. Dark clouds as sunset approached. Wild winds. And then darkness of the night. Tomorrow morning autumn leaves will be scattered all over the ground. Leaves…
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Soon To Let Go
Soon to let go. Soon to drop to the ground. Soon to be bare branches with buds of flowers at the tips. Flowers to bloom six months from now. All set to go. Just waiting for the perfect time. Time for the blooms of Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) to open and delight. _______________________________________________________________________ If you…
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Not Blue But Lavender
A common name for this Aster is Blue Wood Aster. It’s not a blue flower but pale purple or lavender. I choose not to use that name but rather another common name, Heartleaf Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium). I’m seeing these precious puffs of lavender all along the gravel road going up the mountain. A perfect accent…
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Rearview Mirror
They have been gone now, a bit more than a month. Looking at us through their rearview mirrors. An incredibly beautiful bird of blue, the Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea). Flying, perhaps with a planisphere under one of its wings, since it flies at night, using the stars to find its way to its destination. Their…
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Driving Through A Painting
Since returning from a very difficult trip to Florida just a few days ago my world has been filled to overflowing with wonderful colors. The warm colors. Many shades of yellow, orange and red with a few bits of green left, fighting to survive, and of course those perfect accent hues of purple from light,…
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Every Now And Then
Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis). Smaller than a Carolina Wren. They enjoy coming to my bird bath to care for their feathers. Seeming to be constantly in motion. Eating small insects and spiders, supplementing their diet with berries in the winter. A winter resident that doesn’t make its presence obvious. Choosing rather to stay in the…
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Higher Elevations
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) a tree that I only find further up in the higher elevations where I hike. With the exception of the ones that have been planted here in the vicinity of my cabin. They prefer the cold that the higher elevations provide. These trees can have a very long life. Two hundred…