Fruits, Feathers, Fungus and Flowers!

I'm trying hard to do better with the blog after a long, long hiatus.  It's fun to share some of the pictures I've been taking.  I hope you enjoy seeing them, too.   

The cold weather of January and February took a toll on the grapes this year.  There is not nearly as much fruit as last year, but we walk past a couple vineyards nearly every day and it's fun to watch them ripen.  

This mockingbird wanted to help with the harvest.

Clumps of scarlet tipped cladonia nestle among mosses on logs and forest duff.  I've always thought they were pretty.  

The shaggy mane or coprinus comatus has been one of my favorite mushrooms since childhood. Sauteed up in a little butter and mixed with a batch of scrambled eggs in the morning, they make a superb breakfast.

The last little tea roses of the year are just slightly frost burned, but still brave and beautiful.

Flights of Fancy

Migrating birds are coming through and they gather along the beaches, resting and looking for food.  

It's hard to get close enough to the herons to get a decent picture. They're really shy - and they blend in so well with the beach grasses that they can be difficult to see.  Sometimes one will take flight before we've noticed it and there's suddenly a very large and beautiful surprise winging through the air.  

Then, there are flights of things that don't migrate quite so far.  This is a nest Baloo and I discovered on one of our forest rambles.  It was so pretty that it looked sort of like a large ornament hanging in the tree.  I think it has been abandoned for warmer quarters in the ground at this point, because some of the carefully worked architecture is beginning to unravel.  We had a swarm of yellow jackets completely take over a wren house in the yard.  I should have gotten pictures of that before the rain and wind took a toll.  It looks far too ragged to bother with at this stage.   

This picture was taken last year, but went unposted during my complete lapse in blogging activity.  Moving will do that to a person.  Anyway, my sister had a lost homing pigeon hanging out at their house for quite a while.  We think it may have been blown off course by a big storm we had.  She dubbed him Walter...  

Thanks and Colors and Crows

First of all and most importantly, let me thank all veterans for their service and sacrifice on this Veterans' Day.  You are awesome - and much appreciated!  Thank you for protecting the land that I love and that I love to explore every day.  

This lovely maple stands in the middle of the park where Baloo and I walk nearly every morning.  I thought the contrast of the reds, yellows and greens all together was quite delightful.  

The wonderful deep green of the pines make a beautiful contrast with the bright deciduous trees.   

The crows make their flight to and from the peninsula from their island rookery on a daily basis.  They start to gather for the trip home just before the sun goes down and try to find the easiest route, given their careful calculation of prevailing winds and distance.  

Finally, Baloo waits (not so) patiently for his supper after our afternoon walk.  The poor puppy is starving, of course.

More Autumnal Adventures

As promised, here are a few more of the (many) pictures I have taken of the fall colors.  These come from several of Baloo's (and my) favorite walking areas.  Sometimes we walk through the woods, all golden with the falling maple and poplar leaves, and feel like we're in a Robert Frost poem looking for diverging roads.  Also, I just loved the way the sun came out and turned the trees on the other side of the bay into an awesome blaze of glory.  It's important to enjoy this time of year, because the world here will be gray and white soon and colorful memories will have to keep us until the green of springtime.  

Of course, we have to snuggle a bit when we get home - Baloo has adopted my sister's old couch as his favorite napping spot.  First he claimed it at her house and now it has been moved to mine, so he can enjoy it all the time.  Not a spoiled puppy at all.

Autumn Walks with Baloo

Baloo and I have been taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather by spending lots of time out enjoying the beautiful colors while we wander through the woods and along the bay.   Poor us!  

I was going to say something about each of the photos, but they speak eloquently enough for themselves, don't they??   I don't think I can add a thing -- except maybe a few more pictures tomorrow.... 

In Memoriam

It is with heavy hearts that we bid the sweet, lucky chicken farewell and post the final chicken update.  She died on Monday morning with a quick flap of the wings to carry her onward.  We will miss her antics and indomitable spirit.

Happy National Chicken Day

It is National Chicken Day today, commemorating 7 years since that sweet bird was rescued from a snowdrift by my brother and brought inside to thaw out by the fire.  She's been the happy house chicken ever since.  As you can see, her sweet home is under construction at the moment.  My brother caught a picture of her watching her mom painting the wall.  

  

The lucky chicken has developed a bit of a limp (she's no longer a spring chicken, after all), but she still gets around pretty well and enjoys her daily adventures.  My brother tells met that she is currently celebrating with a nice helping of corn.  She loves that......  :)