Celebrating Half a Year!

It's hard to believe, but it has been six months since I went to pick little Piper up from the foster home where she was living back in April.

She's a good girl and has come a long way. She now knows how to sit, stay, lie down and do an automatic sit (which helps when I stop to take pictures). 

Piper is still very sensitive to sound and nothing I have tried is helping. She doesn't like going out on walks in my neighborhood right now, since we're sort of surrounded by vineyards that are shooting off cannons every five minutes or so to chase birds away from the grapes (and the bunnies have gone into hiding, so there aren't enough of them around to distract her from the booms). We'll both be very happy when harvest time is over!! 

Anyway, she got a new bone this morning and we'll be taking a trip to a quiet spot for a walk this afternoon (if we can find one) to celebrate the day. Maybe we'll even take a trip to the dog treat store. :) 

An Adventure in Autumnal Appreciation

I'm behind posting pictures - these are from a couple weeks ago (as it turns out, life just keeps on happening). I've been taking quite a few photos along my walks with Piper, but haven't taken the time to download them from the camera and get them sized for the blog. Sorry about that.... 

So, today's adventure is, as the title suggests, appreciative of autumn. The Eastern phoebes have mostly flown to warmer climes, and we can look forward to them coming back next spring. While I often hear them in the treetops, I rarely get to see them during the summer when the foliage is more dense and, even when I do, they're moving way too fast for me to focus! Flycatchers are like that...

Leaves have been a little more muted this year, since it's been so dry, but it's still beautiful to see the reds and golds. I always say that Mother Nature gives us the brilliance of autumn to remember through the gray winter months, until the fresh greens start to reappear! 

Kingfishers are moving southward, too, but they stop along the way to take advantage of local fishing areas as they rest and refuel for their journey. 

This one held still long enough for me to zoom in for a closer look. That hardly ever happens. They like to dive and look for tasty tidbits and if they notice me pointing a camera in their direction, they fly to the other side of the marsh, just to spite me (or they may simply have another appointment and it just seems that way). 

I hope you don't mind that some of the upcoming posts will end up being way out of sequence and season, because I have a couple really good ones to put together from back in August, when I was busy helping at the family homestead and didn't have much time to do anything computer related. (I know -- teaser...) :)

Familiar Fall Friends

This time of year, the marsh area I love to visit has quite a few visitors to watch as they take a break on their way south. I can also catch the last few sightings of those that have raised families over the summer and are getting ready to hibernate or hightail it to warmer climes. 

Madame Wood Duck is always shy, so it's a special treat to get to see her. She was way out in the water, so I had to zoom in pretty hard. That's probably why she kept paddling and preening. 

An egret took flight from a tangle of cattails and brush and it was beautiful to see its bright white plumage in contrast to the trees. 

Speaking of white, fall fungi have been less prevalent this year, since it has been so dry, but every little rain will make a few pop. This one created a lovely white on white arrangement, growing on a birch tree. 

And, of course, flocks of geese are gathering and honking almost continuously as they jockey for position in the line flying south. 

It's fun to watch them shift position and form their classic V flight pattern. 

Random Wandering

Sometimes a walk will suggest a theme, and sometimes I collect enough pictures of a bird or beast to warrant a profile piece. But, sometimes a walk will just present random little delights. 

Random bits of serendipity are always welcome, though. A song sparrow on a fencepost brings a smile every time. 

Watching a cottontail rabbit keeping a wary eye on Piper as she goes into a perfect point and then slowly tries to sneak up on her prey is quite entertaining. (The bunnies always take off long before they're in pouncing distance.)

Following a monarch butterfly around as it searches for nectar is both a challenge and a pleasure. (They are camera shy - or maybe just shy of Piper, even though she doesn't take much notice of them.)

While purple loosestrife is an invasive species, it's still pretty to see glowing in the early morning sunshine. 

So, it's well worth keeping an eye open for random little treasures along the trails when out wandering. They're some of the very best discoveries! 

Apologies and the Solution

Sometimes life just does life things.... So, I apologize for being a little late with the solution, although I'm pretty sure most of you saw the star of the puzzle pretty easily. I'll go through the usual process, just in case. :)

Clue number one showed the larger view, and if you check out the lower left branches on the big tree on the right, you can see something perched there. 

Clue number two zooms in a bit, so it's easier to see who might be out on a limb... 

Here's the final payoff. The great blue heron was preening and primping, so it stuck around for a long time, allowing me to get a pretty good focus and a few nice pictures. 

Piper was also very patient as I snapped a bunch of shots of this guy. Pretty handsome bird, don't you think? It was really fun to watch.