October Sunshine

Oh, October - my favorite month! 

There is a poignancy felt in these golden hours 

as I try to hold on to every precious moment. 

The swallows have left and the crows have once 

again reclaimed their kin, forming large flocks,

which fly over at sunset to roost in the foothills

after foraging in the fields all day. 

With the din of bird-song a distant summer memory, 

those left behind break the silence

with gentler voices. 

An Anna's Hummingbird keeps watch over

a vast domain - minuscule against the flanks of

Mt. Rainier. 

These resilient little birds are year-round 

residents here in western Washington State. 

It was one cold January day when I first 

became aware of this fact several years ago,

spying one visiting my empty feeder. 

I was so surprised and

quickly filled the feeder with nectar. 

I now have several living here year-round.  

These are joined in summer by the smaller 

Rufous Hummingbird, which fly south in winter. 

 Morning mist is slow to rise in these shortened 

days of autumn. 

I step outside, coffee steaming, listening to the twitters

and scoldings of chickadees, juncos and towhees 

as they visit the feeder. 

Mourning doves and Steller Jays fly in later. 

A Northern Flicker enjoys the suet I keep in the apple tree. 

We have a new little friend

that I have noticed the last few days.  

It is a wren, but I am not sure if it is a house wren, 

which migrates....

or a Bewick's Wren which does not. 

Possibly this little fellow is just passing through...

He/she was quite absorbed in hunting through

my planters looking for insects, which makes 

up 97% of its diet. 

We've had our firewood delivered 

and have started the chore of splitting 

and stacking. 

With a little help from our friends! 

Here I am taking a break on the chopping block. 

Whitey Bear gets a scratch behind the ear 

while my daughter's dachshund, Weenie Baby 

inspects the stacking. 

We burn through 6-8 cord every year. 

We have our work cut out for us! 

Peanut and Weenie Baby blend right in. 

I am pet-sitting for the weekend. 

A recent storm dropped golden cedar needles 

all over the ground ...... 

and into the gutters! Ramblin' Man cleans them out. 

Kai enjoys our morning walks. 

Tiny mushrooms. 

Vine Maple is the first to color

in the forest. 

I've been busy with garden clean-up during

these last beautiful days. 

Whitey Bear inspects my Tansy harvest. 

The dead tree fell during the storm

right onto my pile of bricks, breaking a few :(

I fill my basket with Tansy leaves. 

I will dry these for making moth

repellent sachets. 

I love the pungent scent. 

I save the seed for planting this spring. 

A beautiful day....I didn't need my jacket. 

Sunshine on some rusty relics - 

an old wood-burning stove and coal cart wheel

that my son found in the local creek. 

We live in an old coal mining town

that exists no longer. 

The end of a beautiful day. 

I hope you are enjoying these last golden 

days of autumn, dear friends. 

This season goes by so fast. 

Soon we will be celebrating the holidays

and bundling up for winter's cold. 

Every season has its beauty, 

but this season the most of all. 

Today I am joining:
Viewing Nature with Eileen - Saturday's Critters