The Charms of September

Hello, Dear Friends - It's been awhile 

since I have checked in with you! 

I want to thank you for all of your sweet visits

and kind comments since I have been away. 

I've been so busy trying to finish all of my summer 

projects, help plan a baby shower, and spend time 

with Ramblin' Man who was off work on 'stay-cation'. 

Is there ever enough time? 

Here in the foothills of Washington State, 

the seasons are showing signs of change. 

Days are shorter, nights are noticeably cooler 

and the trees are starting to show some color. 

The pair of crows that nested here all summer

have now joined the larger flock with the two chicks
they devotedly raised. 

Every evening, just as the sun goes down, 

I hear them calling long before they appear, 

as they fly into the uninhabited wilderness 

to roost for the night. 

And every morning just as the sun rises, 

they journey back to spend the day 

in farmer's fields and small town parks. 

I feel a sense of privilege and awe

to witness this ancient ritual of 

their comings and goings -

unchanged since I've lived here,

over 30 years now. 

I've also watched the graceful 

blue-green swallows arrive every March

and leave every September - nature's 

parenthesis in time. 

 The forest is silent of bird song now, 

except for the shrill call of the Northern Flicker

and the chattering of squirrels as they gather 

seeds and nuts for the long winter ahead.

Soon the hoo-hoo-hoots of owls, the bugling of elk

and the eerie cackles of coyotes will fill 

the frosty nights as autumn closes in.  

Autumn's bounty fills the trees 

that will provide sustenance for winter birds

and animals. 

Here, fir cones are highlighted by the late 

afternoon sun. 

Rowen trees, filled with bright orange berries,

dot the countryside.

Mt. Rainier rises above the horizon. 

Of course, September also means apples

and my own little trees have given 

me a bumper crop this year. 

Some for me........

And the rest for the birds :)

The Northern Flicker is one such customer. 

September also means Dahlias.
My Dear Mother loved Dahlias and grew a large
garden full, sending me home with lovely bouquets
whenever I would walk down the lane to visit.

My Mother's birthday was in September.

We lived a stone's throw from one another for over 30 years.
I can't bring myself to walk there again........
With both of my parent's gone now,
the loss is still too painful.

I couldn't bear to see the Dahlia's blooming
without them.

 But a local Dahlia farm is a lovely sight.

Nasturtiums seem to glow brighter
with the cool September nights.

This one has been splashed with nature's paintbrush.

And who can deny the charms of a September rose?

Sedum blushes in the morning dew.

Wild sunflower catches a hitchhiker :)

Dry stalks of dock decorate the fields.

Rainbows are another September charm,
as the sun hangs low at the end of the day.

 Only when the sun moves past
a nearby hill do we see this treat
in spring and fall.

September also reminds us that it is not
just the squirrels that must put away
for winter, and Ramblin' Man has been working hard.

He also installed this drain in the front walkway.

The neighbor above us on the hillside
rerouted their drainage which was
causing our walkway to fill up with water
every time it rained.

I can tell you that it was no fun wading
through several inches of water to get to
the front door!

As for me, I have been staining the deck the last
few days.

All the plants and furniture have been moved,
the deck has been cleaned and prepped,
and I have been wielding a paint brush
for this annual job.

It's wonderful to have the deck, but with it
comes the yearly maintenance!

My back and knees are feeling the pain......
but it always looks so nice when I am done.

This will also give me a chance to edit the summer flowers......

In between I have been busy crafting some
very special gifts for a 'Rock-a-Bye' Baby Shower
for our future little 'Rock Star'.

This was held last weekend and I will share
the fun in my next post.

My two son's and son-in-law's birthdays are also in September,
and my wedding anniversary, too.

So I hope you will forgive me for neglecting
you, Dear Friends, but you are always in my thoughts!

As September moves along I hope you are
enjoying the charms of these last days of summer
and looking forward to the wonderful days of Fall.

xoxo