Bird visits

I've always enjoyed feeding and watching birds. Thanksgiving day was a banner day at the feeders. I saw ten different birds in about 15 minutes of watching.

I know this is a sparrow, but I do not know the specific one!

My regulars: tufted titmouse, Carolina chickadee, white-breasted nuthatch, and downy woodpecker. Less frequent visitors in the fall/winter: goldfinches. Ones I have newly identified: pine siskin, red-bellied woodpecker, and red-breasted nuthatch. Finally, I also saw a male bluebird drinking from the bird bath, and then joining the red-bellied woodpecker in eating the dogwood berries.

And I must not forget the crows. They are always hanging around the barn and pasture.

Thankfulness

I'm thankful for......

the sturdy, majestic tree trunks outlining my skyline....

the cool, fresh air that fills my lungs each morning....

the warm muzzle of my sweet Glori who nickers to me each morning....

the aroma of turkey as it sits cooling...

the love of family and friends who share a special meal with me...

and much, much, more!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Misty Rivers

Fall mornings are cool and crisp. I am now wearing an extra sweatshirt or jacket each morning when I venture down to the barn. Glori, my horse, loves these cooler temperatures and is quite frisky. Fog is now common along the river each morning. The water is warmer than the air on these cool mornings, so the rising warmer air cools, and the moisture in the warmer air condenses to form a cloud near the surface, commonly known as fog. This picture of the James was taken before a fishing excursion by my brother-in-law. Mysterious and lovely.

Amazing Trees

Trees are so amazing. Fall is a time in which Mother Nature prepares for dormancy. The beauty of leaf pigments is in reality the draining of living fluids into the trunks and roots of trees in order to hibernate for awhile. Trees deserve this break. Oaks over-produce their acorns with the probability of some making it to adulthood, while fattening squirrels, other rodents, and bears for the winter. I'm still amazed that it's the shortening daylight which signals this transformation. Even though they have no nervous system, trees and other plants can sense changes in their surroundings. During their active growing seasons, trees absorb carbon dioxide and some pollutants. They cool the environment, and provide habitat and food for so many organisms. Wow. I say again, trees are amazing. They are my favorite living organism.

Beautiful night skies

Fall is a great time to star-gaze. The nights are not too cold, and the skies are clear. With a new moon and waxing crescent this weekend, the skies are dark and the Milky Way is visible here in the country. Cassiopeia's throne is currently on its side in the eastern sky. In the mornings on the way to the barn, Cassiopeia is situated over the barn with the Big Dipper more easterly. I have enjoyed seeing Orion in the southern sky early before the sun rises. He's fighting off Taurus with his dog Sirius at his feet. Soon he'll be out in the evenings. Of course, it will be a bit colder then! So I'll enjoy the constellations now.

Stormy Weather!

Wow, it has really been stormy this August! I'm thankful we have gotten the rain since July was so hot and dry, but the lightning is scary. The storms always seem to come late in the afternoon, so students were going out to buses in the rain today. I think the lightning held out, thankfully. Lightning is useful for helping to make nitrogen available for plants, and to help reduce the buildup of electrical energy in the atmosphere. Look for those cumulonimbus clouds over the next few days!

memories

Wow, hot and dry this summer! The temperature reached 100 degrees F yesterday, which made me want to return to winter. Add to that no rain in over 2 weeks, and all the gardens are looking very sad. I am reluctant to water much since I have a well. I want the water to last! I should be greatful for the snowfalls we received this past winter- at least three over 10 inches, so I know the groundwater reserves were replenished. So I thought maybe a winter picture would help calm my worries. The Blue Ridge mountains are in the background with a country church across the way. I enjoy the changing scenery of this view throughout the year, but currently, the church is barely visible due to leafy trees.
Let's pray for a good summer storm or two over the next few days to relieve the dryness.