Yesterday, a flock of juncos moved through my yard. I startled a couple of them as I stepped off the deck.
Another sure sign of fall. I have seen a few here and there over the past few weeks, but this was a small flock.
They are so small. Their beaks are impossibly tiny. And these were more sooty colored than black and white. I had to look closely to see where the grey ended, and the black began.
Showing posts with label fall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fall. Show all posts
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Friday, August 21, 2015
Gumbo Weather
Did you feel the hint of fall earlier this week?
Fall stirs such mixed emotions in me. As a Louisiana native, I feel a vague sense of panic, living this far north, and realizing that winter is coming. I love cold weather, but here in Nebraska, winter itself is something to endure.
At the same time, fall is my favorite season. I love the colors, the crispness of the air, the sweetness of freshly picked apples. I love Thanksgiving. And pumpkins! We will not mention football. It all depends on how our favorite team is doing.
Also, as a Louisiana native, that first cool snap gets me thinking about making the first gumbo. Had the cool weather hung on a few more days, I definitely would have honored this urge, and made a huge, steaming pot of gumbo. It is in my blood.
That first gumbo day is coming. I can see it in the browning of the seeds of my wildflowers. Fall stars are peeking over the horizon at dawn. Birds are migrating. Days are getting shorter. And the weather is changing. I am not ready for it, yet, but it is almost here.
Fall stirs such mixed emotions in me. As a Louisiana native, I feel a vague sense of panic, living this far north, and realizing that winter is coming. I love cold weather, but here in Nebraska, winter itself is something to endure.
At the same time, fall is my favorite season. I love the colors, the crispness of the air, the sweetness of freshly picked apples. I love Thanksgiving. And pumpkins! We will not mention football. It all depends on how our favorite team is doing.
Also, as a Louisiana native, that first cool snap gets me thinking about making the first gumbo. Had the cool weather hung on a few more days, I definitely would have honored this urge, and made a huge, steaming pot of gumbo. It is in my blood.
That first gumbo day is coming. I can see it in the browning of the seeds of my wildflowers. Fall stars are peeking over the horizon at dawn. Birds are migrating. Days are getting shorter. And the weather is changing. I am not ready for it, yet, but it is almost here.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Cottonwoods and Milkweed
Today we went on a long walk to see signs of fall. It was a beautiful, sunny, and crisp fall day that eventually became overcast and cloudy. Our walk was a success, though, because we saw a beaver swimming, meadowlarks (I love meadowlarks!), a garter snake, milkweed pods and seeds spilling out, and fall color in the sumacs and cottonwoods. I love how this tree seems to be changing from the bottom up:
We stood under a cottonwood for a while, looking at the leaves. The yellow is not as intense as the yellow of aspen leaves, but the cottonwoods also make a rustling sound. It is a peaceful, awe-inspiring thing to listen to trees in the wind. It is good to stop once in a while, and listen.
Trees have always been a source of joy for me. I felt lost without them when we lived in the desert.
The showy milkweed seeds were spilling out everywhere. It looks very different from the last picture of them that I posted!
The fluffy seeds were caught on the grasses everywhere I looked. And the grasses were beautiful. The grama was a purplish color, and the foxtail was a lovely raw sienna. I am still learning the grasses here! There are so many unfamiliar ones.
The goldenrods are finished flowering, and beginning to dry. Asters, mostly white ones, were everywhere. And there is something tall with yellow flowers in the highway ditches, but I have not been able to find any yet on a side road to pull over and investigate.
There were ducks out on the water, but I was not close enough to identify them.
We stood under a cottonwood for a while, looking at the leaves. The yellow is not as intense as the yellow of aspen leaves, but the cottonwoods also make a rustling sound. It is a peaceful, awe-inspiring thing to listen to trees in the wind. It is good to stop once in a while, and listen.
Trees have always been a source of joy for me. I felt lost without them when we lived in the desert.
The showy milkweed seeds were spilling out everywhere. It looks very different from the last picture of them that I posted!
The fluffy seeds were caught on the grasses everywhere I looked. And the grasses were beautiful. The grama was a purplish color, and the foxtail was a lovely raw sienna. I am still learning the grasses here! There are so many unfamiliar ones.
The goldenrods are finished flowering, and beginning to dry. Asters, mostly white ones, were everywhere. And there is something tall with yellow flowers in the highway ditches, but I have not been able to find any yet on a side road to pull over and investigate.
There were ducks out on the water, but I was not close enough to identify them.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Summer's Close
We took a brief walk on a local trail to soak in the last of summer.
The only sounds were the insects: cicadas and grasshoppers. I didn't hear any birds.
I noted fat milkweed pods ripening. One had dried and split open, spilling fluffy seeds out. One was full of red and black milkweed bugs.
Some grasses were drying, and turning a beautiful shade of umber. And the Asters have appeared. These have always been harbingers of fall for me.
Sunflowers were still flowering, but I saw many seedheads.
Just a few more days until the official start of fall!!!
The only sounds were the insects: cicadas and grasshoppers. I didn't hear any birds.
I noted fat milkweed pods ripening. One had dried and split open, spilling fluffy seeds out. One was full of red and black milkweed bugs.
Some grasses were drying, and turning a beautiful shade of umber. And the Asters have appeared. These have always been harbingers of fall for me.
Sunflowers were still flowering, but I saw many seedheads.
Just a few more days until the official start of fall!!!
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
A chill in the air
How can it be the middle of September already? Somehow, August slipped by.
We have been very cool- the lows last week were not record-breaking, but low enough to cause my basil to break out in black, unhappy spots. The birds are now few and far between in the yard. Gone are the mixed-species flocks that fought over the small birdbath. It is very quiet now, except for the insistent calling of a blue jay.
And it is chilly. Layering a sweater or jacket is now a must. There is the smell of fall in the air: crispness and peat-scented humus. Fall has always been my favorite season.
The grass is still green, but some trees are showing a speck of color in the leaves. I am looking forward to the fall colors, especially in the maples.
We have been very cool- the lows last week were not record-breaking, but low enough to cause my basil to break out in black, unhappy spots. The birds are now few and far between in the yard. Gone are the mixed-species flocks that fought over the small birdbath. It is very quiet now, except for the insistent calling of a blue jay.
And it is chilly. Layering a sweater or jacket is now a must. There is the smell of fall in the air: crispness and peat-scented humus. Fall has always been my favorite season.
The grass is still green, but some trees are showing a speck of color in the leaves. I am looking forward to the fall colors, especially in the maples.
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