Signs of Autumn (Post Them Here)

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A squirrel terrorist attempted to assassinate me today by dropping an acorn on my head, but fortunately I heard it coming and jumped out of the way.

I've been picking up different leaves when I've strolled outside this week, the sickly yellow ones make me kinda concerned, the vivid crimson ones fascinate me, I usually hold them for a few minutes, the ones caught in between I don't really bother bending down to retrieve, twice I saw perfectly healthy and obliviously cheerful green blotches tumble down, so it seems autumn don't care much for what colour you are, you're being sent down to the impassive never changing tarmac slab if the dice rolls your number.

Migratory birds moving down the flyway.Lots of fall warblers and huge flocks of robins.Lots of different bird songs in the woods.The white throated sparrows have arrived singing their song of"O sweet Canada,Canada,Canada."
Time to fill up the bird feeder.

Hmm, the ones here in New England sing "Old Sam Peabody, Peabody Peabody." Sounds like you may have some of them illegal foreign migrants on your hands there.

Maybe they are Liberal sparrows.lol They just really admire the government in Canada.
On the other hand they do hang out eating free seed till around May,then they go back north to breed.More and more show up each year at the feeders.They are bringing all their realatives.
Later on there will be Snowbirds(not the kind that drive Winnebagos) and Purple Finches.

It was already dark by 6:10 pm today. Next Sunday the clocks go back, so then it'll be dark by 5:10, then 4:00 in a few weeks!

Had to wear my coat to walk to the library this evening.

Lots of owl hooting and coyote song at dusk.
"Listen to them,the children of the night.What music they make!"

Apple time, and one of the great apple harvest songs:


Within the woodlands, flow'ry gladed,
By the oak trees' mossy moot;
The shining grass blades, timber shaded,
Now do quiver under foot;
And birds do whistle overhead,
And water's bubbling in its bed;
And there for me,
The apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea.

When leaves, that lately were a-springing,
Now do fade within the copse,
And painted birds do hush their singing
Up upon the timber tops;
And brown leaved fruit's a-turning red,
In cloudless sunshine overhead,
With fruit for me,
The apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea.

Let other folk make money faster;
In the air of darkened towns;
I don't dread a peevish master.
Though no man may heed my frowns
I be free to go abroad,
Or take again my home-ward road,
To where, for me,
The apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea.

Still no frost on the pumpkin.Feels more like summer here,still in the eighties.The peeper frogs are peeping,snakes are still out.Saw a black snake and a spreadnadder yesterday.The spreadnadder was on the bottom step intimidating the dogs.It was a very pugnacious little snake,I moved it so the dogs could come in and have lunch.Heard the first honking of a flock of geese going over.Still harvesting tomatoes and peppers,summer flowers are still going strong.Zinnias,marigolds and Mexican sunflowers are ablaze in color.
The fifth warmest October on record here.
I sit outside every evening and soak it all up.

The greatest of all October songs. Words by the late great Johnny Mercer, music by Barry Manilow.

The Juncos arrived yesterday. That's the first sign of winter.

This morning, for the first time this fall, there was frost where I live. The temperature is below 0 C, and small puddles had frozen. Just a couple of days ago it was 10 C.

That specific luminosity.

First frost,time to do up green tomato pickles and venison jerky.
And this.

A Leaf Treader by Robert Frost

"I have been treading on leaves all day until I am autumn-tired.
God knows all the color and forms of leaves I have trodden on and mired.
Perhaps I have put forth too much strength and been too fierce from fear.
I have safely trodden under foot the leaves of another year.

All summer long they were overhead more lifted up than I;
To come to their final place in earth they had to pass me by.
All summer long I thought I heard them threatening under their breath,
And when they came it seemed with a will to carry me with them to death.

They spoke to the fugitive in my heart as if it were leaves to leaf;
They tapped at my eyelids and touched my lips with an invitation to grief.
But it was no reason I had to go because they had to go.
Now up, my knee, to keep on top of another year of snow."

Growth? Change? A new note? Let us tread together.

Trees losing their leaves