I am not looking forward to the cold weather that is heading into our region starting tonight. I love nice mild fall days filled with lots of sun-filled days, clear blue skies full of white puffy clouds, and warm places to sit in the garden. I am not ready for cold days to arrive! October is moving along way too fast this year!
We did manage a nice walk in the woods today to collect Autumn leaves. We walked up the holler road then crossed into the field close by the old springhouse. Then crossed the swampy ditch and walked up up the hill into the field that looks down on the barn and house and the hard road. The holler road is now obscured by trees but when i was a little girl I could sit down in the short grass on this hill and see a good ways down the holler. I once sat about where I was standing to take this picture today and watched a cow walk right up the holler road and put herself back into the field. *smile*
looking back down to the holler road from high up in the field. holler road completely concealed by trees. facing west with my back to the woods. Field standing waist tall with grasses and growing up in little pines and cedars.
We now have the leaves we gathered pressing in some heavy books and will sort, label, and place them in our nature journal later in the week. The leaves are not as beautiful as other years. I think the Maryland side of the mountain had the most beautiful colors.
We have chestnut seeds in plastic baggies in the coldest part of the frig awaiting February when we will take them out and try to plant them. Also, we are working on an osage orange project and will hopefully have one or more growing by next year. Also want to try our green thumbs with catalpa and paulownia. We have to try to get some seeds first for these last two.
A solitary butterfly visited the garden last week.
We spotted him flitting about the tall weeds in my rock garden.
He was enjoying this particular wildflower. (Daisy Fleabane?)
I am hoping he makes it wherever he was headed as he did not look too strong but we could not catch him and he did manage to fly away. He was about a month later from the other butterflies that passed through. I think he is a monarch....
This huge black snake was spotted passing through also. He was in the old garden and headed in under the old smokehouse.
He was about 5 + feet long. And eventually disappeared into the field.
Well, it has been a long day. thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great week!
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