Blackbird song. . .

Over the housetops,
Over the trees,
Winging their way
In a stiff fall breeze.
A flock of birds
Is flying along
Southward, for winter,
Singing a song.
(Author unknown)

This morning I went outside and heard the LOUD chatter of hundreds of blackbirds gathered in the cottonwood trees. I guess this bi-annual gathering means autumn has not only officially begun on the calender but also in the "air". The large flocks signal spring in late April and harvest time in September. They spent most of the morning flying from trees to the cornfield and back again.

Our MN weathermen are predicting a cold spell for the rest of the week so I spent some time outdoors enjoying the birds and blooms. The asters are looking great this year and I like the combination of the pink ones with rudebeckia and the purple ones with yellow canary vine.


For now, I am enjoying those noisy blackbirds (grackels) that I can't stand the rest of the year :-)

Rain. . .

The rain is raining all around,
It falls on field and tree,
It rains on the umbrellas here,
And on the ships at sea.
(Robert Louis Stevenson)

It has been raining for 2 days with another full day forecast so things are looking pretty wet outside. I am not complaining as those raindrops are beautiful on their own! The frost the other night was not a heavy killing frost so I am happy to report that I still have most of my color to enjoy. The tender annuals (coleus & lantanas) didn't survive but it still looks bright outside even through the raindrops. My two little hummers are still here flying about and we only had a high of 55 degrees today. For now, I am content to stay inside with a warm drink and watch the wet activity in the garden. Hope you are staying dry. . .

Sure Signs

Someone painted pictures on my
Windowpane last night -
Willow trees with trailing boughs
And flowers, frosty white,

And lovely crystal butterflies;
But when the morning sun
Touched them with its golden beams,
They vanished one by one!
(Helen Bayley Davis)

The predicted frost arrived - we woke up to white lawns, white roofs and a frosty garden. I guess autumn has arrived a few days early and my fall cleanup will begin.

The early morning rays melting off the frost had it's own beauty.

MN weather. . .

Weather is hot,
Weather is cold,
Weather is changing
As the weeks unfold.

Skies are cloudy,
Skies are fair,
Skies are changing
In the air.
(Meish Goldish)

There's a Minnesota saying that if you don't like the weather just wait a day and it will be completely different. What a week we have had - from sunshine and upper 80's last Friday to a several cloudy, rainy days and high of 50 degrees today. Tonight there are frost warnings so this could be the end of most of my blooms. My 2 little hummers are still here though they now spend more time sitting than flying about. They each have staked out their territory and I can get extremely close for photo ops. This morning I noticed lots of birds "puffed" up for warmth including this little guy who is as puffed as he can be. What detail we can see on his feathers.

I tried to get out to take some flower photos before the possible freeze and discovered the frogs piled on each other throughout the pond. They take on a gross skin coloring (no green to be seen) and do not move much. They are still piled on every pot and the skimmer was full of them. Yuck!

Nothing gold can stay. . .

When the last hollyhock has fallen
and only seeds remain,
Despite my melancholy
I shall never complain,
For each seed holds a promise
That they shall bloom again.







As summer turns to Autumn
and the hummers fly away,
I file away such memories
to relive another day.
The seasons must keep changing
For "nothing gold can stay."
(Clay Harrison)



We only had a high temperature of 58 degrees today with a predicted high of 48 tomorrow and a low of 35 degrees. I am not ready for a possible frost and the arrival of autumn. With so much color and activity still in in the garden it is hard to believe that autumn officially begins on Saturday but these cool temps and the leaves starting to change on the trees brings me back to reality. I am not complaining - I love fall. The colors, the smells, the orange harvest moons, working outside in cooler temps, and the crunch of fallen leaves. . .I love it all.




Still I can't help feeling a little melancholy over the loss of my beautiful blooms and summer birds, especially the hummers. When I went out to photograph today I found this little guy in a state of torpor. He didn't move at all so I snapped my photo and left him alone, I hope he survives these cold evenings. I wonder how many more days I will see them before they leave to warmer temps in the south.

and . . . .Aunt Em. . .

There's No Place Like HOME!
(Dorothy - Wizard of Oz)

Yesterday was a "work/catch up" day after being gone for 5 days so this morning was my first chance to get outside in the early a.m. with my cup of coffee. Dorothy's right - there's no place like home. The first bright rays were hitting parts of the garden, the birds were singing and the simple peace of just "sitting" there enjoying it all - I felt like I have a "vacation" in my own backyard. Of course, don't take that too literally (and don't tell Jeff) because I also love to travel!

Wild asters were abundant in SD. The roadsides were full of the lavender ones we also see around here but there were also many yellow ones.

They seem to be a very hardy plant as evident by this yellow one growing on the side of a cliff in the Badlands.

Thank you, Lord

I marvel at the splendor that surrounds me,
The beauty that expands from sky to sea.
Oh God, how can I ever start to thank You
For all the wondrous things You've given me?






I thank you, Lord, for trees that grace the woodlands,
For every growing thing that's bright and fair,
For mountains high and every golden meadow.
For wherever there is beauty, You are there.
(Patience Hartbauer)





Jeff & I just returned from a few days of riding in the Black Hills of South Dakota and really enjoyed all the beauty that surrounded us. From the trees growing on the high canyon walls of Spearfish Canyon (photo 1), to the fog shrouded spires of Needles Highway (photo 2), to the buffalo filled golden meadows of Custer State Park (photo 3) and finally the beautiful but desolate Badlands (photo 4) we marveled at God's wonderful creation.

We rode through fog, rain & beautiful sunshine but it was all good, who could complain in these surroundings? I hope to share some more of these "garden of life" moments in the next few posts and over the long white winter so hopefully you bear with me :-)

Friends for life. . .

I can talk with a friend
and walk with a friend
and share my umbrella in the rain
I can play with a friend
and stay with a friend
and learn with a friend
and explain
I can eat with a friend
and compete with a friend
and even sometimes disagree
I can ride with a friend
and take pride with a friend
A friend can mean so much to me!
(Vivian Gouled)

I'm not envious of much in my life - but the friendship shared between my sister and brother-in-law and their best friends is something I wish everyone could experience. They have been in each other's weddings, went on many family Memorial Day weekend outings together, taken vacations together as couples, been there for each other through the major events and health concerns in their lives and can constantly laugh and reminisce over the "remember whens". Today, I had the pleasure of hosting them for a late season tour of the garden. One more shared memory these four friends now have. . .

The imagination verbena and the lantana were favored blooms today so I went out to photograph them specifically for this blog entry. Look at the surprise I found on the verbena - some type of hummingbird moth that looks like he is wearing a tuxedo. I only wish he could have arrived a little earlier for my guests.

One enormous bowl. . .

The lake is one enormous bowl
the sky a multitude of clouds.
(Boris Pasternak)

Duluth continued - the city and surrounding Lake Superior truly are beautiful. On Monday, Jeff, Jayme & I climbed Enger tower for a bird's eye view of the city and north shore line. We walked through the gardens and rang the international peace bell. We rested on a bench at the overlook and watched a ship go under the 100 year old lift bridge. Today, it was back to work but feeling rested after a wonderful weekend.

a beautiful world. . .

There's much beauty in this world
If we but stop to take a look.
To try to write about it all
Would fill a mighty heavy book.
(Bernice Laux)

We took a spur of the moment trip to Duluth to visit Jayme and Scott this weekend. It was a wonderful time enjoying family and the beauty of nature (so much beauty that it will take a couple blog posts to share some of it with you).

The first photo shows Lief Ericson park with a beautiful blue Lake Superior backdrop. The second and third photos are of Jayme & Scott enjoying Jay Cooke State Park with us. What a great time we had walking amongst the rocks, skipping stones (well I guess everyone but me mastered that) and enjoying Jayme's first class bed & breakfast!

Close encounters. . .

Have you ever observed a humming-bird moving about in an aerial dance among the flowers - a living prismatic gem.... it is a creature of such fairy-like loveliness as to mock all description. (W.H. Hudson, Green Mansions)
The hummingbirds are extremely active in the garden these days. Because of all the frenzied feeding they allowed me to get closer than I have ever been before.
The stationery one is a dominant one that staked his territory around the feeder and rested on the nearby butterfly bush to scare off any others expecting a drink of nectar. Believe me when I say he scared them off too - lots of dive bombing and aerial acrobatics! If only I could capture that on camera. . .
I marvel at the detail in the feathers and beads of nectar still on his beak that these photos allow us to see up close and personal. I'm sure hoping for more close encounters before they leave us for the season.

The choir. . .

Visit here, this quiet nook,
as songbirds rest their wings
hearken softly, whisper low
and per chance
you'll hear them sing.
(author unknown)

I don't know if it is because of the angel's trumpet accompaniment or more likely just because it is the highest thing in the garden but the angel weathervane is a favored perch in the backyard.

It is a joy to witness and listen to a songbird stop to sing.