I love autumn almost as much as I love winter. Life slows down. It is a calmer, more peaceful time. I'm able to be outside more often as the temperature becomes more bearable for me. The mosquitoes are gone. The can of insect repellent can be put away.
The colors of fall create an earthy palette along the roadside ditches and the trails. I leave early for work because I stop many times and marvel at the beauty as the morning sun highlights the treetops. The yellow of the aspens is even more brilliant when the sun's rays strike the color laden branches.
When the leaves fall and I hike the trails, I listen to them crunch under my boots. If I walk in the morning when the leaves are wet, I watch the sunlight reflect off the dew or rain drops. They are nature's sparkling crystals.
The empty branches on the underbrush allow me to see the wildlife that remained hidden behind the thick, green, summer foliage.
The haunting calls from the flocks of geese and cranes catch my attention.
Their graceful flight patterns remind me of a choreographed ballet, swooping and gliding through the air. I've seen pelicans, cranes, and geese overhead; all heading south. I wondered where they were coming from and where they were going.
My skis and snowshoes are waiting for the snow to fall. Until that happens, I'll wind down just as Mother Nature does. I'll take in the sights and sounds of autumn. I'll breathe in the cool, crisp autumn air and take every opportunity to spend time outside.
As I looked out the back window to watch the sun rise, I noticed that the wind has stripped the autumn color from the trees. I heard the gusts through the night and this morning, the backyard is littered with leaves.
It is still windy so the efforts to rake them would be fruitless. I need a few bags of leaves to mix into my raised garden beds so the first chance I get, I'll be collecting that backyard carpet and mixing it with the black soil.
On Saturday when I got back from the farm, I was unloading my vehicle and saw birds overhead. This time it was not sandhill cranes. There were pelicans swooping and swirling!
The Canada geese are not on the move yet. I noticed many flocks in the harvested fields; picking up what the farm equipment left behind.
The chickadees and nuthatches are busy feeding in the backyard. I've added some suet and peanut feeders to attract more woodpeckers and blue jays. There has been lots of action at all the feeders. The sunflower seeds need to be filled daily where through the summer I filled those feeders once per week.
The birds are preparing for winter just as I was. The firewood stand arrived and I put that together. The log splitter arrived and the stack of wood is split, on the stand and covered up. The new outdoor fire pit arrived and I assembled that as well. I haven't had the chance to use it yet. There is some prep work that needs doing in the old fire ring before the new one can fit inside safely.
I can't wait to try it for the first time. The forecast for the weekend is looking great and if the wind cooperates, I'm going to try my best for an autumn bonfire. The best case scenario would be to have some leaves left over from the garden project. Oh, how I love leaf bonfires in the fall. I miss my old 'leaf trees' from the backyard. They used to give me enough leaves for a bonfire to last all afternoon.
The drive to work is becoming more scenic each day. This morning the sun was rising on my way in. As it came over the treetops, its rays shone on the reds, oranges and yellows of Mother Nature's canvas.
The colors were stunning. The water in the pond was as smooth as glass. The reflections were brilliant. I had to stop and take in the beauty.
My favorite autumn colors are displayed on the chokecherry trees. The reds 'pop' amidst the yellows and oranges of the aspens.
The weather is holding out as the first day of autumn approaches. I noticed flocks of cranes flying overhead and Canada geese gathering in the fields.
I'm looking forward to an extra day off next week. There's a big pile of wood waiting to be split which will take a day to complete. This means that I'll still have two days left to get out and enjoy the beautiful sights, sounds and smells of autumn.
