Rust

Late October days....everything has turned to rust and curl and seed and fluff. The landscape is opening up and we can see again and walk around...find things we had forgotten about...much like we do in spring after the winter snows have melted.
We are all scurrying...the birds, chipmunks, squirrels etc...us..to get ready for the winter ahead.

Lighting Up the Forest

Columbus Day weekend. I wish I could hold on to these colors, this light, this warm, but soon this time will pass. The temperatures during the day the last few days have been up into the low 70's; mornings are cold and we need to build a fire.

We have been trying to get in as much wood as possible. I go into different parts of the forest to gather scrap wood and birch bark, now easier to spot because many leaves have fallen and have opened up the bushes and canopy.

Yesterday afternoon we watched three crested ducks fishing on the pond...diving deep and fluffing their feathers and poking at their white breasts. After a search, I found out that they were Hooded Meraganzers...females. They are shy do we weren't able to get a close shot of them, but could view them through the binocs.