Changes

Besides changing the page on the calendar, lots of other things are changing around here.  Like the temperatures.  Whoa!  Last week we were in the 90’s.  This morning was a chilly 37 degrees.
 
The variety of birds have switched completely.  There’s still a couple hummingbirds passing through, but every day more winter birds are appearing.  Woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees and blue jays.  Gone are the towhees, catbirds, bluebirds and rose breasted grosbeaks.

The deer have changed from their pretty red summer coats to the darker winter hair.





The bucks are starting to rub the velvet  off their antlers.  Kind of scraggly looking isn’t it?


Of course at this time of year, the trees and brush start changing too.  Lots of maples are showing off their pretty leaves.  The ferns and ash trees have turned yellow and brown.  Different kinds of red berries are visible now that the leaves have fallen off.  The days are becoming so much shorter and it gets dark so fast, too.  I really love fall with all the changes and pretty colors.  In my perfect world, I’d want it to be fall all year long.

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The other night we tried another choice edible mushroom.  I made a chicken and wild rice dish and added some pear shaped puffballs to it.  Oh my goodness…was it ever good!  Don’t worry, I’m very careful about picking and eating these.  I double, triple and quadruple check each variety before I even consider picking it and the research is well worth it.   There’s nothing fresher or naturally organic than these things.  They taste and smell so good, nothing like store bought button mushrooms.   And they’re right out the door just waiting to be enjoyed.