“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.”
Robert Frost
Showing posts with label autumnal beauty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label autumnal beauty. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Magical Deer


The magical deer arrived silently, not a sound was made. Two adorable little fawns, wearing their wooly coats. Looking as sweet as can be. It was late afternoon, just before five o'clock. The light was fading, 
it was turning to dusk.








Guy was looking out the window, I glanced out to see what he was looking at, and there they were.  I grabbed my camera and through the basement window captured the twins eating birdseed out of the platform feeder.  It was a cold day and I had just refilled the tray earlier in the afternoon.  It was full of sunflower seeds, corn and nuts.







They are looking at each other as if to say,
 "This is so good, we are very lucky little deer! Mmmmm!"











And then there were Three......  this one a larger doe.






And then there were Four .... another doe. 
They all took their turns eating, and they ate every bit of the seed.














When all the seed was gone, they left as silently as they came.


Peace and Joy to All! 
Enjoy the magic that is all around you.

~~~Diane~~~





Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Spooky


Hello! I'd like you to meet my favorite Scarecrow, Miss Gertrude the Garden Goddess!  She is my favorite creation that I found at our Arboretum.  The place was all decked out with all sorts of spooky things and pumpkins every where!








The pumpkin house was really cute and the kids (big and little) loved it!










These Wizard of Oz scarecrows were just downright weird and alien looking!







The day couldn't have been more perfect!  Gorgeous blue skies, with no clouds in sight. It was really a gift!







I loved this scarecrow too! A Crow Scarecrow!! Amazing!















This had to be the spookiest scarecrow of all!  Wouldn't want to meet him in the dark!






There were Gardener scarecrows........






And there were scarecrows that were just unusual!























Goofy scarecrows......






Ethereal scarecrows......






Even the sculptures got into the act with some pumpkins... sorry I can't remember the name of these gals... Now I'm going to shut up and let you enjoy the photos and the spooky music.  If you don't like a particular selection, just go up to the Soundcloud widget and click on down the selections for something else.


















































































Hope you enjoyed your virtual visit almost as much as I enjoyed my real one!

Happy Halloween to be!!

~~~ Diane ~~~


Monday, September 15, 2014

Almost Autumn

It's almost Autumn! Are you ready?




On a recent road trip to a family event we stopped in at the Sica Hollow State Park which is located in northeastern South Dakota. This was only my second visit in about thirty years and I had almost forgotten how beautiful it was. This area is far enough north that the Autumn colors were already showing. Let me tell you a bit about this park.

It is an area with deep, forested ravines on the eastern slope of the Prairie Coteau Hills. The belief that it is haunted is widely held. The Dakota Sioux once used the area as their primary hunting grounds. They named the place "Sica", (pronounced she-cha) meaning evil or bad.  One reason is that the water that gushed from the many natural springs was red-tinted, most likely from the minerals in the water. However the Dakota felt that is was a sign of supernatural forces at work.

Some of the areas have a form of quick sand, that only enhanced the spooky dangerous feel of the area. Not to mention swam gas and stumps that glow in the dark! All of these natural factors led to more stories and superstition. Even as recently as the 1970's a new fear factor was introduced, Big Foot! Several expeditions searching for the hairy beast ensued without any real evidence, but it makes for a good story! Many overnight campers claim to have heard war whoops, chanting and drums. It is as if the ancestors of the Dakota are still laying claim to this ancient place.




Sightings of brown bear and big cats (cougars) only add to its danger and mystery. While we were there we only encountered an occasional squirrel. Birds singing and the water running through the many brooks and streams where the only sounds we heard. I do feel it to be a very spiritual place though and can understand why at night it might feel a bit spooky!



The sumac was turning fiery red and some of the native grasses had an almost purple hue to them. In the meadows there were hundreds of sunflowers. The sky was filled with thin clouds that made the sky appear white but it almost made the area glow with color!











This is a close up of the Staghorn Sumac. We have it growing in our area, but as yet it has not changed color. This was a favorite plant of the Native Americans.  The bright red autumn foliage is easy to identify and the large cone-like, dark red berry clusters are very distinctive. It's been used as a delicious drink and food source for thousands of years. The berries are used in a cold beverage (similar to lemonade) or in teas. I found a great site about how to harvest sumac and how to use it here. If you have access to your own you might want to try some of the recipes.

Autumn will officially be here in just a few days.  I have finally excepted that summer is over, even though it took forever to get here and didn't last nearly long enough!

How are you all feeling about the changing seasons? Let me know!
Have a wonderful week! ~~ Diane




Wednesday, October 23, 2013

One Last Gift from the Garden

My garden decided to give me a gift before going to sleep for the winter. 

It came from my lovely Hansa rose. At the very top of the bush on some new growth, a cluster of roses formed.  I noticed it last week and thought how pretty but lonely they looked up there.  After hearing the forecast for the weekend, I decided to cut the little cluster off of the mother plant.


I pampered them and babied them for a few days and photographed them from every angle so I would remember this October gift.  I wish I could have captured their scent too.















"With its leaves so rich and heavy with elation
and its crimson face made brighter with visions of divinity
the shadow of a certain rose looks just like an angel eating light."

Aberjhani, Visions of a Skylark Dressed in Black





The seasons are in a hurry to catch up and we have had below average temperatures all week.  I have hurriedly unpacked my sweaters and fleece in preparation for what is to come!  Tiny snow flakes have been flying around and landing on the backs of my black cats! Dot especially dislikes the cold weather.

My first pumpkin pies have come out of the oven this week and I have seen the Junco birds in the yard! These are all sure signs that Autumn is half-way over and Winter may be arriving early!

Stay warm my friends! ~~ Diane





Friday, October 12, 2012

A Beautiful Fall Morning...


Our weather has turned quite cold already, but the sun somehow always makes me feel a bit warmer on these blustery days.  The steady breeze made it look as though it was raining leaves.




Guy was enjoying some fresh air and sun while keeping an eye on our other cat Dot.








I love looking at the leaves and their various shapes and colors. I'm always amazed at how beautiful something that may seem so ordinary, is so beautiful. Guy enjoyed playing with them and even brought one in the house to keep as a souvenir.  It lasted about ten minutes before he had it shredded and scattered all over the floor.







Guy Noir

Guy Noir turned six months old this month.  He is a very nice looking boy and he has the most beautiful long tail.  He is very sweet and loves to play and get into all sorts of mischief.


Red Oak




The sugar maples turn this glorious yellow-gold color. I just had to get a few pictures looking up at the bright blue sky.  I don't believe there was a cloud anywhere in sight!






Our little lake is pretty quiet now.  The resident egrets and herons left several weeks ago and the ducks left last week after several nights of freezing temperatures. Now we will only see a few stragglers passing through headed on down to warmer states like Arkansas and Louisiana.

White Birch

Guy was quite amazed at the leaves that were raining down on him.  I have to remind myself that this is all new to him and the first time he has experienced autumn and a changing season. He spied our small crab apple tree and decided today was a good day to try climbing it.  He was very proud of himself and after climbing back down, climbed it again!
Happy Birthday little Guy Noir!