Last of Fall

 The days are still warm, 50s and 60s, while night temperatures are dipping below freezing. 

 
The day after the World Series ended where my favorite team St. Louis Cardinals lost, this Northern Cardinal started pecking at my window.  He probably sees his reflection as a rival for his territory.  I enjoy getting a close up look at him and hearing his singing in the nearby tree.  But, it is starting to be annoying after more than a week.



I tried putting images of the barred owl on the doors but that only delayed him for a few hours. He pecked on the other open areas.   This morning, my husband put an outside roller shade up.   That kept him away from the sliding glass doors.  After about an hour, he pecked at the kitchen window.

The only solution is to get outside and walk!   There was still some fall color on November 1 when I photographed these golden American Beech trees in the background with Christmas ferns in front.

 The American Beech leaves on the small trees will turn brown and hang on until spring.

This morning, I put a blaze orange vest on Kookie so she won't get shot during deer hunting season which lasts through Thanksgiving week.    I am not sure she likes it but it makes me feel better. 

Eastern Hognose Snake

Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon platirhinos)

Sophie, our cat, first spotted it and then Kookie, our boxer/lab, ran over and began her "snake" bark. Kookie is scared of snakes and would not be any closer than a foot from it. I went into the house to grab my camera.



With Kookie still barking, the snake had spread its head and neck and gazed toward me, hizzing all the while. That's how I knew it was a hognose. From this angle, it's hard to see the characteristic upturned snout which gives the snake its name. He uses the snout to dig up buried toads--plenty of those around here. This snake looked over 3o inches long--close to the mature size.



This photo was taken with the flash--hence the more yellowish tone. I had seen a hognose many years ago but that one was colored much differently--much lighter. So, it's hard to identify by color although the markings are similar. The hissing and flared head behavior was a dead giveaway for the hognose. That is how I knew this snake was all bark and no bite. Back then, I was so scared I backed off without getting a photo. My husband went out and moved it with a stick--it flipped over and played dead, another characteristic of the snake.

But I didn't want to bother the snake. I grabbed Kookie by her collar and led her back to the house. She did not object--thankful that I had saved her from the snake encounter. When I went back, the snake was gone.

Fall Color Fading Fast

Red Maple with Yellow Poplars Oct. 28, 2010

The weather has turned chilly enough that we fired up our woodstove. Most of the leaves have fallen from the trees although a few red maples still retain their color.


Red Maple with Christmas Ferns

The Red Maple and Christmas Ferns remind me that the holiday season isn't far away.
The ferns will stay green until next spring when fiddleheads form with the old growth finally turning brown during the summer.



My dog, Kookie, loves it when I go on these walks. She's usually hunting for chipmunks or anything else she can dig up.


Back at the house, she is content to go through her toy box. Unfortunately, she never puts the toys back!

Well, I better put another log on the fire.

14" of Snow!

It started about 2:00 yesterday and snowed about 1 inch an hour all afternoon, evening, and night. I measured at 11:00 a.m. and it was still 14 inches even though the temperature rose above freezing. On this photo, you can see my dog, Kookie, in the middle coming back up our driveway. She loves it.



It looks like more than 14" on top the bee hive. We cleaned the front opening so that there was ventilation. The bees will cluster with the queen in the center. The worker bees take turns being on the outside (just like in March of the Penguins).



I walked down the driveway (dog in front) in the ruts Steve created with the UTV. He still got stuck in a couple of places--no way our 4WDs will make it out anytime soon. Our road isn't plowed and Interstate 81 is still closed. The governor declared most of Virginia a disaster with the National Guard helping stranded motorists on the interstates.

We had to cancel our trip to the Grand Canyon--we can't get to the Charlotte Airport. But, I guess we will have a white Christmas! And, this makes our dog very happy.


We stocked the feeders this morning with the downy woodpecker already taking big bites out of the suet cake. I noticed so many dark-eyed juncos on the ground--now I know why they are often called snowbirds.