November in Shirtsleeves

It was crazy mild this weekend, with highs around 70F/21C. I canoed in a t-shirt!

I hoped to go for a paddle while the leaves were their most colorful but they changed and fell very fast this year. Some deep red remained in the bankside oaks,

where hornets summered.

The reflections weren't very colorful, but they were pretty nonetheless.

Whitetail Deer were moving about this weekend.

Here, a buck escorted a doe across the river and is leading her onto the gravel bar on the right (click to enlarge).

I was surprised at how quickly the Black Walnuts disappeared this fall. The crop was healthy enough but they barely hit the ground and were gone. Squirreled away for a "bad" winter, perhaps? Other creatures are filling up and storing food--

this was the second corn cob of the day for this Eastern Chipmunk.

A White-breasted Nuthatch fed at the feeder,

and a Carolina Chickadee-dee-dee-dee.

You can see we don't rake our leaves. How silly would that be, to rake, bag, pay for removal, get in the car, buy a bag of fertilizer wrapped in plastic, spread the fertilizer, then dispose of the bag? Better just to sit back, have a beer, and let it all rot. :o)

The reds of the Blackgum leaves from last week deepened in color.

The garden is looking a little scruffy, littered with leaves, but most things have happily survived a couple of light frosts.

The garden is still producing radishes, turnips, several kinds of greens, and spinach. And look at that carrot! Isn't it magnificent?!

It's our first carrot!!!

I pulled and pulled and absolutely squealed when the thing came out of the earth. Then I ran inside to share with O, who shared in my excitement.

Then I killed it, sliced it, and served it in a salad to friends. There are worse ends, I guess.

Of half a dozen persimmon trees, just one produced again this year. They're sparse but seem bigger than last summer's. They're way, way up high--this shot is zoomed in--so we're not likely to taste any. Enjoy, Opossums and Raccoons!

I wanted to photograph the Pin Oak in the front yard but it’s surrounded by trees and I couldn’t get a clean shot of it. So I filmed it, trunk to crown, just to give you an idea of its size.

A friend allowed us to raid his wood lot for trees many years ago. We chose this one, which was far too large for two people to move. We dug it up, schlepped it through the woods, brought it home, dug a hole, planted it, and gave it a good drink. There was much grunting and groaning, and backs were sore the following day. It was worth the trouble.

Photographs I didn't get this week:

* The first snow--I was stuck in my cube in my office many miles to the south when it happened. I hate missing the first snow.

* A Bald Eagle on the river nearly every day. O saw him and phoned in reports to me. I spent most of the weekend looking out the window but he seems to only work Monday through Friday.

* The Screech Owl who flew in front of my face at arm's length as I walked the puppy in the dark. Yes, their wingbeats really are silent.

* The Ghost Deer of 'Possum Valley, clearly seen this evening across the river but too dark to photograph.

I managed to get a shot of sunlight on the pond yesterday. It looks like a starry sky, don't you think?

Watching Autumn Fall

The wind blew this week. Leaves fell. Here are some.

Eastern Wahoo, Euonumus atropurpureus

American Chestnut, Castanea dentata

Sassafras, Sassafras albidum, 3 leaf forms

Arrowwood viburnum, Viburnum dentatum

(The squares on my quilted jacket are about 2"/5 cm for scale.)

Paw paw, Asimina triloba

A leaflet from a Shellbark Hickory, Carya laciniosa

Sugar Maple, Acer saccharum, with galls

Sycamore, Platanus occidentalis

Northern Red Oak, Quercus rubra

Bitternut Hickory, Carya cordiformis

Pin Oak, Quercus palustris

Blackgum, aka Black Tupelo, various leaves, Nyssa sylvatica

Tulip Tree, Liriodendron tulipifera

American Sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua

Fringe Tree, Chionantus virginica

Witch Hazel, Hamamelis vernalis

Silver Maple, Acer saccharinum

Hoptree, Ptelea trifoliata, a bit ragged but the only leaf to be found with all three leaflets intact; toothmarks by Swallowtail caterpillar

Cucumber Magnolia, Magnolia acuminata

Leatherwood, Dirca palustris

American Beech, Fagus grandifolia

Bur Oak, Quercus macrocarpa

Spring and Summer have their charms -- but I’m glad they’re gone.

With leaves on the ground, I can see the river and its waterfowl, birds and squirrels in the trees, the landscape, sunlight, the sky, the clouds, the stars. . . no more mosquitoes! I can stay out as long as the cold doesn't drive me in!

The only thing obstructing my view of the river right now is Witch Hazel flowers, not such a bad thing.

The following audio is for my sis. She's in Florida, where leaves don't

crunch.

Things is Changin'

Short days, light frosts, cold rain, and strong winds brought big changes this week.

The view from the kitchen window changed dramatically from last week, more color and more open.

Even the water seems different, more a steely gray than the usual murky brown.

Maples across the river are mellow yellow.

Arrowwood virburnum is tinged with pink.

A bit of audio for my goose-loving friends...

(Perhaps they'll land next time.)

It was a good weekend for pancakes. Juneberries have been in the freezer for months and it was time to try them.

They're every bit as good as blueberries, just different.

Juneberries in October!

We're a 2-dog house once again. Meet Capo. He was on death row at a shelter till a private no-kill organization rescued him. He's smart, goofy, funny, and handsome. We love him already.

There was no reason for someone not to adopt him; there are just too many dogs, not enough homes... and not nearly enough spaying and neutering going on.

He quickly made himself at home,

and wore poor Hazel out.

Capo's been getting all the attention this week, so we took Hazel to the Woods for some quality time.

All was gold there, too.

Bald-faced Hornet nest, a remarkable structure (this one a little smaller than a soccer ball) made of wood pulp and wasp spit. We often see these in treetops, but this was the first we'd seen on the main trunk of a small tree.

I scored a handful of Wild Leek seeds (smaller than BB's and just as hard), brought them home, and scattered them in the wildflower bed in the front yard.

Cut-Leaved Grape Fern, Botrychium dissectum

Shagbark Hickory, Carya ovata

With gold, gold everywhere, it was nice to see the red of a maple leaf.

Hazel romped, ran, jumped, and frolicked, and was exhausted by the end of our walk.

(The blog title, Things is Changin', is Fred Eaglesmith's 5th album, released in 1993.)

A Fall Day

Just some photographs today. . .

Black Walnut, in hull

Black Walnut, smooshed

Black Walnut, chewed

Bitternut Hickory leaf

Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordifomrmis) crown

Still green across the river where does graze

A patch of color on the bend

Through the kitchen window

Bald Cypresses (Taxodium distichum) turn to copper on the pond

American Bladdernut (Staphylea triflia) pods

Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) limbs

Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) grove

Back yard visitor

An Eastern Screech Owl (Otus asio) passes time in an old nest box.

Last Salad

I picked some of the last veggies from the garden Saturday morning: tiny turnips, cherry tomatoes, radishes, a variety of lettuces and spinach, and a lone red bell pepper. I picked in the the chilly dawn, everything still wet with dew and Friday's rain, and my fingers were nearly numb from the cold when I was done. It really is autumn.

I was skeptical about fall plantings... if they'd have enough growing time to be worth the trouble... but they do and they are.

I pulled all of the Italian parsley, created a bouquet - then dried it in the oven. There's plenty till next season and some to give away.

Sage is drying more slowly in the back room, what a scrumptious aroma.

Driving home Friday evening, I stopped in the rain to catch some color just north of Columbus.

Color in the yard isn't nearly so vivid for the most part.

Hazel and I walked to the North End this afternoon.

Looking south toward the house

Fading colors on the bend

Across the road, it's more autumnal.

The Blue Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) is still the star of the yard, colorwise...

here in thin morning light,

and warmed by autumn's rays, later in the afternoon.

Evening Light

I planted 50+ American Ginseng seeds this evening. We have no real plans to harvest them; it just seemed like a good idea to expand the diversity of native plants on the property. No, the seed stock isn't necessarily local -- but the critters who partake of the fruits probably won't care. It beats the local corn and soybean crop, no doubt.

Panax quinquefolius seed, bottom center, looking like a chickpea

I planted them all over the yard: beneath the enormous sycamores, under several basswoods, and in the shade of various species of oak and maple -- to give at least some of them the best chance. If just a few sprout in the spring, I'll be elated. (More than likely, I'll forget I planted them at all, find them two or four years from now, and wonder how the hell they got here.)

A crab spider on a poison ivy leaf

This got me to won'dring. . . how many spiders on how many leaves are here? How many species? How many birds were born here this summer? How many red squirrels? Bats? What goes on in this yard when I'm at work, sleeping, not looking out the window?

It boggles the mind.

Then I walked around the yard at dusk, marveling in the light, the light.

The Parsley Project

"October" sounds like fall to me but there's not much color in the yard.

The Blue Dogwood leaves are slowly turning,

and the Hackberry is showing some yellow. That's about it, for now.

A frost was predicted earlier in the week. My niece, two counties to the southeast, had a hard frost and her tomato garden is done. We covered the herbs, greens, and roots and everything survived.

I pulled the curly parsley this morning,
dehydrated it in a cool oven,
and dry packed it in mason jars.
I'll throw handfuls of summer into winter soups.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We lost Bokka last Monday, September 28, after a short illness.

It was hard to do yard work when Bokka was outside. Whenever we picked up a stick, she thought it was playtime. In her younger days, she was fearless about jumping into the river to chase a stick or ball. More recently, she would sometimes disappear and we'd find her wading in the pond. The water must have felt soothing to her old bones. She loved back rubs and belly rubs equally. We had to be very careful saying "treat" or "ride" -- unless we planned to follow through.

Bokka was loving and loyal and we miss her awfully. I don't know one way or another about an afterlife for humans, but I'm certain that Bokka is chasing balls, wading in warm ponds, and swimming across clean rivers. . . somewhere.

Cooperative Subjects, and Not So

It's been a super ultra hectic week, with trips south and north, marvelous company, two concerts, bread baking, food prep, packing and unpacking. Whew! It's a bit of a relief just to sit down to the computer. . . but this will be a quick one so I can prepare for the coming work week.

Bumblebee (Bombus spp.) on Jerusalem Artichoke (Helilanthus tuberosus)

She lit on the flower just as I pressed the shutter button and was gone by the time I pulled the camera away. (click to enlarge)

Woolly Bear, aka the caterpillar of Pyrrharctia isabella (what a pretty name!), the Isabella Tiger Moth

I don't put much stock in such predictors but a wide middle band supposedly indicates a mild winter.

Bird dropping on Hoptree (Ptelea trifoliata) leaf

Just kidding!

It's the cleverly disguised caterpillar of the Giant Swallowtail Butterfly, Papilio cresphontes.

We traveled to northern Ohio this weekend, where I saw not-one-but-two! Northern Harriers . Also known as Marsh Hawks, we only see them in deep Winter here so it was extra fun to see them in September.

And now for my uncooperative subject. On Wednesday, a Bald Eagle took flight from the Corn-er as I headed toward that part of the yard. This afternoon, one rounded the bend, right past the kitchen window. He landed on a bankside Sycamore limb

but headed downstream as I opened the window to take his picture.
Eagles are definitely frequenting this stretch of the river and I hope for more sightings when the trees are bare.

Thievery and an Award

O put out corn at 9:30 this morning.

By 11:30, it was gone! We wondered who the thief could be.
The corncob feeder is on the American Linden tree on the left of the weekly photo.(More on the robber later.)

Every week, I panic (just a little) that I'll have nothing to write about. Then I walk outside.

The asters have exploded this week,

in white,

and lavender,

and purple.

I passed some goldenrod and wondered if Sideshow Bob's hair was inspired by this plant.

A garden toad, buried in the mud.

The paw paws failed this year – the flowers formed, then inexplicably disappeared. We won’t know if these tall persimmon trees fruited till the leaves all fall.

We planted a Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) tree years ago.

Now there are dozens of volunteers coming up as root sprouts. All parts of the tree are pleasantly aromatic and are used by a variety of wildlife, including birds, deer, beaver, bear ('though sadly not here), rabbits, and small mammals. The leaves are unique, coming in three forms: oval, tri-lobed, and mitten-shaped.

We try to stick to native trees--trees that naturally occur in our area--but sometimes we fall in love and plant something just a tad out of our range.

This is a Striped Maple, aka Moosewood, aka Acer pensylvanicum. We befriended some large specimens in the U.P. and had to have one here. This is its third year and it's handling Ohio's heat okay. I get upset by non-natives that take over an area at the expense of native plants. . . but in cases like this, I kind of understand why Europeans brought their favorites with them.

The river is low.

We use the gravel bar as a sort of gauge.
Most of the year, it's completely underwater.

While walking through the yard, I heard a series of repeated THUDs. I couldn’t figure it out at first, then saw one as it fell.

A Black Walnut, Juglans nigra

They were falling by the dozen. No wind, really, it was just their time. Some broke open as they hit the earth.

Buckeyes continue to fall, too. Like ball bearings in a cartoon, this landscape is potentially treacherous.

We saw a flash of hawk along the riverbank yesterday. It was small and probably an accipiter, most likely a Cooper's Hawk, Accipiter cooperii.

Upon finding these Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura ) feathers this morning, I was sure of the Cooper’s ID.

I was confident that I had the “Find of the Week” with this Thread-legged Bug. Had he been on a tree or limb instead of a shed wall, I’d never have seen him.

Previously thought to be a Walking Stick, Steve at Lure of the Living corrected me. Thanks, Steve!

My award was short-lived. O found this Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi) in the driveway and we agreed we had a tie.

No bigger around than my index finger, it’s a common snake, but not often seen due to its size, coloration and underground lifestyle.

Oh, the corn thief!

T'was an Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus), putting away food for the winter.

He would scurry up the tree, grab a couple of cheekfuls, then run back down, wherein he ran into his hole and came out, empty-jowled. Winter could come any day now, as far as this guy is concerned.

These Are Beautiful Days

This morning

Yesterday, no clouds, low humidity, yellowing Hackberry leaves against brilliant blue sky

Arrowwood viburnum leaf, Viburnum dentatum


Gray Goldenrod (maybe, there are more than 20 goldenrod species in Ohio), Solidago nemoralis

Gray Dogwood, Cornus racemosa

I’ve noticed this year how much wild berries ripen in waves: first the Juneberries, then blue dogwoods, mulberries, viburnums, raspberries, baneberries, more dogwoods. How very convenient for the birds!

Pokeberry, Phytolacca americana

Also relished by birds, potentially poisonous to humans. Poke salad is eaten in the south after a triple boiling of the young leaves, although doctors have campaigned against it. The dark juice of the berries has been used as ink. They’re prolific here and plants come up in various parts of the yard every year.

Common Elderberry, Sambucus nigra

A wide variety of birds and mammals – including this mammal – enjoy the berries. They make good wine, too.

Ohio Buckeye, Aesculus glabra

I looked this up to do a little write-up and the University of Connecticut Plant Database, under Propagation, read, “must race squirrels to collect seed." Ha ha. Well, a.) they’re poisonous to humans, and b.) the squirrels would be welcome to them anyway--- so a race will not be necessary.



A funnel web spider has overtaken a bird box with an elaborate web.

I hope no birds tried to get in here!

Speaking of spiders, this orb weaver, Araneus sp., guards the front door for us.

O gets the “Find of the Week” prize for this one.

It’s a pair of Wheel Bugs, Arilus cristatus. One of the largest true bugs in North America, they’re huge, 1.5” (3.8 cm). They’re not uncommon but well-camouflaged so rarely seen. From what I read, this pair may have recently mated and the smaller male, on top, is sticking around to guard the female from other potential mates. The red bit on the hind end of the male is a scent sac and he’ll release a pungent odor if disturbed.

If bitten, the bite is supposedly more painful than that of a bee, wasp, or hornet. It may take up to 6 months for the bite to heal.


Another nice find by O (who is far less tormented by blood-thirsty mosquitoes than your blogger),

it’s a warm and fluffy nest

of mice. There are about 7 species of mice in Ohio so I won’t try an ID based on a butt and tail. Too cute.

A short walk to the Point