Steve Willson's recent post from Blue Jay Barrens prompted me to get off my butt and get outdoors. "I hope that my blog posts will motivate people to get outdoors to see what’s happening and to make their own discoveries." Thanks, Steve, I needed that.

No colour yet but leaves are looking a little tired.

Some tiny sparks of orange across the road from the driveway caught my eye.


In amongst the ragweed was a whole colony of

Spotted Jewelweed!

Also known as Touch Me Not for its spring-loaded seeds, the pod will explode and disperse seeds when barely brushed. But first, this bee needs to do her job.

Thistle is blooming out along the road

for which the Tiger Swallowtails are grateful


as are little black beetles, and

furry Bumblebees.


I also found an unexpected vast field of green in an unusual place. I imagined summer in the polar north with Musk Oxen just beyond the horizon, or a Scottish landscape, or Upper Peninsula breeding grounds for Moose.

But it turned out to be moss-covered shingles on an Ohio shed.

Greenbriar berries

Gray Dogwood berries

The Elusive Butternut

Evidently some of our trees fruited last year behind our backs, for which the squirrels were no doubt surprised and grateful.

White Coral Fungus found growing in The Middle (which I'll map for you one day), in the place where we pulled many wheelbarrowsful of Garlic Mustard this Spring. It is purportedly edible, but I'm neither brave enough nor knowledgeable enough to find out. It's too pretty to pull, anyway.

Back to the road out front, where I haphazardly snapped a butterfly to be identified later.

O noticed it first.

A Goldenrod Crab Spider, having her dinner.

Also on the flowers was this Goldenrod Soldier Beetle, preparing for takeoff.

Also known as Leatherwings, I call them Lovebugs, for they're rarely seen unpaired (for which they just may be grateful).

Thanks for walking with me, O.

Now that Autumn appears to be a sure thing, and mornings are mercifully crisp, I think I'll be getting outside more often.