This Fall Keeps on Giving

   I didn't start this fall with any intention of taking pictures of fall colors. Colors this year have been brilliant and wide spread. So here goes with some more fall colors that were given to me.

Brush  on the river bank

Wagon trail

Aspen at the bottom of the escarpment

This time I got some sky in the photo like I was supposed to.

A cooperative pileated woodpecker that posed for me.

       I was surprised to see two flowers in bloom.

Common bluebell

Smooth fleabane

I Bin Workin' Hard!

    I've been working hard to get some photos of fall colors. Yes, our colors started few weeks ago and the best of it is over.

    Along with colors we had some good sky scenes with cloud build ups. 

     So from time to time I grabbed the camera and took a bunch of shots. Most I deleted. 

    So here are some of the shots I kept.

Excuse the neighbor's eave's trough on the left

There's a lot of power in this one.

Lots of sunlight on the birch

A large poplar that's past it's prime

A mountain ash with red berries to go along with yellow leaves.

Blogger Mumblings

     This last week I've heard a couple of bloggers mumbling about making changes to their blogs for the sake of improvement. 

    It's always good to hear a blogger talking out loud about making changes. You can read into that making improvements. Sometimes a change in direction is what is pondered. Do they want to change the emphasis from self to others? Do they want to change the topic a bit? Is there a set pattern that they would change?

    One of the bloggers meets up with other bloggers once a year. This year they are going to make it into a writing workshop. What a super idea. Most of us are writing by ourselves. We don't discuss things with others. I hope these bloggers have a productive weekend. When I tell others that I write a blog they put a pleasant smile on their face and that's about it. They don't really know what a blog is. So I don't get to discuss my writing. 

    Another blogger has a fairly narrow subject matter but it is extremely well written. I hope she finds the new direction so that she keeps being enthusiastic about blogging.

   I have a little note on my desk to remind me of the objectives I laid down when I started blogging. I cover these goals but have wondered widely to other areas. So the list I started with was incomplete.

   It's fun to go back once in awhile and look at the things I wrote. The writing has changed. I guess along the way I've maybe learned some things. Reading other blogs certainly helps. Other blogs give ideas for topics. I never want to get in a rut and write on the same topic.

    There are some things I would like to change. I'd like to change my header. I'm sure the regulars would like to open this blog up and see something different. I would also like to change the format. I've monkeyed around with the format but can't make anything that is much different. 

    So do you ask yourself questions about your blog? Are there things you would like to change? What things have you changed that you really like and feel that were successful?

    What things would you like to see change on my blog? What topics would you like to see on my blog?  Now that I've given you a chance to make comments, I'll have to make some response.

Equinox Thoughts

      Tomorrow is the first day of fall and it usually causes me to stop and think about seasons,weather and time.  The Equinox seems to be a very definite line between summer and fall. One minute it's summer and the next minute it's fall. In reality we've been sliding into fall for quite a few weeks. Our weather has been more variable. We get cooler nights and daytime highs are not as sizzling. The cold northern air is pushing south and mixing with warm air. The two air systems don't like each other so they

fight and push back and forth.. Sometimes one wins and then the other wins. Guess what? We have cool days and warm days. Now when I wake up in the morning it's not very light. I don't have enough time to go for a bike ride after supper unless I want to ride in the dark. Daylight is much less than a few weeks ago.

     So things have been changing and we have  a line to mark the changes. So when the sun shines directly on the equator we have the term equinox to describe the situation.

     Here the sun rose at 7:21 and set at 19:33 which gives us 12 hours and 12 minutes of sunlight. Our days are rapidly getting shorter.

    With the fall Equinox I always think about September. September gives us some interesting times. We see some vivid colors. We see plants that have become inactive. We have some good things and some bad things. We can have very pleasant warm weather and it's been known to snow here in September. Other people like September because they say it's not too hot or too cold. September seems to be a  time to finish summer.

   Where ever you are I hope you are enjoying some gentle September weather.

    There are songs that roll around in my head for September. My favorite is Neil Diamond's September Morn. Do you have a favorite September song. There are many of them.

  

EEK! The Freezer Crashed

   The good thing is it wasn't my freezer that crashed. It was my neighbor's freezer that quit.

    Why is it that when freezers crash , it's always a big surprise. We rarely know when our freezer is on it's way out. Sometimes we don't catch the down freezer for a few days. Half the stuff  or worse  is thawed.

    Then panic!, panic! Help ! Help! What do I do? How much of this can I rescue. Call a repairman. Can he repair it.? Your mind is working in overdrive. Sometimes you can get a repairman quickly enough and the freezer can be repaired. And if it can't be repaired then plans A,B,C,D...

   My neighbor appeared at my door Thur morning. Her freezer had died. She caught it in time to rescue all her food. She happened to go down for a loaf of bread and it felt a little soft and she discovered the freezer was off and would not kick back in. She asked if we had room in our freezer for some of her stuff. She had room in her side by side fridge for the meat but needed a place for her baked goods. Yes, we had room enough for her stuff.

    So her scramble wasn't over. She had to quickly find a freezer and get it to her house. The business could not deliver the freezer until Monday and then they wanted $90.00. They were able to get the new freezer in the back of their Jeep and then wrestle it downstairs on Thur. She had to wash it well as there was a chemical smell associated with new products.

    Now things don't usually happen in ones. Her husband had a medical appointment with the anesthetist as he's having a kidney removed. 

    They had enough stress in this situation. Friday morning she arrived to get her bag of baked goods. 

    How about you? Has your freezer died on you? Have other things quit, like your sump pump?

Another Heritage Ranch Visit

     A few weeks ago I visited Heritage Ranch hoping to see a few interesting, birds, plants and landscapes. I didn't find much and got sidetracked by horses so my post was on horses.

     Sunday afternoon I visited Heritage Ranch again with two friends. We didn't see much for birds. I don't know why? It's a good birding area. We did see a bald eagle. 

     I was able to stop talking long enough to get a few photos.

One of my favorite bridges. It's for cyclists,walkers and skiers. However it's just wide enough and plenty strong enough for a gravel truck to cross.

Going down the 100 steps to the valley floor.

A bend in the river where the bank is eroding. 

Part of the pond made from an old quarry

Bog orchid. I was surprised to find this bloom in Sept.

Now this was blooming lustily. A nickel to the first person who identifies it.

September is a Popular Month

      I am always intrigued by the number of special days that have been designated. Each month is claimed by number causes and celebrations.

     Who says September is National Chicken Month? What does National Chicken Month mean? Who approves or disapproves of such a status? Where can I go to get a month approved as National Blogging Month? What good would it do to have a National blogging Month?

     I'm sure others have more questions about naming a month for some issue or cause. You rarely know about a special month unless you look it up on the internet.

    So as well as being National Chicken Month there are others for September. ..National Potato Month, National Rice Month, National Cholesterol Month, National All American Breakfast Month. So that's a lot of celebration for one month. Trust me, if you look a bit you'll find others.

    Now some months are designated to promote a worthy cause. That's okay.

    Now the month celebration is bad enough but days are taken too. Some days have several designations. Try National Cheese Pizza Day, National Teddy Bear Day, National Play doh Day, National Chocolate Milkshake Day. There are probably many more. Do we need these special days? 

    If I celebrated all these days I would be exhausted. 

     Have you ever participated in one of these weird little days?

     Would you like to designate a month for something special and what would it be?

    I think it's a bit much. I'd like a plain old month that doesn't mix me up.