Flower Gardens, Nature, Telling Me A New Season Is Entering

Rainy Days, Shorter Days, Cooler Temperatures,

Tell Me Nature's Fall Season

 Is Pushing In

     The long shadows reaching out at 6:00 P.M. instead of 9:00 P.M. alert me it is time for the chickens and horses  to be fed and put away into their dwellings for the night.   Safe from predictors, nor worry for me, while I too, find myself stepping into my home, saying goodnight to my busy day.  

     Looking down the path in the lower gardens it is again quiet, peaceful, as daytime recedes, night time seeps into my day. 

     The Goldstrum Rudbeckia are in full bloom in the mature perennial beds.  Impatience in raised flower pots are brimming over with bloom.  A full summers growth and plenty of rain have given the fall garden a lush look.

On the right side of the picture, the Chickens outside run is quiet of the clucking, fussing about who is going to get in the coop first.  The shorter days bring less eggs.

Flower beds are past their prime.  Chickens are taking a drink out of birdbaths.  Won't be long the chickens will no longer free range the property.  Hard frost will eliminate their protection of cover from hungry Hawks flying over.  They will be confined to their outside run attatched to their chicken coop.  Leaves trucked in from the city near by, will be spread deeply so they have place to scratch and eat bugs, worms and grubs that they discover in the 6 to 12 inch depth.  Oh the clucking and sputtering they do so their fellow hens do not grab them away.  

Heavy dew coats the blooms of Hybiscus early in the morning.
Fall brings tempetures in the 40 degrees instead of the hot 70's or 80's like the month of August here in Wisconsin.

Crabapples are ripe.  Dewdrops cover their deep red fruit.

     It's a happy time, a sad time, knowing in a month it might be all gone.  September 1st show it as a tell-tell sign, summer is at an end.  A new season is about to start. Even Nature is a less noisy, baby robins, cardinal, no longer are flapping their wings demanding a bug, a sunflower seed.  I see them fly to the bird feeder helping themselves now.  The young robin, still carrying its spotted colors hopping along the lawn searching for that big fat worm.  Swallows are gathering on the wires, hundreds of them all lined up, getting ready for their flight south.  

Thunder clouds form again.  Coldfront is trying to push out the hot summer days.
Had quit a few rainy days this past week and more is ahead.  Typical  Fall weather
here in Wisconsin.  Summer high heat demanding to stay with loud claps of
thunder, cool air winning out.  I love fall weather.  Good times for long walks,
Weeding and digging in the garden without sweat trickeling down into my eyes.
Gathering produce for the table, fresh and without chemicals on them!

     Its a time for letting go,  facing what is ahead bravely .  My son and daughter in law  first two daughters are leaving for college.  Moving them into their first apartments.

     First time living away from mom and dad.  An exciting time but leaving a big hole in a close knit family of six kids.    They are still just an hour away or call, text away .  Very level headed girls, doing great in high-school, having jobs, driving well most times.  But even with knowing all that, the quiet settling in.  Not hearing those cars coming and going.  Seeing that smile, or maybe the grumpy reply missing.  Yes my own kids grown, in their 50's and 40's experiencing themselves their grown up kids departure.  Letting go, letting God do for them now that they are out on their own.  

     Yes fall brings big changes!

Seeing summer taking a final bow, letting Fall slip into the foreground.  So good to know we can lean on God. 

                                    Psalm 119:50  "This is my comfort in my affliction.  For Your                                                                                                word has given me life." 

                                                                                          Blessings
                                                                                               Kate

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