Autumn Come Lately

It's nearly November and in some cases, here in Chicagoland, fall color has just started.  I am falling behind a bit, myself.  The bird feeder went up only yesterday and judging by the amount of activity, should have gone up weeks ago.  At least I made the blue jay happy.  The robins will be crushed when the birdbaths get put away in the next few days, though.

I'm sure fussier gardeners are cutting back their hostas and daylilies while mine linger in their fall frocks.  I've left the seed stalks of the hosta up over the winter a few years now because not only am I a lazy gardener, but they provide another food source for the birds.  And they look cool dried, especially in arrangements and in a feathery frost.

We celebrate autumn with tramps in the woods.  I'm lucky to have two patches of forest in our village that are lovingly tended, as well as a world-class arboretum, botanic garden and thousands of acres of forest preserve.  In the susurration of shuffling through fallen leaves and breathing in the spicy scent of decay, I feel there is a sense of grounding.  We can touch the slow spiral of descending days as the light fades and the world slides towards winter slumber.  I hope you take advantage of a few free hours to go explore the woods, find an acorn or walnut, and startle a nuthatch or two.

The architecture of oaks

Maple woods

The occasional hawk

And fearless deer