And then there were few...

When I stepped out on the deck this morning with my tea, I could feel the difference.  The air wasn't full of the angry buzz and chatter of a dozen hummingbirds.  Always a bitter-sweet time when they start leaving.  As best I can tell the adult males, most of the females and some of the juveniles probably left at dawn this morning, heading south.  They will eventually cross the Gulf of Mexico and continue into Mexico and Central America where they will spend the winter.  Meanwhile, there are 3 or 4 juveniles buzzing around the garden giving me some nice photo ops.  I like this one because the big maple tree in the background is just starting to show some bits of yellow, giving the photo a lovely background.  My second choice is in Extra, a juvenile feeding on the remains of the phlox.

In other signs of fall, the fat fifth instar monarch caterpillars in the garden are wandering now, looking for just the right spot to pupate.  I watched one for a while this morning as it trundled through the mulch in the garden, exploring things with its feet, finally ending up on the siding of the house.  And a short ways away, a chrysalis turned into a butterfly as I watched.  I enjoy these moments where I can observe the natural world, no politics, no rancor, just life.

Thank you to everyone who left stars, hearts and comments on my anniversary blip yesterday - I wasn't expecting that!  We had a quiet dinner at home last night but tonight we are heading to a favorite lakeside restaurant for a nice dinner (they aren't open on Tuesday, so we agreed to postpone our anniversary dinner for a day).  

Quick trip to one of the local farms today to buy fresh peaches and watermelon.  Oh, how I will miss the summer fruit when it's gone...

xoxo
Debbi