Around the Village October 21 - 27, 2016

It went from summer to winter in a matter of hours this week. We still had annual flowers blooming, tomatoes on the vine in some gardens, perennials like hydrangeas, roses, and sedums continuing their Autumn display, and not all the leaves down from trees yet. Then we got our first snow on Thursday, October 27th, of a couple of inches. What a wake-up call that we are, indeed, at the end of October. Take a look.

Sharon's Hydrangea on Lake Avenue

Zinnias in a Lake Avenue Garden

Phyllis' Glads

Female Cardinal in My Garden

Balancing Blue Jay

Dark-eyed Juncos returned this week from the North

White-breasted Nuthatch Contemplates Snow

Pat's and Rich's Tomatoes

Snow Rose at Cullinan's Garden

Snow Snakes

Around the Village in Photos: October 14 - 20, 2016

Catch a Leaf - Make a Wish!

There There

Hurry Up!

Blooming at Last

Sycamore Leaf on South Lawn

Framed - Schoolhouse Park

What's the Buzz?

One Strawberry Left for Me

On Saturday morning, October 15, my outdoor thermometer read 31.5 degrees. I had covered my peppers, strawberries, and Montauk Daisies, which were still flowering, with sheets expecting a frost. The frost was scattered around the village and didn't happen at my house. However, friends on Washington Avenue and South Lawn had their gardens zapped. Then Mother Nature did a turn around and temperatures rose to 81 degrees on Tuesday, 70 on Wednesday, followed by much needed rain on Thursday. My Montauk Daisies finally bloomed, the chipmunk left me one strawberry, but the peppers didn't like Saturday's cold and were done. The warmth and wind brought down a lot of leaves this week. Catch a falling leaf and make a wish. Long time village resident, Bob Foster, would tell village children to do so.

Around the Village in Photos: October 7 - 13, 2016

No Frost yet, lots of color, and flowers still blooming!

Around the Village in Photos: September 30 - October 6, 2016

Staghorn Sumac on Janes Avenue

Late Blooming Montauk Daisies on Andrews Avenue

Perfect Rose at Stambach-Fuller's

Happy Zinnias at Kate's

Nature's Collage on South Lawn

Mushrooms on Zim Smith Trail

Tassels of Grass

Around the Village in Photos: September 23 - 29, 2016

After being away on vacation, I came home and filled the empty bird feeders, refreshed the hummingbird nectar and sat back to see who would dine. The usual birds came into the yard: Blue Jays, Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatches, Goldfinches, House Finches, and House Sparrows. But what was that bird in the apple tree? It had a mask! It was a juvenile Cedar Waxwing. There was a Yellow- throated Warbler in the tree too. A female Ruby-throated Hummingbird came to the nectar several times in an hour, taking long drinks. I looked away for a minute and heard a commotion at the feeders and saw a Cooper's Hawk had sailed in. He came up empty for a snack and went to sit on the fence for a few minutes. The asters were buzzing with bees and Cabbage White butterflies. It was hard for me to leave the porch to do anything else with all this activity to watch right in my yard. Eventually, I got up and unpacked. P.S.: The last hummer sighting for me was the 27th.

Cabbage White Butterfly on Asters

Bumble Bee

Goldfinch on Purple Coneflower Seed head which it Enjoys Eating

Cooper's Hawk

Juvenile Cedar Waxwing

Great Blue Heron on South Shore Round Lake

Contorting While Grooming