Mabon

It's Mabon, but it's not like it's snuck up on us, at least not here.  The nights have been - with rare exception - getting progressively cooler.  The vines climbing the trees in the woods have started changing color, always a step ahead of whatever tree they've claimed as a host.  Leaves have been falling...one here, one there...not so many as to draw attention to themselves, veritable ninjas sneaking down to the lawn when they think you aren't looking.

This morning while my coffee brewed, I stepped out onto the deck. Perhaps not the wisest thing to do in sock feet, but my socks dried and no one died from the trauma.  I tossed four Macintosh randomly out into the back, a couple rolling into the brush line out of sight.  My efforts were rewarded later in the morning when I spotted the mama deer in the back grazing, with the fawn - no longer in spots - joining her soon after. They spent about half an hour meandering about while I stepped away from the computer long enough to take a few photos before they made their way back into the trees.

Not much is new in the front garden. The hummingbird feeder is kept full, as I've seen one come in to feed now and again, even this late.  The finches compete for thistle with the squirrels, who impatiently tear holes in the socks, spilling thistle seed on the garden floor to the delight of doves, the chipmunks and apparently the family of skunks who came by gleaning the other evening.  Today on my lunch break, I stepped out to water the hanging plants and refill the bird bath. Coming back up the step I spied a tiny head atop a sinuous length of scaled body - a tiny garden snake, sunning himself in sections in the crack between the step and the porch.  When I left for the grocery this evening, he was still there and I shared him with The Boy, both of us agreeing not to tell Himself so no steps to discourage this resident are taken, as they were with our briefly porch-dwelling bat.

The hydrangea only had one blossom, a modest one at that, the roses keep putting out the odd bloom here and there, but the alyssum and dianthus continue, and the sedum has finally blossomed enough to make the bumblebees efforts worthwhile.  The hanging plants endure, somewhat the worse for wear, but have two potted mums on the sides of the step to distract from their disheveled appearance.

The deer were back again this evening. The Boy noticed them first, and I took the camera and two more apples out to the deck with me.  I rolled the apples like bowling balls onto the lawn as they watched me warily.  Mama stomped and flicked her tail but neither fled.  I sat down on the deck floor, very still, to see what they would do.  Mama did not take her attention off me for very long at all, moving from one side of the yard to the other, a few steps closer, a few steps back, all while stomping and flicking, waiting to see if I would move.  They eventually moved off into the trees (without eating their treats) calmly. I'd like to see if they become more accustomed to my presence out there with them, to get pictures that aren't blocked by the house windows.  I went out for the apples and bowled them farther into the trees. Hopefully they come back around for them before the squirrel or skunks steal the fruit.

Tomorrow will be less peaceful as back to the office I go.  I'll hope for more of these crisp-to-warm sunny days before the drear of November sets in, and with it the cold of winter.