Sunday, October 8, 2017

Restless Weather


There has been a subtle strangeness to this first week of October.
Mornings have been cool and misty, burning into noontime temperatures worthy of late August or mid-September.  Evenings have drawn in, early dusk melting into moon-washed nights.

The nameless rose at the edge of the garden has put forth a clutch of sweet-scented blooms, undamaged by Japanese beetles.


Lavender spills over the steps below the side porch; a few butterflies, an assortment of bees and hornets are enjoying the lavender, sampling the dark red cockscombs that have taken over at the edge of the walk.


Two juvenile hummingbirds lingered after the parent birds departed; we watched them late last Thursday afternoon as they zoomed around the feeder--by Friday they were gone.
I wondered: did they launch at first light or wait until the sun had driven away the mist and warmed the air? 
I left the feeders up, having read that hummers don't migrate as a group, but was surprised when a week after our resident birds left, a lone male flew in as I was working on the porch.
He seemed nervous and uncertain, darting at the feeder, but not landing to drink. 

I backed carefully to my rocking chair and was immediately joined by Willis the Cat who may have been at least partly the reason for the bird's wariness.
Willis and I sat quietly while the hummer swooped back and forth at the edge of the porch, his green plumage shimmering in the sun.
Finally deciding that we posed no threat, he perched on the feeder and drank deeply.
He was still here this afternoon, coasting in on the rising wind, tanking up on the sugar syrup.


It has been overcast today, the wind a constant presence, leaves drifting down . 
I was filling the kettle for tea when I saw the deer slip out of the woods below the barn.
We usually see them in groups of two to five, but this was a lone visitor,


The wind was blowing toward me, and I was able to walk close enough to use the zoom lens for photos. 
Several hours later, just before dark I gave no thought to deer when I walked out the path into the woods where I dump cat litter.
Either this deer or one of its friends bounded out of the underbrush and dashed ahead of me into the darkness.
Now, at nearly midnight, the wind has dropped, a fine mist of rain is falling.
The air is soft, the moon hidden.
Perhaps this week autumn weather will move in.


12 comments:

  1. What a pretty rose, shame you do not know the name. I love the little deer too.
    Briony
    x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Briony; I've wondered if I should give the rose a name? It is a pretty one with a lovely scent. Perhaps I will see one like it at a nursery sometime and learn its name.

      Delete
  2. Still summer here and I'm really tired of it. Our roses have started blooming again too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Janet; I think we like our seasons to progress in the expected way. This has been a strangely long summer in Kentucky.

      Delete
  3. The weather here in Southwestern Vermont has been 'restless' as well. The New England Asters have put on a display worthy of Royalty but are now slipping off to make seed for next year. The Monkshood continues to bloom and the bees, slipping into the hoods looking for nectar cause the hoods to vibrate in the most delightful way. Our leaves are nowhere near peak color so fingers crossed that they will not disappoint. Still no sign of a frost, killing or otherwise. I've picked the last of the ripe tomatoes and the green tomatoes have been turned into Green Tomato Relish. Jack Frost can come any time now!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mundi; I look forward to your lyrical descriptions of seasons in southern Vermont. I really miss New England Asters--I've planted them at least twice and they die out after a season or two.

      Delete
  4. Lovely writing as always. We here in Ontario broke records for rainfall all summer and then for heat in September. October is still unseasonably warm and even muggy at times. Strange. What pretty flowers you have around and I too see deer on my walks and from my veranda.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jocelyn; Its been raining and muggy here today [Monday] but there are definite hints that fall will take over soon. There is something always special about seeing the deer.

      Delete
  5. I always love readying your posts. Your writing takes me out of my own existence into your living in the country, peace filled one.

    Have a lovely week ~ FlowerLady

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rainey; One of the nicest things about following a blog is the chance to catch glimpses of another part of the country, other cherished gardens and homes.

      Delete
  6. There's a beautiful poetry to your words - I felt myself there, feeling the mist, the autumn breeze, the sudden surprise of the deer in the woods. xo Karen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen;Words are always with me singing through my head while I'm working. Very few of the words make it into print!

      Delete