Crisp Fall Days

We are full swing into fall here... with very crispy and cool mornings spiced up with lovely and warm days, and after a hot summer, the cool weather is refreshing!

A rather unique cloud formation I thought! Like an arrow shooting through the sky...

Sally... a.k.a. Sal is a rooster.  He was the last chick hatched out this spring, and is the newest kid on the block... and since Pepper has taken up where his father left off... poor Sal is often on the outside looking in.  He is so skittish and won't let me get close to him at all.

Goldie has turned out to be a remarkable mother.. and now, she is back broody again.  I've given her some eggs to sit on.  I know it is late in the year, but since she is such a great mother, I guess we will let nature have its course.  I've learned that it is better to work with their nature, then to try to change it.

The chickadees are chirping gladly as they visit our feeder.  Always a delight to have such sweet guests!

Singing a cheerful song and I was glad to listen to the spontaneous concert!

These roses showed up via UPS from ProFlowers... sent by a dear friend of mine RH (thank you dear friend, you really brightened my day!) ... just in time for my birthday... yes, it is *that* time of year again!  I'm a year older, and hopefully wiser {smiles}|...

My family celebrated by taking me out to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant... where I forgot to get a picture lol!  Can you believe it?!  My son treated all of us to dinner there, and it was a very special time for all of us.  How nice it is to have the "tables turned" when our precious kids are blessing us on special days!

A group of my friends gathered at a local restaurant a few days after my birthday to share breakfast together. My dear friend SL treated all of us, which was so sweet of  her!  How blessed I am to have such a wonderful group of friends.   It is always time of sweet fellowship for all of us.  Expressions of family and friends in need of prayer were made, and at the end of our gathering, we each prayed for these needs, and there was a beautiful presence of the Lord with us as we prayed.  In fact, the waitress came over and just talked to us for quite a while, and said amen when we finished.  It was a lovely time to be able to share and pray freely about the Lord in this family oriented restaurant, and of course, enjoy good food too!

Flowers still blooming in September... you can't go wrong with geraniums here!  They don't mind frosts, and will probably continue blooming until the snow flies...

Amazingly, 'ole Sal (as we affectionately call him now) has not crowed yet.  I wonder if it is a dominance thing.  He certainly has been procreating though, so he is doing part of his job as a rooster.  So far, he and Pepper get along quite amicably.  I'm thankful for that!

I pulled up all my corn stalks, and decorated my garden gate with them.  The corn stalks also provide a snack for the chickens as they meander into my garden.  I have opened up the garden for them now since everything except cold weather veggies have been pulled up.

The harvest moon that came up this past week.  I didn't get my tripod out to steady the picture so it is a bit fuzzy, but it was enjoyable to watch it come up.

After a rainy Saturday, the most glorious sunset happened... beautiful hues of pinks spread across the sky ...

I never, ever tire of our sunsets here!

It was a frosty foggy fall morning, and was about 35 degrees outside when I took this picture.

An old log fence just down the road from us... all decked out in bright colors from the shrubs announcing the arrival of fall.

Yellow, gold and red hues... beautiful moments of fall.

I want to plant some of these trees in our driveway!  Just down the road from us, these gorgeous trees line the neighbors driveway... gorgeous aren't they!

Brittle yellow hued ferns... like a candle shining its brightest before flickering out, these ferns put on the brightest show before fading for the season.

Wild elderberries growing at the edge of the river.

Mountain ash berries growing in abundance... they will provide a source of food for many animals and birds in preparation for the winter.

A little seating area at the edge of the riverbank.

Oregon grapes growing prolifically... if you like sour... these berries are for you!  They are edible, but incredibly sour... I have baked with them and they make great jellies and jams

Another little sitting area along the river... a great place to sit and watch the wildlife.

This family of geese were still here...

A beautiful pair aren't they...

More sitting areas... this time of year would be perfect for a little picnic.

The glorious colors of fall! Is there any sight more glorious than this?

Finally... the last blooming wildflower of the season - daisies.  I found this one growing in our backyard, the last of the season.  When I see the daisies blooming, I know summer's end is near... and this brave little daisy is still blooming, how happy I was to find it.  I called my daughter over as she is currently enrolled in a drawing class, and so she used this little daisy for one of her projects.

And so the days are moving along... brisk, crisp, and gorgeous fall days.  I am enjoying each and every one... and praising the Lord for His everlasting goodness that I witness each day around me.  :)