Fall Reveals

  Basically I am not a big fan of fall--colorful or not---everything is dieing, going dormant or migrating. Raking leaves is not that enjoyable either.  All I can think of is the coming winter season and being cooped up in the house.  No matter how unbearably hot it gets in the summer I never feel like like a prisoner of my home as I do in the winter.  The one thing I somewhat enjoy is how the bare trees reveal the starkness of the branches against the blue sky.  Usually, I find a praying mantis or a walking stick in the garden during this season and I got photos of both:

   They are so fascinating.  They are big, they move their heads up and stare at you dead in the eye, they are a good example of camouflage and they eat the head of their mates!!  Whoa!  One year there was one on my porch and I flicked a bug near it and I got to see some real action in the pursuit of prey.

The walking stick:

   After the leaves are gone bird's nests are revealed.  I used to find the sack-like nest of the Baltimore Oriole.  You would see blue tarp stands woven with other natural materials.  I haven't had the pleasure of their nesting for two years.  Maybe the disintegrating tarp is gone and the birds have moved on or the new high school was just too much development.

Squirrel nests are revealed as well:

Migrating pale-colored robins seek red berries from the dogwood trees:

Sometimes I find a nasty infestation of bag worms on trees and shrubs.  The insects winter over in a cocoon-type of formation:

Aside from nature's revelations, how about some colorful fall scenes:

My old milk bottle arrangement:

Farm Market offering:

Good time of the year to plant trees, Roe: