Briefly: One Blustery Afternoon

October 12, 2010 Breezes preceding a storm ruffle Miss Janet's mane.

Fall is in the air, literally. Today the leaves are flying about in the air on the breezes preceding threatening storm clouds. From the hilltop by our barn, I look out over the fields and note that the hillside is golden in the late afternoon light even on this gray day. Lightning flashes amid dark, dark clouds atop the hillside just beyond the cow pasture across the street. Before I brought hay to the horses, the wind tossed young Janet's mane and pulled at the older mares' tails.

Look closely. How many chicks can you see?

Kimberly had her brood (which appears to be down to six chicks from seven) pecking through the blowing leaves. The birds blended into the foliage so well that I often had to look twice to locate them all. Just for fun I took some photos of them, to see how easy they might be to spot when the picture holds them still. In the photo I see one hen and five chicks. How many can you see?

Harry came to the fence to ask me to say "Hi" to Brooke for him. Hi, Brooke!

This afternoon, finally, our new little goat, Harry, approached the fence as I chattered to him. Since he has been hanging back, not moving, I was pleased to see him feeling bolder. Then I noticed Barney was outside the fence with me, and I thought perhaps the goat had come to see the cat. But no, little Harry had a message he was asking me to deliver. He wants someone named Brooke to know that he misses her pretty smile, and he hopes that she is having fun. I get the impression that Miss Brooke is a favorite of his.

I'm easily impressed by avian architecture.

After everyone was fed and watered and had been settled in for the night, I returned to the house. In front of the porch there are a number of burning bush specimens. Oddly, only one has turned red so far, and it's not one on an end--so I cannot imagine why this one turned before the others. (Anyone with insight is asked to share it.) However, because the leaves are all burning red (hence the name "burning bush"), a bird's nest was suddenly revealed that I had not noticed before. Bird nests, like spider webs, never fail to amaze me. Their creators, working animals and insects, are artists in their own right.