Autumn Arrives

Good morning. We are having a warm drizzly day here at the beach, but as Election Day and Veterans Day go by and November rushes on towards Thanksgiving, and ugh, Black Friday, autumn is finally showing her face, with colorful leaves,

....busy squirrels, amber dunes, and blustery skies.

Today I want to share a post from one of my FB groups, a Fall description by talented writer Dawn Suderman, who is kindly allowing me to post it here:

''This is the time of year where you start to feel a chill in the air. Walking outside, gold leaves crunching under foot in the browning green grass, your unconscious senses something different. You think you hear something and look up. Sure enough, you see geese migrating south in their characteristic V formation. Your ears attend the sound of their stiff, long flight feathers rhythmically slicing the air, and you listen as they call to each other. You know that your future will soon involve winter coats, fireplaces, hot cocoa, hopefully snow, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and time spent with loved ones celebrating the holidays.''

Isn't the description so perfect and evocative.

I have been washing windows and screens, throw rugs and white slipcovers. Dusting the crocks and bowls.

Airing and refolding quilts...

As I rearrange  my October quilts I admire their golden beauty and muse about the appeal of cheddar and pumpkin colors in pioneer days. My stack of October quilts seems to glow on this grey day. How heartwarming they must have been in a dark homestead lit only by whale oil or kerosene.

Garden cleanup, the last marigold bouquet?

........

My friend L and I have had a mini cook off, comparing beef stew recipes. Hers wins by miles, so delicious. More of a ragout than stew, long and slowly cooked til it becomes fragrant and almost caramelized. We agree curly golden noodles are best [No-Yolk] accompaniment. Neither of us use a recipe, so I'll share another friend's fabulous apple-butternut soup. She adds turmeric, curry powder, and shallots. Hint: be sure to find smoked Hungarian paprika, sweet not hot. HERE



Have a great week, gonna be cold! Snow?

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....

PS on a Blogger tech note, Blogger is again not forwarding your comments to my email! I apologize for delays in responding, or missed comments. Any other blogging friends having this issue again? Any fix out there?

Searching for November

Hi everyone! Welcome,  November ~

I love November---the dark quiet rainy days, the windy stormy days, the glory and bluster of the brilliant sunny days that follow. The season has finally arrived, it is indeed Autumn, now during the first weeks of November.

Mo is not so fond of rain as I am:

Each morning as I sip my hot tea I look out at the dunes, now beginning their color change from green to gold and ochre.

Often there are flocks of birds, especially on quiet foggy days .

These are migratory geese, passing through, resting in the flooded swales.

Or after a windy storm, I see geese, ducks,  and many flocks of tiny birds who fly much too fast for me to capture them on my camera.  One morning there was a large hawk, soaring low, round and round over the dune and swales. Would he capture something as large as a goose? Or a tiny migrant bird? A big beach repair truck scared him away and all was safe again. I looked him up: a Northern Harrier, with a distinctive white patch just above his tail. Hawks are generally  only seen on quiet fall or winter days. My bird book says northern harriers nest in marshy wetlands, so he may live nearby. Northern Harrier Audubon Guide pics,

As the dunes become more accessible, I get out my little "Weed Finder" to identify the seeds and dried stalks.

This pod caught my eye on FB, a post by Fine Farmhouse.

FB ~ A Fine Farmhouse

I knew her pods looked so familiar, but had never seen them harvested and dried. What could they be?

FB ~ A Fine Farmhouse

Aha. Something called Velvet Leaf. I 've seen it with its big velvet leaves many times. I'd love to \find some dried to bring home. The pods are oddly pleated and fluted, like miniature industrial  filters of some kind. [on the right] here

Mo and I are walking a lot, as helpers become less, um, helpful. I am up to about 6000 steps most days, wow. The new phone app is fun and encouraging. Mo and I inspect all our usual haunts and routes.

Often I fill my pockets with tiny finds, a habit from childhood nature walks.

And I have set out on my desk this favorite Victorian glass vignette, a miniature cabinet of curiosities.

It holds at least 6 types of moss, and fungus; a miniature oak leaf, long dried and brittle tiny twigs, and an acorn cap ''robin's nest'' with tiny blue grey bayberry eggs.

It was a gift from my mother, years ago. I get it out every fall and remember our walks and ''studies'', our love of nature books and journals, our special times together. The gift my mother gave me---so much more than a paperweight, a lifelong love of seeing and studying the natural world around me.

November--one of my favorite months! And it ends with the special holiday of Thanksgiving, something to look forward to. Friends and family, happy times. Turkey and traditions.

enjoy your November too!

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach........