THE BACKYARD

Temperatures are falling, leaves are wrinkled golden brown, the air is crisp, and frost gathers every morning. Fall is ending, and winter temperatures are knocking on our door. We are pressing to finish fall garden work to prep for next spring–Water pumps and hoses are drained and stored. Wood has been cut, split, and stacked; Propane tank filled. Machinery and cars prepped for a hard winter’s use. The harvest is in and needs to be stored; canning, freeze-drying, dehydrating, freezing, and storing root crops consume much of our time. We have poured the foundation and floor of the garage carriage house and started framing—I am trimming deck posts: summer clothes away and the polar fleece placed in the dressers. We put an electric blanket on the bed. There is a lot of To-Dos for preparing for a Dakota winter.

One last chore—bird feeders and waterers out, and the gathering of the fall birds begins. I took time away from the work to appreciate dinner with the birds, squirrels, and deer. I love it. As I add seed to the feeders, the chickadees fly to me in anxious anticipation, some light on my shoulders. The sounds of sandhill cranes and geese fill the air as they gather and migrate. There is a hint of wood burning in a fireplace nearby. I love the change of seasons.

I share some of the activities at the feeders; I am not a nature photographer; still, I try to document what I see—I figured I would share them:

Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches. ~ Psalm 104:12

The feeder gathering

“Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” ~ Genesis 1:20

Tangled up in BLUE

Tangled up in BLUE 2

“Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” ~ Matthew 8:20

Ah, Nuts…Nuthatch

What a Chickadee!

What a Chickadee 2

Woodpecker 1

Woodpecker 2

Three’s a crowd

The nut Bandit 1

Nut Bandit 2