Is upon us! On the way to church Sunday we noticed five times that we passed through areas of falling leaves. The back yard of usually deep green maples are starting to show signs of yellow and orange tinges.
And of course, there is the nasty stink bug, just waiting to figure out a way into the house. Yuck!
Yikes, that is a lot of rain! The airport had less, but our new rain gauge read that number in a mere 24 hours. It came straight down in sheets! Sunflower stalks all over the neighborhood have been knocked down. Not certain if that is due to rain or rain and wind. Sunflowers do get top heavy when the seeds are formed. The ones on the right are the ones that were so lovely a few weeks ago with the goldfinch all over them!
On August 7 I noticed the tippy-top of the tallest maple trees were beginning to change colors. Then the locust trees dropped most of their leaves. The other trees in our yard are changing in earnest now, September 10. The Gingko and Yellow Poplar are not quite changing yet, but many others are turning yellow, or brown on the edges.
So autumn is under way! We actually needed sweatshirts yesterday. The house is insulated enough we still do not need blankets, but the change has begun. And not a moment too soon! The whole city is exhausted from the relentless heat and humidity the last couple months. Finally, for at least a few days we can have the windows open and enjoy the birds and crickets. Perhaps tonight I will hear the neighborhood owl?
Did you know that Custer State Park has donkeys who run wild? They are fairly tame though. Bob had great fun watching me balance and walk across an extra wide cattle guard that was similar to this photo so I could get a closer look at them and some photos.
Now mind you, the guard I crossed was crowded with people and cars all flocking to see the donkeys. But it was this color with very wide spaces between the bars.
It was worth the crossing though! The “Burros” (which is Spanish for donkey) are undomesticated. They were released into the park after the original herd that took visitors to the top of Black Elk Peak had their job discontinued. So the donkeys there today are descendants of the working donkeys.
They are also called Beggar Donkeys as they have learned to beg from the tourists. And the tourists have spoiled them rotten with vegetables and apples.
They were tame and soft. Some larger than others. I especially liked the one with the black stripe!
…a few weeks ago?
Look at my other blog for details from this week!
Molly’s Poetry and Vignettes at
where the buffalo roam, and the deer and the antelope play!
How about traffic stopped by a heard of bison? Think Custer State Park, South Dakota.
Do not ever remember seeing bison calves before this! Well worth the wait in traffic!
The herd came down a hill and crossed into the meadow. We were uncertain if the traffic was stopped because of gawkers or the herd. In a while two men in pickup trucks arrived with warning lights flashing on top. Turns out they were “herders” there to move the herd along. They encouraged them to cross the road again. And eventually the traffic began to move again.
One of our main goals was to see the massive sunflower fields in bloom. And we found them. Here is the first series of sunflower fields in North Dakota. Here is my favorite photographer capturing the flowers. Most had already lost their petals.
I really admire the non-conformists! Most of the flowers move with the movement of the sun. We learned that when the seed heads from the flowers get too heavy, they simply face east rather than turn with the sun.
Imagine having a harvest so heavy that we would simply face east watching for the Lord!
By U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey – Photo from U.S. Geological Fact Sheet 010-99; FS-010-99, Public Domain, Link
Have you been to Florida? Or a zoo? Have you seen the Manatee? Also known as the Sea Cow, Wikipedia describes them as slow plant eaters, similar to cows on land. They sometimes sleep up to 50% of a day! They range from 800 to 1200 pounds each!
Imagine my surprise when I discovered Water Bears. They have a remarkable ( to me) resemblance to these giant Manatees, but they are microscopic!
These guys can survive radiation as well as extremely low and extremely high temperatures, pressure, dehydration according to Wikipedia! I have a small photo of both the water bear and the manatee on my kitchen bulletin board to remind me of the diversity and creative of our awesome God! Someday I hope one day to see a water bear under a microscope for myself!
A few minutes ago I was dancing in the street, literally, singing, “I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it! I’m about to lose control and I think I want to! Want to!”
Last year we had monarch caterpillars in the garden on the milkweed. The third day I went out to see if they had formed their chrysalis yet and every single one of them was gone! Assumed something ate them.
This year we have two large milkweed plants that Bob had to stake because they are so tall. They have already formed seed pods. And this morning, oh glory! Caterpillars on those two and on shorter plants, also!
I am hoping these will come to adulthood. I am going to enlist a good buddy to help tend them and feed them from our garden, keeping them until they are ready to fly.
Will keep you posted!
Right outside my office window my husband was able to keep a sunflower from the deer. It is branching and blooming now. Imagine my delight when I glanced out the window to see the sunflower come alive! The Goldfinch have found them. There is a black oil sunflower feeder not four feet away, but these guys like their food fresh and locally sourced.
Yes, truly a treasure in plain sight!
Luke 12:22-26 (HCSB)
Then He said to His disciples: “Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear.
For life is more than food and the body more than clothing.
Consider the ravens: They don’t sow or reap; they don’t have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than the birds?
Can any of you add a cubit to his height by worrying?
If then you’re not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest?31 “But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided for you.
Look, seek, watch for the Lord to manifest His presence around you. Then rejoice! He IS a good, good Father.
Bob tells me that unless you click on the blog within the email you cannot see the photos! Hope you did that with yesterday’s photos and humor? Seriously do it today to see moon flower photos.
While at the Convent I have enjoyed the moon flowers in bloom. I have not noted the fragrance that some websites speak about, but I have been indoors in the evening. There was a full moon during my stay. One evening I rolled over in bed and was literally hit in the eye by a moon beam!
Praising the One who makes moon and stars, trees and moon flowers!
Unfurling
Visitor!
“Drop Thy still dews of quietness until our strivings cease; Take from our souls the strain and stress and let our ordered lives confess the beauty of Thy peace.” 
Look at that seed!
No photo editing! Just great light 😉
Treasures in Plain Sight, A Christian Blog 