Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Mountain leaves are peaking this week....

Leaves are falling off the tree that holds the swing....
Leaves waiting to be raked....
Birdfeeder will soon be back in use....
The campfire pit is ready for fall get-togethers with friends....
Firewood for the woodstove....
Lacking our first frost or extremely cold temps, the impatients are still blooming and doing well....

Leaf color is peaking in the mountains this week as the reds, yellows, and oranges of autumn fill in the ridge tops and spill down the slopes toward the Valley. Dry weather is pervasive and there is a fire ban in the Washington and Jefferson National Forests. Weather through the weekend is expected to be in the daytime 70s and nightime 40s and 50s ... mild for this time of year ... with a chance of rain Thursday and Friday.

We need rain. I noticed yesterday that a neighbor farmer had fed hay to his cows because the grass was dried up and brown. Many are selling off cattle early to avoid depleting winter hay supplies. As leaves fall to the ground the dry tinder danger becomes greater.

The deer are on the move ... acorns began falling higher up so they are foraging in the mountains instead of my back yard. Bow season is here ... deer are in the roadways at night so slower speeds and caution are needed when traveling the back roads.

Fall is in process....
Photos by SWAC Girl

1 comment:

Staff said...

Sigh, you are making me homesick. Thanks for sharing these pictures.