ROYGBIV…remember that acronym learned in school? Roy G Biv- the colors of the rainbow.
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Rainbows fascinate, but so do the colors of autumn. At this writing, the surrounding woods and forests are vibrant with color. It’s their last hurrah before winter sets in.
The shades of greens have turned into reds, oranges, yellows, with some remaining greens. The BIV of the rainbow can be seen in the darkening pokeberries, the last few hardy flowers in the garden, and the evening skies.
As the seasons change, so do the birds at the feeders. The hummingbirds and redwing blackbirds have gone, replaced by raucous blue jays and tiny chickadees. The horses have shed out, their dapples glowing in the sun, their winter coats ready to fill in.
Some of the chickens are molting, invariably, just before the first frost, leaving little bare spots of skin and pokey quills all over. The egg laying has slowed, as has the scurrying of bugs the chickens chase after. Mice try to gain entry into our warm homes, so batten down the proverbial hatches!
The grasses have gone to seed, the acorns and walnuts are falling noisily onto many a tin roof, or silently in the woods. The squirrels compete with the deer for these treasures. The ones buried and forgotten leave us with the promise of future seedlings in the spring.
The scents of the coming winter greet us – crisp mornings, woodstove smoke, warm apple and pumpkin pies (maybe even that seasonal pumpkin latte!)
As we crank up the thermostat or load the woodstove, the cool evenings are a welcome respite from the hot, muggy, nights of summer. Although I am sure there are those among us, who will be wishing for a hot and muggy night or two, when we are in the midst of a couple of single digit days!
The mums and pansies are glorious and bright, with scores of crazy, colorful, and warty, pumpkins and gourds on porches and in nurseries. Colorful dried corn bunches are in season too. Thanksgiving will be here before we know it! Now is the time for possibly a very last garden harvest, and then curl up with some garden catalogs to start planning for next year’s garden. I tried winter sowing last year, not too successfully. But this is another year, so…I’ll be trying again!!!
Enjoy the coming holidays and season. All is well at Mountain Meadows, this brisk fall day…….
Pat McNally lives in Fulks Run, VA, on 45 acres, with her family, plus 3 horses, 2 donkeys, 1 rabbit, her faithful guardian dog, a potbelly pig named Charlotte, and assorted chickens. She is also a teaching artist at J&B Country Store in Broadway
You can contact her at ooglebloops@yahoo.com
