I'll miss you my little friends... until next year.
Every year around the first week of October I get all melancholy as the hummingbirds head south for winter. We're into the second week now and it's very quiet outside without their busy chirps and buzzing around. I finally saw two females land on the feeders for a drink. Later I saw a bright male with his glistening red throat. I'll leave two feeders up and keep the nectar fresh for any stragglers that might show up.
Something ate every single leaf off of the Chitalpa tree (Morning Cloud). Every single leaf! And it seemed to have happened over night. I'm guessing it was some kind of moth larva. It's recovering now, with new growth. Since it's deciduous, it will lose all of its leaves again over winter.
The hot peppers are still going strong. And a few tomato plants are still standing with fruit to be had. That crazy Matt's Wild Cherry tomato is going like gangbusters.
Slovenian Black tomato (the plant growing from 15 year old seeds) has a good amount of fruit taking its time ripening. I'm excited and hoping they finish ripening before the season is over! Feeling good about it.
The Emerald okra plant has inched passed the 11 foot marker!!! The biggest okra I've ever grown and most prolific, it branches off like crazy!
This is two day's harvest from one plant!
I was sitting outside earlier watching the Belted Kingfisher noisily skim the pond. They are only here a short time in the fall. I love seeing them. He's fast but I'll try to get a picture. Last year I think I got a picture of the male and the female...
This is the time of year we see lots of butterflies. 
Hello Anole! My husband spotted this one while we were sitting outside enjoying the weather. He called it a "Penny-throat" lizard. I'd never heard of that name.
Spider & moth
FALL BLOOMS---
Asters
We have several species of goldenrod that grow wild here. They are NOT causing your allergies! That's the ragweed! Goldenrod gets a bad rap I guess because everyone can see their beautiful bright yellow blooms around the same time the ragweed is blowing around by the wind, causing all the itchy eyes and sneezing. Goldenrod, on the other hand, is pollinated by insects as you can tell by all of the activity buzzing around their flowers. It's an important food for many beneficial pollinators.
Pluchea odorata
Roselle grows well here and it's blooming now. The Sulfur butterflies especially like it. I also spied two hummingbirds fighting over it. It's a medicinal plant and the dried flowers are made into a tea, known to be very good for lowering blood pressure. It's also high in antioxidants and has so many more benefits, like eliminating kidney stones, lowering cholesterol, and even fighting cancer. Good food, good medicine! I've made the calyces into a jelly before, Roselle & Bee Balm jelly. It was really good.
I don't remember where I saw this quote by Hans Christian Andersen, but liked it enough to put in my journal:
"It seems to me that life itself is a wonderful, poetic tale. I feel that an invisible and loving hand directs the whole of it; that it was not blind chance which helped me on my way, but that an invisible and fatherly heart has beat for me. The history of my life will say to the world what it says to me – There is a loving God who directs all things for the best." ---Hans Christian Andersen
Last night's moon
Enjoying the weather with hubby
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. -John 14:27
Update: I got a picture of the Belted King Fisher a couple of days after this post so wanted to post it here:
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| Beautiful Glimpse by slowcala | Oct 13, 2022 9:59 AM | 1 |
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