The garden path leads to Autumn

but there is still much beauty going on
like this lone morning glory 

there is joy in the wabi sabi look of this chair
and my heart swells with joy for the little flowers
 that are so ordinary, but today
so welcomed and adored by me

Even the dreaded monstrous grapevine
 that has taken over my chimney this summer
Is beautiful with its deep purple fruit

......that my wards...who must move on soon
will eat to to fatten themselves up for the long journey of migration

Oh I will miss you all,
 but will hold tight
to the awaiting feelings of excitment and anticipation
for your return
 

Sweet Autumn
your blooms are breathtaking
I shall never have a garden again without you

Remember the summer I cut you down instead of the grapevine
and I cried out

But you came back to me the next year
thank you

Even the clinkin clanking caliginous collection of junk
never fails to open my eyes to ordinary joy
wabi sabi

and the new arrivals that spark childlike glee in me
...You are in good company...welcome

autumn joy sedum
how wonderfully named
so true
pure joy

My obedient plant has spread over to my neighbors side
and she thanked me
ha....

scarlet.....how beautiful you are
against the iron
Glad I remembered to toss your seeds in the ground
for you have rewarded me with late blooms
of such passion

I have gathered my pots together
to keep them close by
so I can nuture them to the end

Oh....I have seen too many of these little feathers scattered around
The hawk returned

I can only do so much
...chase him vigorously
...but he waits
and he eats for the day

so sad for my mourning doves

....but the trees  weeped leaves
and your feathers were covered with deep respect

The dove just having roosted in your branches

Dark/light
joy/sadness
predator /prey

Oh the lessons of the garden

 

 

Google is giving me trouble over  loading pictures

 

Lucky for me

an important one was able to get through

using another method

phew

 

The grouse.

 

 

today was a glorious day

truly one to put in a treasure box

So I ditched the inside work

and went outside to clean up the deck

....the deck that was supposed to be taken down this summer

....there's always next year

I heard some rustling in the fallen leaves of the horsechestnut

I looked over and I was dumbstruck

there was this bird I had never seen before

and it hopped onto the deck stair, then onto the deck and proceeded to walk

right by my feet

I didn't move....I thought it was coming right up to me

like a pet bird...what bird is this?

It was a grouse

We don't have grouse here....

It stopped about a foot away from me then proceeded to walk across the deck and jump off

CAMERA!

I ran inside....'cause nobody is going to believe me

...just like the time in Chicago, in the Brighton Park neighborhood

I walked out the door and there..in my landlord's garden

stood a curlew

.....

....back to my grouse

Of course (?) I found the camera on the kitchen table and ran outside to catch the grouse

NO MEMORY!
son of a b

I ran back inside and found a card

but the doggone bird was gone

I think I heard him in the Autumn joy sedum

but they was absolutely covered in bees

 

We were in Galena this past weekend, near the Mississippi River

Chestnut mountain ski resort to be exact

...my husband said he looked it up and said there are tons of grouse there

one of the few places in Illinois

Could this bird have hitched a ride ?

no way

My husband insists

 

I told my hairstylist about the grouse

and he spun me around in the chair

and asked

Didn't you claim to see a mink too?

I knew he didn't believe me

 

 

The last words out of my mouth last night before lights out were,

How did that bird get here and where will he go?

 

My husband said,

quit grousing and go to sleep