Oops! Too Soon!

Dan warned me.  Emily warned me but I really thought the bears were off to hibernate with all the cold nights we've been having.

Here are the feeders earlier this week.  Loved by both gold and purple finches, chickadees, tufted titmouse, some woodpeckers too and of course the juncoes on the ground feasting on the spillage.

This morning this was the scene.

Impressions in the grass were the indicators of what feasted on these feeders.

Fortunately the suet feeder and a peanut suet mix had not been put out yet.

Now to see if the shepherd's hook has been bent too badly.  And if the feeders were damaged.

We have yet to see a bear in the yard but this is the second time in two years that we've had one visit.

Wednesday Outing

Come along on our walk on the Northern rail trail.  We parked outside of Enfield, NH and walked south along Mascoma Lake.  The trail is at least 59 miles long and we did a very tiny portion on this lovely Fall day.

Enjoy the scenery with us.

Lunch at the Baited Hook

A photo on their wall of the train along the lake.

Along the way home we stopped to check out this guy

oops he's a pumpkin person!

On another back road to home we spied this fine horse checking us out.

Hope you enjoyed the day out as much as we did.

Tuesday Morning

Frosty mornings here since Sunday.

Yesterday the juncoes arrived. They weren't here on Sunday, but Monday morning they were all over the yard and especially under the bird feeders I hung on Sunday.

Occasionally I'll see a junco try to land on the feeder, but it's never successful. Does anyone know of a feeder type that a junco could use?

Fall colors are the best in years an article in the newspaper said yesterday. 

Two weeks to Election Day!  No early voting here in NH unless you have a reason for not voting on the 3rd.  I hope all of you with early voting option have voted or have a plan to vote.

Some Random Photos

In no particular order  here are some photographs taken recently.

First or second fire in the woodstove.

Earlier this Fall at local cemetery.

Looking out at our neighbors lawn and trees.

Across the Green. Township crew has come at least twice to rake and vacuum leaves from these trees.

Thursday's garden chores - almost last ones for this year.

Day lily bed before.

After.  There is so much grass in there I'll always be pulling it out.

Herb garden bed before.

After.

This is what's in there: right to left - walking onions and lavender

lavender (from above photo) thyme, lemon balm and savory

Savory, oregano and open spot where cilantro and basil gets planted.

Finally chives, sage and another lavender.  This bed is riddled with creeping charley.

sage and lavender from above photo.  There had been another walking onion but when I thinned the shasta daisies I pulled out the onion.  It will probably return.  I've never used the walking onion in cooking. Anyone ever used it?

Come spring all of these will get a good haircut.

Used the vivid setting for this photo.

Vivid above and normal below.

Our sugar maples are almost leafless.

High only in the 40s today and very cold tonight. 

As I prepared to post this the hills behind the house were white with wind whipping clouds, rain or sleet across.  Turns out it was sleet.

Funny thing is I was just thinking this morning about when we'd get our first snow.  I think sleet counts. 

It was today!