Saturday, November 30, 2013

As Autumn fades.....................


A soft quietude takes over the landscape 
as the Winter Solstice comes closer.  
Thoughts of dustings of snow are on my mind.
I would love to have a 'White Christmas'.


Do you have plans for Winter travel?  
Perhaps you are ski buffs and head for the 
mountains or cross-country trails.
This year I feel I will not be straying far from 
home during the Winter months.
Cozy thoughts of being 'snowed-in' for a few days
cross my mind. Some quiet time to stay put instead
of always having to be somewhere.

I have this new garden friend, 'Chippy', a really cute 
little Eastern chipmunk. He/she (and there may be more 
than one) lives under my garden, entering and exiting the 
burrow through this old tree stump. I've read that, for safety 
reasons, they have several 'doorways' to their subterranean home. 
Also, it's very clean down under as they even build a bathroom! 
These little guys, unlike western chipmunks, 
hibernate here in the east, so I'm thinking with this 
colder weather we won't be seeing them much longer.

 Lastly.........a few nights back, when we had our 
first below freezing temperatures, a tree we have 
never discovered the name of, dropped all 
its still bright green huge leaves within an hour 
as we watched from the kitchen window early morning.
It was as if they had a chat and decided it was time, 
then all let go and fluttered down together carpeting
the ground and the roof of the potting shed.

Yes, beautiful Autumn is almost over for this year, and what 
an amazing season it has been.

14 comments:

  1. They build their own bathrooms? How interesting. Chipmunks are one of my most favorite garden critters. I like to watch them zip across my patio. They are so fast and cute. I didn't know about the bathroom building or the hibernating either. So amazing how the animal world looks after itself.
    I do hate to see the end of our beautiful autumn season. However, a few days of being snowed in is always a cozy thought.

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  2. I love the gorgeous golden colours of your mosaic. Autumn's colours are so rich and vibrant. I learned something about chipmunks that I didn't know. ;) I wonder what your mystery tree is? Have you thought to take a leaf to a tree nursery and see if they know? Enjoy the weekend. We might get some good snowfall tomorrow.

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  3. I've just been reading the Thanksgiving post. What an elegant, and very French, setting! Lovely to see the bread basket!

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  4. Chippy is a cute little fellow, did not know about the bathroom.
    Mary, I would love to fulfill your wish of a White Christmas. Last weekend we had 51 cm (20 inches) of snow, then during the week we had another 6 inches on top of all that and the wind whipped it into deeper drifts.The weather woman on our local TV station said... "A low pressure system with North-westerly winds was blowing over the relatively warm waters of Lake Huron, picking up moisture. Streamers (bands of snow laden clouds) would dump up to 24inches of snow in the area. Unfortunately for us, she was right for once.
    So thankful I have two wonderful neighbours to plough my driveway, I hate not being able to come and go as I please.
    One consolation, it did look beautiful.
    It is uncommon for us to have this much snow so early in the season and have almost a Winter's worth fall within such a short period of time. Local newspapers indicated that temps would not rise enough to melt any of this snow, so we an expect it to stay until March, and I would suspect more will fall in the early months of 2014..
    So let me know how much you want, and when, I will gladly deliver it personally and try to keep you stocked up for the whole Winter. LOL
    Patricia

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  5. I think that the Ginko tree loses it's leaves in a matter of hours. Also some Mulberry trees lose them once the frost hits them.
    I really enjoyed your mosaic. I will take a different look at fall things in my yard... after seeing how beautiful they can be all together.
    Have a wonderful holiday season.
    Balisha

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  6. The light is so golden and gorgeous in your photos, especially the one with your garden shed. Watching all the leaves depart en masse would be a sight to remember.
    I, too, am wishing for a White Christmas. But one that won't impede travel.
    Snow is predicted for Monday, here. It's hit or miss whether we'll actually see some. I'm hoping for a snow day and my husband dreads the thought of one as it will make his job (health care executive) much more difficult. So maybe my desire is selfish and I'll have to make up a snow day, drink some hot chocolate and take time to stare out the window and imagine snow.
    Happy Weekend, Mary.

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  7. That is so interesting about the tree losing its leaves so fast. Ours seem to flutter down for days and days - until the big wind comes and takes them all away. Lovely photos. Time to start thinking of christmas decorating.

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  8. Dear Mary, What pretty colors you still have in your garden. Mr 'Chippy' posed just long enough for you to take a great shot of him. Love all of your photographs...the colorful mosaic is a favorite.

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  9. That is so interesting about the tree losing all its leaves at once like that. Little Chippy is cute. Our son will arrive on the 17th for a few weeks. Was hoping we could do a quick family trip somewhere but not sure if that is going to happen because of the timing. Everything is so expensive around Christmas time. Best wishes to you, Tammy

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  10. Chippy is a cutey! We actually had some snow the other day! I just posted a picture of it. There is a little left on the ground where the sun doesn't reach. I am wishing you a wonderful Christmas season with a little snow.
    xo
    Penny

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  11. We had the same thing happen last night Mary. Our beautiful ornamental cherry tree was full of leaves yesterday, all gorgeously orange, red and yellow. This morning it looked as though it was follow my leader and they had all fallen off. Time to rake them up now. Chippy is so cute. This made me smile as a friend who passed away earlier this year had a nickname for me 'Chipper', so that was a nice memory to think back on. Have a wonderful weekend. xx

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  12. Hi Mary, thank you for your kind words on my blog. I have never lived anywhere where I got snowed in. I once lived somewhere for a year when I was young where it snowed twice just lightly - enough to make a snowball but that's all. If I want to touch snow I need to go to the middle of the North Island in Winter. I can't imagine it snowing here. We don't have chipmunks either.Our deciduous trees drop their leaves slowly. I can see the benefits of just one clean up!

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  13. Oh, Chippy wants some peanuts before he hibernates!

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  14. Beautiful ending to fall.
    Oh Chippy is so cute.
    I will hope for snow for you.
    We are going to have cold weather
    this week, so who knows maybe snow.

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