First hard frost

We had our first hard frost of the season last night. The overnight low was in the mid 20s here in the hollow.

White-throated Sparrow, another sign of autumn

Another sign of the changing seasons. I heard the first song of White-throated Sparrow singing in the woods today. They have a beautiful, lyrical song, described as "Oh-sweet-canada-canada" or "Old-Sam-Peabody-Peabody." We heard them constantly while paddling and camping in Quetico Provincial Park this past June. White-throats spend the summer breeding in Canada and they winter in our woods here in the U.S.

Hickory nuts the squirrels left behind

This evening I returned home from the woods with a pocket full of hickory nuts that had somehow escaped the attention of the squirrels, or so I thought. Just a few minutes ago I got out the nutcracker and went through the bowl full of nuts, carefully breaking them open one by one. Not a single one had good nutmeat inside! I guess the discerning squirrels were able to tell this without even breaking them open. I am not so skilled.

Leaves of autumn

In these autumn woods,
green turning yellow above
and yellow turning brown below,
leaves pile upon the floor,
adding rustling and swishing sounds
and a deep, earthy perfume
to my walk among the trees.

I love the autumn woods!