I watch the birds fly south across the autumn sky
For just a few hours one day in October, my yard was filled with thousands of birds. When I first pulled into my driveway, I noticed the grass in my yard was black. Then I looked again. My grass wasn’t black. My grass was covered with black birds. As I neared the garage, they flew off in a mass. I parked the car, grabbed my cameras and followed them around the yard.
They flitted about and flew from tree to tree in droves. It was fascinating and a little creepy in a Hitchcockian way.
They were so high in the trees, I figured there was no way they could hear me over their own noise. But as I walked through the yard, it seemed as if I disturbed one and set them off to swarm away in a group to the next tree. At that moment, the chirping would stop, and all I could hear was the fluttering of wings. (I’d also get that dippy feeling in my stomach that maybe I should duck or run for cover.) Then the chorus would start again.
I listened and watched for about an hour. By the time I brought the kids home from school, all the birds were gone.
![20091009-birds-01](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091009-birds-01-300x212.jpg)
![20091009-birds-02](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091009-birds-02-300x226.jpg)
![20091009-birds-03](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091009-birds-03-300x222.jpg)
![20091009-birds-04](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091009-birds-04-300x227.jpg)
![20091009-birds-05](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091009-birds-05-300x179.jpg)
![20091009-birds-06](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091009-birds-06-300x221.jpg)
![20091009-birds-07](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091009-birds-07-300x196.jpg)
![20091009-birds-08](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091009-birds-08-300x171.jpg)
![20091009-birds-09](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091009-birds-09-300x178.jpg)
![20091009-birds-10](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091009-birds-10-300x172.jpg)
Posted by Becky @
2:17 pm |
There’s a full moon rising, let’s go dancing in the light
October 17, 2009 | Iowa
![20091003-moon1](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091003-moon1-300x206.jpg)
Posted by Becky @
6:00 am |
So the season of the fall begins
October 16, 2009 | Iowa
More fall colors. Before the snow.
![20091009-fall-01](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091009-fall-01-300x225.jpg)
![20091009-fall-02](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091009-fall-02-300x231.jpg)
![20091009-fall-03](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091009-fall-03-300x220.jpg)
![20091009-fall-04](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091009-fall-04-300x196.jpg)
![20091009-fall-05](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091009-fall-05-300x208.jpg)
![20091009-fall-06](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091009-fall-06-300x231.jpg)
![20091009-fall-071](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091009-fall-071-300x177.jpg)
![20091009-fall-08](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091009-fall-08-218x300.jpg)
![20091009-fall-09](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091009-fall-09-300x208.jpg)
Posted by Becky @
6:00 am |
Leaves are falling, autumn leaves are falling
Before I was so rudely interrupted with it’s-still-fall-dangit snow, I had lots of fall colors to share. We took a road trip Sunday to the Mississippi River — we’re only a couple of hours away. We fed the fish in Decorah. We also had lunch at a pizza place in Decorah, apparently home to lots of Norwegian-Americans. We also stopped in Marquette and McGregor. It was tons of fun. I’ll post some now and some later.
![20091011-fall-01](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091011-fall-01-300x188.jpg)
![20091011-fall-06](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091011-fall-06-300x234.jpg)
![20091011-fall-07](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091011-fall-07-300x206.jpg)
![20091011-fall-08](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091011-fall-08-300x230.jpg)
![20091011-fall-09](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091011-fall-09-300x190.jpg)
![20091011-fall-10](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091011-fall-10-300x247.jpg)
![20091011-fall-11](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091011-fall-11-300x229.jpg)
![20091011-fall-16](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091011-fall-16-217x300.jpg)
![20091011-fall-17](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091011-fall-17-300x213.jpg)
![20091011-fall-18](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091011-fall-18-300x239.jpg)
![20091011-fall-19](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091011-fall-19-300x209.jpg)
![20091011-fall-20](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091011-fall-20-300x249.jpg)
![20091011-fall-21](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091011-fall-21-300x195.jpg)
![20091011-fall-22](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091011-fall-22-300x209.jpg)
![20091011-fall-23](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091011-fall-23-300x201.jpg)
![20091011-fall-24](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091011-fall-24-300x181.jpg)
Posted by Becky @
6:00 am |
I’m having a few, and I’m wishing summer were here
Because it snowed this morning, my son said, “Today is the first day of winter!”
Yes [*glower*], it SNOWED this morning. Although, the first snow was two days ago. A record. Or something.
I replied, “Well, no, actually, the first day of winter isn’t scheduled for a while yet. It’s still technically fall.” And I tried not to think about how long this winter will be if it actually starts today. Because it’s not like spring will come in February to compensate.
*sigh*
![20091012-snow-03](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091012-snow-03-300x208.jpg)
![20091012-snow-04](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091012-snow-04-300x208.jpg)
![20091012-snow-02](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091012-snow-02-300x187.jpg)
This is what they looked like just three days ago.
![20091009-fall-07](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091009-fall-07-300x177.jpg)
![20091012-snow-06](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091012-snow-06-300x224.jpg)
![20091012-snow-05](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091012-snow-05-244x300.jpg)
![20091012-snow-01](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/20091012-snow-01-300x193.jpg)
Posted by Becky @
6:28 pm |
Oh, September grass is the sweetest kind, it goes down easy like apple wine
![20090924fallflowers01](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/20090924fallflowers01-300x228.jpg)
![20090924fallflowers02](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/20090924fallflowers02-297x300.jpg)
![20090924fallflowers03](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/20090924fallflowers03-300x204.jpg)
![20090924fallflowers04](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/20090924fallflowers04-300x236.jpg)
![20090924fallflowers05](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/20090924fallflowers05-300x184.jpg)
![20090924fallflowers06](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/20090924fallflowers06-300x228.jpg)
![20090924fallflowers07](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/20090924fallflowers07-300x222.jpg)
![20090924fallflowers08](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/20090924fallflowers08-300x183.jpg)
![20090924fallflowers09](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/20090924fallflowers09-300x206.jpg)
![20090924fallflowers10](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/20090924fallflowers10-225x300.jpg)
![20090924fallflowers11](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/20090924fallflowers11-300x183.jpg)
![20090924fallflowers12](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/20090924fallflowers12-300x238.jpg)
![20090924fallflowers13](https://deepmuckbigrake.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/20090924fallflowers13-300x229.jpg)
Posted by Becky @
6:00 am |