Thursday, November 3, 2011

Pinecone, Grasses, and a Red Maple Leaf




I took the dogs up to the kudzu hill this morning and was amazed to realize that the air was a good ten degrees warmer up there than either Middlewood or the shaded pipeline. It wasn't hard to decide to stay and wallow in warm sunshine, to be peaceful and draw instead of hiking first, as I usually do... definitely a good decision! Daisy and Duke ran and played on the hilltop, birds sang, red maple and yellow poplar leaves flew through the air with the breeze.

The hilltop is covered with grass now, instead of kudzu, because our neighbor has worked on the vines for years, regularly mowing, mowing, mowing until the kudzu gave up. Well, it appears to have given up, but from where I sat I could see a few criss-crossed vines pulled tight beneath the grass, tiny green leaves at the nodes ready for next spring.

But today was beautiful, the Eastern Phoebes called from the tangled fringes, where kudzu vines offer protection to sparrows, towhees, wrens, nuthatches, bunnies, deer, foxes. Daisy and Duke pushed their way through a patch of tall Johnsongrass at the top of the hill, only obvious because the purple grass plumes wiggled at the top as they passed. Crows cawed in the distance, and I slowed down for the first time in quite a while and listened.

Yep. Good decision.



October in Photos

Between travel and projects (due back to back), I have to say October was the busiest month I've had in years... maybe ever! Wandering the woods with the dogs did happen whenever possible, but I simply didn't have the time to sit and draw. I often had my camera, however, and I hope everyone enjoys this sampling of October images. Look for a November entry very soon!



Sunrise on Frampton Creek, SC



Buckeye Butterfly at Botany Bay, SC



Early morning shorebirds, Atlantic Beach, FL



Sunset, Frampton Creek, Edisto Island, SC



Palmetto fronds damaged by storm winds, Botany Bay



Glow in the east before sunrise, Frampton Creek, SC



Fall leave gathered on a hike around Middlewood



Daisy in October woods



Hickory leaves



Interesting leaf of Post Oak



Fun times on the pipeline



Roadside asters at Apple Tree Cabin



Asters in my garden