MORE FALL HAPPENINGS...........Here is one of the benefits of arising early. Though the sun rises at five AM during the early summer, now it provides morning color nearer seven. This is a view across the Kennebec River from our house in Phippsburg. These colors don't last long.....just long enough for me to run and get the camera so I can share with you.

The temperatures are down near 40 in the mornings these October days, and don't get much higher than the mid fifties. It is good weather for doing the chores outside, like putting the garden to bed. That means not just weeding and cleaning up, but also picking the produce. Here you can see some of what is still pickable.......though those tiny zucchini are the last of those squash! Peppers are numerous, and the lettuce (not shown here) continues to be prolific.

There is a lot of bird activity these days, as migrants move through and others arrive for the winter. I saw my first Snowbirds this week! The pheasant continues to take dust baths in my garden. We have a friendly Herring Gull that visits us regularly in West Point. He is also showing changes that indicate a new season. His head plumage molts, and in the place of white feathers, there are now gray ones. Needless to say, he is not as handsome if you ask me, but you be the judge. Here he is on the roof of our shoreline shed. He is not sure if he will come close for the saltine cracker I placed for a snack. This bird will eat from my hand if you can believe it, but not with a camera pointing at him.

I stopped again to check a road kill near the entrance to the Ridgewell Preserve on Route 209. The animal was small, and barely recognizable. The small, flat scaley tail was a give-away. It was a very young beaver. There is a sizable wetland in that area, but I was surprised to find the animal had tried to cross the road. I believe these young ones stay close to their parents. I am starting to map out the sightings of such roadkills to monitor our losses, and also to try and determine the corridors they use, and where these animals are found. Of course, I would prefer finding them alive. By the way, the beaver tail was only about four inches in length.

I had another Painted Lady butterfly emerge and fly free yesterday. I still have Monarchs in chrysalis form, though they are overdue for emergence. I have not seen these butterflies flying in recent days.

The foliage here in Phippsburg is very colorful. There has not been widespread frost and the leaves remain on the trees. There are places where it is spectacular along the road, if I could just eliminate the telephone poles and power lines!
10/15/07 An early riser, Ronnie.