Summer into Fall

After a very long, very dry summer we are feeling relief from the cool air and rains that fall bring.  We have just shifted the clocks so night comes earlier, and the last few mornings we have woken to the first frosts of the season.  The deer are raiding the apples that have fallen (and some that remained unpicked) and the elk are also stomping through the farm and forest as they do this time of year.

Summer was wonderful and we enjoyed lots of time down by the stream, and a bountiful crop of plums, cherries, and figs.  The trees this year were ready for rain about a month before it finally came, and we lost quite a few little seedlings to the dry heat, but we had some survivors too.  The autumn crops were strong this year, but also a bit later as everything was waiting for water.

The apples have been delicious and have been really enjoying our largest and juiciest Asian pears ever.  We managed to pick a whole lot of grapes before the chickens and the robins ate them all, but the birds definitely cleared that crop from the tree tops.  Yes, chickens will climb 20 feet up to get the grapes.  They are that tasty.

Now we're gearing up for Christmas season, which means digging out the signs and increasing our efforts in the ongoing war on the black berries.  We really love this time of year, and all that it brings, even the rain.

Beautiful creatures come out all over in the warmth:

We thought these two hens were having a territorial dispute in the coop...

But it turned out they were just in love.  They were inseparable for weeks.

Thank you bees!

Craig balancing over the creek:

One of the peeps from the last clutch of the year.  This mama was not nearly as careful, but the peeps fared quite well mixing in with the full size chickens.

We rarely see the sunrise, but this was a beautiful morning to do so:
Praying mantis on the fence post.

And checking out another view:

The mantis stuck around until we could see it by moonlight.
This chicken is trying to find figs towards the end of the season:
A big box of plums, one of many, which barely put a dent in the crop:

More plums, sun ripe:

Big and beautiful blooms:

This is a very big slug:

These peeps love being tucked under Mama's wings even though they are getting pretty big:

Craig found a volunteer apple with fruit on it down on the hillside:

A young tree with one, beautiful pear:

We got a new rooster from a friend who didn't want him, and after some exciting introductions, he is now comfortably part of the flock:

That dark spot way, way up high is a chicken, eating the grapes 20 feet off the ground:

The grapes were delicious this year.

The sky and clouds starting to show signs that rainy season is coming soon:

We had a visitor:

We found this guy on the trail, checking out the Christmas trees:

Beautiful and tasty apples!

We don't mind sharing some of our fruit:

But we sure enjoy it ourselves too:

Our Asian pears were especially big and delicious this year:

The sun getting lower in the sky:

And moving south, bringing us beautiful sunsets all winter long: