blazing gazing

I love October, especially later in the month.  I have put away my summer clothes and am happily in jeans and sweaters again.  Mornings are crisp, and our daily drive through Morgan Monroe State Forest to our hiking trail is just the perfect way to start the day.  

It...is...gorgeous!

Another place we love to hike locally is Bean Blossom Bottoms, a 336-acre wildlife preserve about 10 minutes from our house.  It's too mosquito-filled in the summer, but fall is sublime.

Oak tree

Swamp rose hips

cattails

white-tailed deer

maple

lion mane fungus (a delicacy!)

winterberry

It's been warm enough for insects to continue to thrive, like this dew-covered dragonfly...

...these woolly alder aphids...

...and even spring peepers!

When it gets just a little bit colder, they'll burrow into the mud until spring...but for now, they're still out and about.  

Incredibly, despite cooling temps and absolutely no rain, I'm still getting tomatoes from the garden...

...and flowers too.

This time of year, the light is just beautiful.  

Claudia in full retirement mode!

We're surrounded by state forest and the trees are just amazing.

It looks like we have at least 10 days of "more of the same" weather coming.  Open windows during the day and quilts at night...heaven!

Have a great week!