Signs of fall

There was a time when I would have described a day such as this as dark and dreary. After a summer of drought, however, the rain is a beautiful sight indeed. We’ve had over an inch, and it is still coming down. I stare out the window every time I hear a downpour, just for the novelty of it.

The rain is too late for the soybeans that have already turned yellow. Some of the corn is also turning brown. These are the concerns of our neighbors. I think there’s enough life in our trees yet to benefit from the moisture.

I have harvested the last cantaloupe. There were 79 in all. Most went to the food pantry. Others went to friends. I ate some, of course, and the chickens got the ones that split and went bad. Some are still in the refrigerator while I ponder what to do next.

Fall is a sad time. We moved the chickens from the apple orchard to the small run by the house. I felt bad for them. The pullets didn’t have trees to hide in when the hens harassed them. However, things seem pretty calm. I haven’t seen much hen-on-pullet aggression. The pullets have brief chicken fights with each other, but those are over quickly. The pullets are nearly full size. They should be laying in another month or so. They look so pretty at this stage, every feather perfect. I love the black pantaloons of the Golden Wyandottes.

Golden Wyandotte with black pantaloons

Compare her appearance with Dottie, a Silver Wyandotte who is losing that clear black border on her white feathers. The one-year-old who really looks worse for wear is Goldie. My guess is that she was low girl in the pecking order and has the lost feathers to prove it. I’m hoping the Silver Wyandottes were not her harassers and that she will grow her feathers back this winter.

Dottie, whose feathers are no longer neatly outlined in black

Poor bedraggled Goldie

We were concerned that the pullets would be constantly flying over the net to escape the hens, but we’ve had no pullets on the lam so far. We were especially concerned about the Ameraucanas, who, you may recall, perched on the coop roof at night until I caught them at it.

Silvia and Spot grazing contentedly inside the run

Penny, our third Ameraucana pullet

I’m pleased that the pullets seem to have taken to the perch. They spend a lot of the day there. I haven’t been out to check at night since they moved.

Spot, Silvia, and two of our three Golden Wyandottes perched in the coop

The two groups of chickens remain segregated. Here is a picture of four of the pullets hanging out by the waterer. As long as they aren’t attacking each other, I’m have no problem with them staying in cliques. No harm done.

Pullets by the waterer

Not everything about fall is sad. I’m pleased as punch that the partridge peas have completed their life cycle. These were the only native annuals I planted, so if they didn’t set seed, my efforts would have all been for nought. Yesterday I saw that the pods had split and curled, scattering the seeds of the next generation. Now we wait for spring.

Partridge pea pods, split and curled to release seeds

I have waited all summer for the cardinal flower to bloom. And here it is. I can still recall seeing it for the first time many years ago when I was hiking through a wetland. Its vivid red grabbed my attention, and I said, “What is that?”

Cardinal flower with a few drops of rain on the petals

Whoever I was with, possibly my parents, didn’t know. I may have had a field guide with me, because I was able to identify it. God knows this was decades before we were snapping digital photos right and left. I doubt if any of us even had a camera. In any case, it’s been a favorite of mine ever since.

The oaks have dropped their acorns. The deer come around to eat them from time to time.

Deer eating acorns under the fifth oak

The garden is winding down, and not a moment too soon. Yes, I will miss the fresh veg, but I’ve been spending way too much time with my canner. I’m ready for the change of seasons.