The last days of Summer...

As you can see the summer sun is setting.. The air has a slight chill. The squirrels are making off with the acorns and black walnuts.
The last of the butterflies are preparing to travel. The migratory birds have left. Pumpkins, gourds, and corn stalks are decorating the neighbors porches. It's the last days of summer. I am feeling melancholy.. I think melancholy is the right word.. kind of sad and contemplating what has past... if that's melancholy that's me today... In the photo above you see our chairs out under the hickory tree.. we sit out there in the evening.. our front porch faces the west and has full sun until the sun sets.. to hot even in the waning days of summer to sit there.. so head out to the hickory tree and the shade it provides.

I walked around outside today... and took some photos.. the last of the summer.. as you can see below these Hybrid poplar trees have lost most of their leaves.. We plan on taking them down this fall. They are not good trees to have by the driveway. A few weeks ago during a storm, the top came out of one. I had just moved my car. whew, that was way to close... when we planted them I needed shade.. quick shade.. they worked for a while.. now they are nothing but a pain.. We have lots of trees now and lots of good shade.. so they're out here..

Below is the photo of the New birdhouse we put up this spring. As you can see the lilacs, and rose of Sharon bushes fared well. The bluebirds are gone for this year. I'm not really sure if they leave or not. I know I've seen them in Feb. watching the birds at the winter feeder... They don't do seeds.. I have a feeling they may head farther south where the bugs still roam around.

We'll be moving the peonies this week. Today it's off to the health dept. to get our flu shot. Husband wants to go look at riding mowers. Our old one blew up last year. He got one running but today after driving 30 miles to get a pin for the deck, he returned to find that after finishing what he'd started mowing yesterday something gave up the ghost. Mind you the mower hasn't been run for a good 10 years.. but he is irritated and I think we'll be checking out the end of year sale on riding mowers. I told him he can get one if it's cheap.. really cheap.. so it's the end of summer.. Fall has begun. Leaves will need mulching soon.. little gremlins will find their way to our front porch for treats.. hopefully no tricks... I am looking forward to my first glass of apple cider and my first Carmel apple.. our first fall bon-fire, and our trip to the orchard for some apples and cider donuts.. still warm.. yummm... A little melancholy today.. but so glad we got so spend the last of our summer days looking out from our little cabin on the place we love best..