All Souls Night

End of October

The Lady beetles have hatched.
They are swarming.

The Grey Hairstreaks
have found the mums.

I gathered Red Zinnia seeds.
The Painted Ladies did not mind.

The female Cardinal waited in the bushes.

I have my seeds now for next year.
Seed to seed.
The year is passing.

October's Butterflies

The gardens were full of activity.
Butterfly wings kept me outside.

Three Buckeyes were feeding in my favorite mums.

Checkered Skippers found nectar in the marigolds.

Painted Ladies were in the zinnias.

Skippers were everywhere!
Lots of butterflies today.
It is warm, 64 degrees.
Perfect October day for butterflies.

Birds

Squaw Creek
National Wildlife Refuge
comprises 7,350 acres.
It is along the eastern edge of the
Missouri River floodplain.



We watched Great Egrets,
Pelicans,
Ducks, Geese and Hawks.

We watched juvenile
Double-crested Cormorants

and their parents dry their wings
on muskrat houses.

Although Squaw Creek is in the Midwest, many shore birds come through
on their way south to their winter homes.
We watched Yellowlegs and Coots.
The Swans will begin migrating in December to winter here.
The Eagles have already begun to arrive.

I could watch all day.

Squaw Creek

We arrived early.
The fog was rising off the marsh.

We stayed until mid-day.

I am learning landscape photography.

This landscape is photogenic.

It is filled with wonder.

Chorus of Spirits

Kansas Flint Hills

The Tallgrass Prairie
is a national treasure.



Spending time in the Flint Hills
is spending time
in an ancient
landscape.




I saw a glimpse of the vast prairie,
honored,
and respected.

I listened to the sounds of the Prairie:
the wind, the Cottonwood Trees,
Swainson's Hawk.

While my brother and I traveled
we listened to original songs performed
by Kansas Musicians.

Kanza, People of the wind.

I watched the light.
I found the subtle beauty
of each each moment.

I found my Prairie.
My own inner vastness,
honored and respected.

Full Hunter's Moon

I laid on my bed in her beams.
I closed my eyes and had sweet dreams.

Happy Hunter's Moon

Flint Hills, Kansas

Early in the morning my brother and I will leave.
We are going to the Flint Hills for sunrise.
I found this photo taken by someone else.
I hope I can do as well.

I hope I too can capture the beauty of the Flint Hills.
We will visit my Aunt in Wichita, Kansas.
I hope someday I can be as gracious as her.

Butterflies

A few butterflies were
in the garden this afternoon.

Very few.

I sat in the grass near the marigolds and watched.
The Eastern Comma and the Orange Sulphur were the only two butterflies.

I will go back outside.
I will sit in the grass.
I will watch the butterflies for awhile longer.

Maybe the Buckeye will come.

Thank You Buckeye!

By noon
the temperatures were in the 60's.

I am finishing my natural history
of Kansas book.

I am warm in the sun
on the deck with the birds.

A Buckeye took me away
from all of that.

I love it when I am carried away.
I love being over the rainbow.
I love being in the autumn mist
in a land called Honah Lee!

Cooper's Hawk

Cooper's Hawk is comfortable
coming up onto the deck.

It will be half an hour after he leaves before any other bird will be comfortable coming up to the deck.

Last Autumn

"My last Autumn,"

he quietly said.

I was driving my Father to radiation treatment.

It was a sunny, warm October day, 1992.
I can still hear his voice.

He knew.

My Father was a full use person.

I found his little pencils, sharpened with a pocket knife.

My husband brought me a maple leaf.

He saw it on the ground while he was mowing.

There are lots of leaves on the ground now.

My Father would have enjoyed the digital age.

He would have enjoyed Corner.

He would have been 85 years old today.

Drama in the backyard.

The Praying Mantis
has been perched on the pink zinnia
for two days now.

Her meals come to her.

Cooper's Hawk has to hunt.

The backyard is full of Doves and Sparrows.
He usually can grab dinner without too much trouble.

Reading with the birds.

My brother and I are planning a day trip.
We want to visit our Aunt.
She lives in Wichita, Kansas.

I am reading about Kansas,
people of the wind.

The birds came to the deck.

They came to the feeders.

They came to see what I was doing.

For My Daughter

Time to read

My Mother-in-law sent
The Forest Lover
as a gift.

Susan Vreeland tells the story of Emily Carr,
the legendary painter from British Columbia, Canada.
It is a historical novel.
Emily Carr's paintings are amazing.

I finished the book while the butterflies fed.
I had left the camera inside.
I just wanted to read.
No distractions.



I thought about Emily Carr while I
put clean sheets on the bed.
I thought about my passion
while I hung clean towels.

I grabbed my camera.
Maybe the Monarchs would still be out in the zinnias.
Maybe there would be ripe tomatoes for supper.
Maybe I too can follow my passion.

I also see spirit.
It is in the forest and in my backyard.

Kitty

It is a cool, rainy day.

I am remembering Kitty.

She was my friend.

She would curl up on my lap on cool, rainy days.

I can almost hear her purr.

Eastern Comma

I was out on the deck reading.
I glanced up and saw an Eastern Comma
on one of the gourds in a nearby basket.

She was basking in the late afternoon sunlight.
The gourds looked so pretty with a butterfly on them.

I think she saw the rotting fruit.
She flew to a deck post

and on over to the rotting nectarine.

I have a dish of fruit set out for the butterflies.
It is their October treat.