The O-Zone

This past week we had four days of rainy and cool weather.  It felt like fall had arrived early, with forest fire season ending precipitation!  Most likely this isn’t really the case and a few weeks of hot temperatures and low humidity will put us right back where we were at the start of last week.   Warm weather is on our immediate horizon; the coolness was a wonderful break.

Fall migration is in full swing here.  We saw a flock of Canada Goose on the river, and a larger flock foraging in the grass stubble left behind after harvesting hay.  Groups of Mountain Bluebirds chase flying insects and each other along the roadsides, joined by Western Kingbirds.  The Mourning Doves are congregating on telephone wires, looking at each other and waiting for somebody to decide to leave.  With their tiny little heads, and subsequent lack of brain size limiting any thinking ability, it takes them quite a while for anybody to come to any conclusion, and the flock grows in size.  Hummingbirds have mostly all gone; we have four birds left, a Black-chinned, a couple of Rufous, and one Calliope.  Next week will be four full months of hummingbirds on our porch feeders.

I love fall.

Beginning of their fall molt into completely white fur. They look a little ragged this time of year.

A few days ago we saw a Short-tailed Weasel dragging a young bunny across the front lawn; their prey was at least as heavy as the weasel and it was hard going moving it across the grass.  Last night a large owl was crossing back and forth across the front yard of our house, looking for more bunnies.   We figure we may be down to only 1,499,987 bunnies left after recent successful hunts by various predators.

Breaks in the cloud cover to the west provides for nice sunsets. Last night was no exception.

Fall colors in the sky.

We are thinking about this coming winter and all the things we need to do to get prepared, such as stocking the pantry and stacking firewood in the woodshed.  It is so much fun accomplishing those chores when the weather is cool, such a feeling of accomplishment to see things getting done.  We are planning on completing our interior remodeling projects as well this fall.  And we got the gasket part to repair the generator installed on Friday.  The generator now runs again – hurray, but it isn’t talking to the inverter and at this point we don’t know why that is happening.  It’s a good thing Dan is an electrician!!

Possession is 9/10ths of the law. This concept appears to be hard-wired into felines on an instinctive basis.

Mish looks very contented, having successfully occupied my chair.  As soon as either one of us leaves a chair, he hops in and makes himself comfortable.  He has the squeakiest voice for complaining about eviction when we return and attempt to reclaim his chair.