Beautiful pictures, everyone! By viewing this thread, I'm getting two seasons at once since the katydids and cicadas have gotten used to the cold and decided they might as well keep up the racket. It's still all green with only a few expanses of sky poking through here and there.

I've heard of the Rowan tree and will look something up on that over the next few days; more later.

Cedar waxwings come to berries here too, once the berries come on the trees.

Good story, Carol, pets add spice to any yard or household task.

Poco, I would love to give you some sun, it's back in the 90's here.  So much for our break.  Still haven't seen any rain, not even a hurricane could give us some much need showers

I, too, have been enjoying the beautiful pictures and stories, thank you so much for sharing everyone.  Other than the squirrels scrambling all over the place storing up their pecans, about the only other thing I have noticed is an increase in birds on my feeders.

I have one Cardinal family that I have watched all year that routinely comes to the feeder about an hour before dusk.  There is one that I have watched since it was a fledgling and she is now a beautiful full grown female Cardinal.  They always stay away until the mourning doves have left for the night.  I have tried to get pictures, but each time I come out, they leave and no matter how long I sit and quietly wait, they will out wait me until I go inside.  There's the three of them,  mama, daddy and the now fullgrown female baby.  I hope she, too, has a family and brings them around the my feeders next year.  I also have several birdhouses that I usually have multiple families have babies in the spring.  I do enjoy that they come around, and I KNOW my kitties love watching them from the sunroom.  I have several perches around the room and they will sit around and chatter at the birds when they come in to feed.

pygmypets, your lovely "color purple" photo made me think of a very famous line from modern literature: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Color_Purple

"The title derives from a discussion between Celie and Shug about faith. Describing what God does to please people, Shug says, 'I think it p*'s God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.' "

You certainly noticed!

Poco, there is certainly a quality in that sky that makes a person want to turn inward, both physically and spiritually.  It is a chilly sort of light.

Catbird...beautiful quote from "the color purple"...you gave me goosebumps. I had forgotten how much I loved"The color Purple".
Everyone, your photos and posts are great. I am really enjoying reading this thread. thanks!!!!!!!

We had our first frost last night.

My yard is pretty sheltered by large trees, which hold the warmer air in a bit, but open areas were white with frost.  The official temperature when I woke up this morning was 30 degrees.

What I noticed most, however, was the silence.

I suppose we become so accustomed to the constant twitter and rasp of insects in the summer that we just don't notice it, until it is suddenly gone.  The absence of sound this morning was very striking.

The second thing I noticed was the wonderful smell of the air.  After the first frost, there is a crisp, clean smell that is so intoxicating, you can't help but take deep breaths.

I found a Woolly Bear caterpillar today.  It had mostly orangish middle ring with a little black on the ends.  This is the first one I've seen this fall.

We used them (tongue-in-cheek) to predict the winter here in the northeast. This is NOT my photograph.  The woolly bear in my yard is longer.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woollybear_Festival

What a cute little guy!  Yes, around here the width of the stripe is supposed to be an indication of the length of the winter.  I haven't seen any yet this year, but some other people have, and they tell me the woolly bears are saying it's going to be a long one.   I sure hope not.

We are having those sunny, cool days where they sky is a deep blue.  There is not a whole lot of fall color yet, although a few of the early-turning leaves, such as some ashes and honey locusts, have already fallen.  I'm thinking I might go out and scout around with my camera a bit, if I have time.

Stunning photos, petslave!