post-equinoctal thoughts

Light has been very much on my mind lately.

I'm considering adding a window on the only remaining bit of wall that still has room - maybe - for one more window. It would face east, and my goal is to see the first light of sunrise through the window every day. This has led to seeking out the northernmost and southernmost points at which the sun comes up throughout the year. If you feel like exploring the mechanics of sunlight in your own location, I recommend experimenting with the very helpful sun position calculator on Sun Earth Tools. Fun!

So with all this pondering about light, I thought a lot about the Autumn Equinox on Friday. There is something fantastic about the idea that twice yearly, the hours of day and night are equal. The notion of balance on such a massive scale is both thrilling and oddly comforting.

I am not so deeply attuned to the natural world as to actually sense this brief balance point of day and night. But I do notice at least a few of the millions of changes that are always going on around me, and I know that one season is tipping irretrievably into the next.

Adjustments have already been made, with more to come.

Morning chores now call for boots and a jacket, instead of crocs and a tanktop, and are often begun under a gloomy grey sky that seems to warn of coming rain. But by the time I'm putting up the buckets and heading back to the house, blue sky is sometimes peeking through the trees, and a beautiful morning has appeared after all -  just considerably later than it would have only a couple of weeks ago.

These days, even on clear, sunny, breezy mornings, the dew on plants and shrubs lingers til nearly noon. Unlike recent weeks when I hastened to finish weeding before 7 AM, gardening is now an afternoon activity. And my fingers are firmly crossed for all the vegetables still forming and growing.

The Poultry Palace "winter sun" is back; a little lamp timed to come on before dawn so the hens will have enough hours of light to continue laying, which some of them generally do. I am not obsessed with productivity - my hens will be well cared for as long as they live, regardless of production -  but having even one egg added to the larder per day makes a big difference in the menu here.

Only three hens in the Palace now, so four-egg days are a thing of the past. Time to add to the flock next Spring?

The goats are having their supper a couple of hours earlier now. It's far easier to shift the mums and kids into the barn for the night if they are headed up the ramp well before dark. I used to be able to get them moving when it was nearly dark by scooping up one of the kids and calling in a reassuring tone, "Don't worry, mamagoat - I've got your baby!" then walking toward the barn as quickly as possible to avoid being run down by the three goats who would immediately pursue the "kidnapper." Now, the goats are fed early and happily follow me to the barn at dusk.

I suppose I could still lift Tsuga if her life depended on it, but only because then I'd have the adrenalin working for me.

I bought three potted mums at the local nursery a few weeks ago, when they were budding. Now the abundant blossoms provide a warm glow by the back door even on rainy days.

Is it Autumn where you are? Or is Winter turning to Spring? I find the balance of seasons, like the balance of daylight, such a vast, marvelous notion...at once both awesome and reassuring. What do you think?

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joy in goat world

Driving past the goat pen this morning, I noticed Violet standing perfectly still, staring at something directly over her head.

It was a big clump of bittersweet. The stem had grown up a sapling, pulling it over and ultimately killing it. The goats had already eaten every leave they could reach, even by standing up on their hind legs, but now the remaining leaves were tantalizingly out of reach.

Sambucus became interested in her mum's project. Even though Violet is not very big on the concept of sharing, Bui remains perpetually optimistic. If Violet could manage to get the branch within reach, this might be a time when mum would actually move aside and let Bui have some of the treat.

Bui is very sweet.

Even at 5 months, she still has a lot of this in her nature:

And Violet is very determined.

There must be a way!

I happened to have my bow saw in the back of the car, so I got out and cut down the dead sapling, bringing the killer bittersweet along with it.

The scene two seconds later:

Sometimes it's just so easy to bring joy to others!

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I hope you and yours are having a joyful Saturday.

~~~~~

wordless wednesday

predictions

Prediction #1:

There is a very high probability that these two gorgeous specimens will be the last of the homegrown, organic, pattypan squash for 2013.

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Prediction #2:

There is an almost zero possibility that this will be the last of the coconut custard pies for 2013.

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in the clear

We've been having a stretch of dreadfully humid, stale weather. Like breathing through a damp sponge. Sweating standing still. Interspersed with powerful thunderstorms. For days and days.

Yesterday we got a break! With clear skies and fresh air. Even a bit of sunshine. I hastened through morning chores so Piper and I could head for the woods and the pond.

We had a glorious time! Piper was in non-stop Action Mode: running, exploring, sniffing, rolling ,and splashing. I took lots of ungrey, unfoggy, unmurky pictures.

Shall I go this way first?

Or shall I go that way?

Perhaps a beverage while I consider my options....

I'm delighted to see so many bees at work, both at home and in the open areas within the woodlands. I tried to get some pictures of the bees on the goldenrod yesterday. Piper helped by coming to heel while I fiddled with the camera, so the bees wouldn't fly off as she raced by.

Okay, here we are. Holding perfectly still. Looking at a bee.

Remind me why we're doing this?

This is why, Piper!

At one point, a bee I was photographing suddenly lifted off from the flower several feet in front of us, and flew straight to another flower right next to me. And directly over Piper's head.

Good girl, Piper! You are a pro!

We seem to be back to grey skies, humidity and looming rain today, but so far the air is refreshingly cool - perfect temperature for the heavier seasonal tasks that have been sidelined for the past week and more. This is a weekend when a lot must be done. So glad we got out for a purely entertaining wander yesterday. Piper does me the great favor of making walks in the woods a Priority Item, when I might otherwise think there are more important things to be done.

I would be wrong.

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Here's hoping your weekend will be highlighted with moments of pure joy.

~~~~~