With the arrival of cooler autumn weather, the familiar chirps, rattles, ticks, clicks and buzzes of the insects have grown quiet. For some, the sound lacked harmony, but for others, it struck a peaceful chord.
“Music is in all growing things;
And underneath the silky wings
Of smallest insects there is stirred
A pulse of air that must be heard;
Earth’s silence lives, and throbs, and sings.”
~George Parsons Lathrop
One of the types of spiders commonly seen around the lake are the funnel weavers. Their webs remind me of tiny kingdoms spread out among the vegetation. The spiders use silk to construct sheet-like webs in which to capture insects. The webs have a narrow funnel-shaped “retreat” where the spider hides out, sometimes camouflaged by leaves and other natural debris. They then rush out when an insect lands on the web, and use their venom to subdue the insect before dragging it back to their retreat.
Here are a few photos of funnel weavers and their webs.
Recently I spotted a funnel weaver, perhaps a male, climbing down a web. Male funnel weavers will cautiously approach a female so as not to become her next meal. A female, which had been sitting in the retreat, came out to check out the situation.
“A little kingdom I possess, where thoughts and feelings dwell; And very hard the task I find of governing it well.” ~Louisa May Alcott
I spotted a group of white pelicans swimming not far from the shore, and found a flat rock near the water’s edge to sit and watch the graceful swimmers. They seemed to glide effortlessly in the water.
I was impressed by one expert fisher as it shimmied along the surface of the lake, using its beak and the gular pouch attached to its jaw to catch and scoop up food like a net. Then it tilted its head down to drain the water from the pouch, and back to swallow the catch.
Another pelican, abruptly disturbed from its afternoon nap where it huddled on a crowded log, let out a lazy yawn.
I enjoyed watching the pelicans play a game of “tag” as one circled around a log lined with other pelicans. The pelican that was tagged was obliged to find a new spot to sit, and didn’t appear too happy about it. Instead of making noise, the pelicans communicated through wing flapping and bill snapping.
Watching these lovely birds was relaxing, fascinating, and entertaining, all at the same time.
“There is a way that nature speaks … Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story.” ~Linda Hogan
Deer feeding on dropped corn in harvested cornfields shortly before sunset.
“When every day seems the same, it is because we have stopped noticing the good things that appear in our lives.” ~Paulo Coelho
We purposefully walk in the evening, a little before sunset, hoping for a breathtaking view. Quite often, we are not disappointed.
Next time a sunrise steals your breath or a meadow of flowers leaves you speechless, remain that way. Say nothing, and listen as Heaven whispers, “Do you like it? I did it just for you.” ~Max Lucado
Our daily walk takes us by several cornfields, so from spring to autumn, we enjoy watching the daily activities and changes that take place from planting time until harvest and after. To commemorate corn harvest time and the Corn/Harvest Moon which occurs during that season, I wanted to share photos of cornfields, corn stalks and corn cobs that are part of our country road walks.
How mesmerizing to observe a swarm of dragonflies congregating over a cornfield. They were beautiful to watch, and hopefully helped out with the mosquito population.
“It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the Spring, who reaps a harvest in the Autumn.” ~B. C. Forbes
Some of the flora and fauna that add to the charm and allure of this beautiful lake.
“You can’t really say what is beautiful about a place, but the image of the place will remain vividly with you.” ~Tadao Ando
As we drove through the refuge, I spotted a beautiful butterfly on a flower beside the road, and we stopped for photos. As I stepped out of the car, a very startled and annoyed Great Egret, which had previously gone undetected, let out a loud squawk and abruptly propelled itself from its concealed spot in the tall grass to the safety of a nearby tree. And there it sat waiting, all sullen and sulky, greatly annoyed that its peaceful afternoon had been disturbed.
“The unexpected may annoy us, but may also wake us up.” ~Scott Sanders
The highlight of my time spent out in nature comes with the sudden and unplanned appearance of wildlife that I hadn’t expected to see. In nature, you never know what you’re going to catch a glimpse of from one moment to the next.
“Collect moments, not things. When all is said and done, beautiful moments are your true treasures.” ~April Peerless
Here are some of the beauties that I’ve seen so far this summer.
“There is nothing that makes its way more directly into the soul than beauty.” ~Joseph Addison
walking on a country road 