Bittersweet

Our wild cherry trees are changing into their fall colors, much too early for my winter-phobic mind. Laden with tiny fruit, they become favored snack stops for wildlife. Our neighbor told me he saw a bear recently high up in his cherry tree, stuffing himself with the juicy morsels.

Suddenly, a burst of bird activity:

How many Cedar Waxwings can you count? I love seeing these beautiful birds when they migrate through here every fall. They don’t make it easy to admire them, as they seem to prefer the tops of trees.

The soft colors of leaves and birds carry the emotional tone of these late summer days – harvest heavy, sweet around the edges, cooling off into nights still ringing with insect serenades. But the last call of the whip-poor-will occurred on August 31 and the hummingbird feeder is looking deserted now most of the time.

Goodbye, feathered friends, may you have a safe journey South to your winter abode. I’ll follow when I can….