I awoke to bright sun and a chilly North wind that made the creek choppy. When I went out to dump the soggy bark butter balls, a leaf footed bug dropped from the top of the doorway where it had secreted itself, perhaps for warmth. I persuaded it to go outside.
After lunch I walked around the yard. There were some insects, flies and yellow jackets mostly. The forsythia was deceived into flowering and the zinnia, black eyed susan, and one daisy were still blooming, along with the rose. I pulled up the big fungus under the oak to get a look at its spore side. As I expected, it was a polypore spreading from two quite thick stalks. Ir looked a bit moldy so I left it in the sun.
A house finch was perfectly camouflaged by red dogwood leaves, but the twigs' motion as the finch tugged at berries gave it away.
When we got home in the late afternoon, a mockingbird argued with me as I swept leaves out of the garage. It had quite a repertoire of buzzes and clicks and other unmusical sounds. But it didn't stay for a portrait. The lantana put out a late blossom.
The wind had dropped and the creek reflected turning leaves. A cormorant and a great blue heron perched on snags in the lake, but there wasn't enough light. While I'm grateful for the extra morning sleep, twilight comes far too early after the return to standard time.
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