Colora

[Guest Guest]

This morning as I was drinking my coffee and looking out the window I noticed the colors are beginning. Not a lot but some of the grasses in the pasture are gold. The celosia leaves are turning red. The fields of corn and beans are amber waves in the breeze. I never realized until moving to a farm in the midwest what the words in America the Beautiful meant when it said "amber waves of grain". If you haven't seen those amber waves you're missing a site of what it is that feeds the world.

Enjoy these gorgeous fall days all of you midwesterners and let us know what you see when you look out your window!

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[Guest Guest]

Off my back porch, as well as out my kitchen window, I see a small wooded ravine with a stream at the bottom. The trees are still very green here but autumn is aways gorgeous (as is spring cuz I have lots of dogwoods). Out my front are more trees and visible on the left is a small meadow, beyond which is still more trees. My driveway is about a quarter of a mile long, and my property sort of a slightly flattened pie shape, with the smallest boundery at the front, but at the entrance (I only see it going in and out, not from the house), at one side of the drive entrance, are wildflowers, then the drive itself has trees on both sides. I am thinking of putting one of those miniature fish pond gardens across from the wildflowers, but am not sure of how to solve the problem of easily keeping it filled with water when it is so far from the house. I may just make some kind of rock garden there instead.

Does anyone have a miniature fish pond garden or real pond close to their house? Does it increase the mosquito population in the summer? Whatever it is that attracts mosqitos to people, I have a double portion of it! /-:

[Guest Guest]

Oh,forgot to say ... nice post, Dee. When I was growing up, I never appreciated the wonders of creation. Then, when I was in nursing school, I remember in Anatomy and Physiology class,I was always being struck with absolute wonder at how we are made. After moving to the country, I started having this same experience about nature. David, in the Psalms, meditated a lot on God's natural creation and how it declared God's glory. Sometimes I feel like writing a Psalm myself.

I agree. Those amber waves of grain your mentioned are so beautiful, especially when the breeze ripples through them.

Also, nature is so therapeutic. Yesterday evening, I was outside and there was a nice breeze murmering through the trees and it was so beautiful. We have had a few trials this year, I won't go into them, but it is just plain impossible to get depressed or agitated when you are aware of nature. You realize how big and beautiful God is and how little your problems are.

[Guest Guest]

Doh..sorry for being long winded today but I have been wanting to ask this question and here is a good place .... aren't there any southern people here? How come there are only boards for east, west, midwest, Canada, etc? Midwest is fine with me...I am kind of on the line here is far southern Missouri, and am a midwesterner originally, but just wondered.

[Guest Guest]

LadyTiana you've depicted such a pretty sight that I would love to come and look out your kitchen window and enjoy a cup of coffee with you one day. We're so flat and open here, which I love but I also love trees, and hills and ravines and ponds and I guess just about everything to do with nature! I grew up in the suburbs of L.A. so I never paid much attention to nature either but now I can't get enough of it.

I've often wondered about how to address the great midwest too since so many are far enough south that when I write about blizzards or below zero temperatures I know they can't relate. I don't know what the answer is so I just keep writing like I know what I'm doing!

I keep talking to my DH about a fish/lily pond up here in the yard but we've never gotten around to one. We do have a shallow gravel pit about 300 feet from this window I'm looking out of as I write. At times its got geese, cattle, blue herons, ducks and other things in it but it's far enough away from the house I can't give you an answer about the mosquitoes.

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[logcabinmama]

Wow, you two have been so discriptive with what you see looking out your windows.

No matter which way I look out, I see trees. We live in a ver wooded area. From my kitchen window, we have our driveway which leads to a very busy highway. We have 4 flower beds just outside our fenced in yard. Our trees are mostly pine trees, but we have a few oak trees too. There are several berry trees to the south and west of the house, the leaves on the leaf trees are just beginning to turn colors. We have several bird feeders and a bird bath that you also see from the kitchen window. Across the road, we have nothing but trees. There is a house set back in the woods, but you can't see it from the road at all.

From our other east windows you see the same thing, only more of the bird feeders and our deck with a small porch. We have a heated bird bath that sets on the rail around the deck. So, in the winter, we are able to give the birds water too.

Yes, I love the birds and we have at least 10 or more feeders out there for them. In the summer, we have more feeders out as we have 4 for the hummingbirds and 2 others for the orioles. We put jelly in the two for the orioles and have a place for the oranges on them too.

To the north of the house is a large open area, which use to be our garden. We have no north windows.

We are adding to the fenced in area and have not finished yet. We too are thinking about putting in a pool with bushes, plants and flowers around it.

This summer, we planted 5 or 6 trees and 4 bushes, so they are very small yet. We know that one of these days some of the older trees will have to be cut down. We did cut three trees down before planting the new ones.

I love flowers and would like to have my yard full of them. One day we will have a lot more flower beds than we have now.

Dee, you are so right about the grain fields. If you have never seen them, you just don't know what you are missing. I was raised on a farm and saw them while yet young. We didn't raise a lot of grain like you see now days, but just by going on a drive now you are able to see many kinds of grains. Have you ever seen the sunflower fields? They look different than the grain fields, but they do have a special look about them.

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[Guest Guest]

Oh Snow, now I want to come to your house and watch your birds. I have bunches of bird feeders out during the winter but am not so good at it during the summer. We did see a woodpecker the other day so I got my suet feeder out but still haven't gotten suet made to put in it. Maybe today?

As to the sunflowers. We've gone through So. Dakota in July and seen the gorgeous green and yellow fields but never in the fall. That would a nice trip.

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[Guest Guest]

Mornin' Ladies,

It was sure a pretty morniing. We had our first good Norther blow in and actually got a

nip in the air. Having 95+ everyday, this morning started at 60 and it's not supposed to get above 80. I live in a suburb but still see racoons and possums. Lots of deer and wild hogs where I work, which is only a few miles away. Being brought up in the slums of St.Louis this is country heaven to me. Everything is still Green, which is actually a blessing. We have had more rain than we have had in years. Normally it's dry with everything as brown and dead. I'm looking forward to next month when the leaves start turniing. I sure miss the Ozarks. The autumns and winters were much different there. Y'all enjoy your fall and remember the moments.

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Always Seek&Follow the Light.....Wheeler

[Guest Guest]

You would be welcome to visit anytime, Dee! I like flat open country, too, though, having been raised in Kansas. You can see so far in Kansas and Iowa and states like those, that really makes the world seem so large and wonderful. No flat land here in the Ozarks,though!

I wondered about "colora" too...thinking at first glance it was cholera. Then, when I read your post, I didn't even think it was a typo..I thought maybe it was a descriptive term I didn't know, lol.

You have inspired me, Snowmom. I have one little bird feeder but I think I need to get more. A heated bird bath? Sweet.

[Guest Guest]

And I thought Dee was having fun with *Spanish* or Castilian or something else...

*giggle*

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[Guest Guest]

Boy Debbielee now you're in trouble with me! These people just thought I was smart and using a new word but noooooooo, you had to bring it up and I had to admit it. Darn, now they know the truth....I simply can't type!

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[Guest Guest]

Ya the Michigan Tech web site has a color report for people who want to visit. Maybe we could post that here? Just barely starting here in Mid Michigan. di

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[mrszouave]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOPs.......sorry Dee Baby!! Try to be gentle.....i'm still wounded (gotto milk this as long as i can).

Great to see ya Wheeler!! Is your back still bothering you??

Hope you enjoy your beautiful cool weather!

Yup....there is nothing like fall......

Hi Lady T ....Cat ....Di and Snow!!

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[mrszouave]

Boy you sure freaked me out Dee...When i read your subject line i thought there was a Colera (SP?) epidemic out break....

 

Much to my relief......you guys are painting pretty mind pictures for me....thanks!

BTW.....not much color change in my city yet...

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[Guest Guest]

I wondered who'd be the first to mention my typo. I saw it after posting and thought oh great, they'll think we've got cholera in the midwest.

Nice to see you back Beb and feeling well enough to catch these slip ups!!!

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[logcabinmama]

Dee and anyone else who would like to come to my house, you are all welcome.

Two winters ago, we/I counted over 70 birds on the feeders and ground at a time. Yes, there were lots of them.

We probably go through close to or over 500 pounds of bird feed a year. We get several kinds of food, as well as the suit blocks and of course that does not count the hummingbird or oriole food. I make the food for the hummingbirds so we go through close to 30 or 40 pounds of sugar in a summer too. About 4-5 dozen oranges and about 4 jars of jelly. This was the first year for the jelly so not sure how much we will need when the birds really start eating that.

Well, the squirrels were eating some of the food too. But we have tried to keep them out of the feeders the best we can.

About the typo, I have problems hitting the wrong keys sometimes so just figured that is what had happened to you, Dee.

When I went out to do dishes last night, I looked out and yelled at Old pine to come quick and look out the window. There was a beautiful fox going across our yard. I think it probably was the one I had seen earlier this summer. But, he/she had really grown and looked so sleek and was a lot bigger. We have seen deer at times, but not as often as I would like.

We have had racoons and ground hogs get in the yard and the dogs have killed them. The one dog is a very good hunter. We know she has killed rabbits too. I guess she figures they are invading her home so she has a right to kill them. Chipmunks are another thing that feed from the feeders at times. The dogs chase them and some times the catch them, and of course if they catch them, they end up killing them too.

It is good to see all of you posting here. Haven't seen you, Wheeler for a while, good to see you.

Morning Beb, nice to see you here too, and Do, Dee, Cat and LadyTiana. Hope you and everyone else who read and posts here have a great day.

Oh, LadyTiana, I need you to send me some information for the ornament exchange, please.

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[motherearth]

Speaking of "Colora"...you are all making me green with envy! Talking about what sounds like acres of land surrounding your homes. Do you all live in the country or mountains? Someday we want to live in the mountains......

However, for now, we do have a very pretty pond in our back yard. It is our favorite spot, right next to the patio. So relaxing! We have fish in it which takes care of the pesky mosquitos. This is very important, as we now have West Nile Virus in our state. The fish hibernate in the winter and we leave the water fall going to give them oxygen.

[Guest Guest]

Hi CeeGee Welcome to Mrs-S!

What wonderful word pictures you all are making of your views Sure wish I had something to compare but my house is in town and all I can see out my window is the neighbor's yard with 7 cars in it The new owner must fix them up and sell them or something as the cars keep changing.

I can see my garden though, and the crabapple tree and that is nice when the flowers are in bloom. Now the leaves are beginning to fade a bit and put on some color, and this morning when I opened my door I could tell fall is on the way as it was downright nippy! I can't wait until the oak tree turns red.

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