Gone To The Beach: 11.07.2018

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Searching for November

Hi everyone! Welcome, November ~

I love November---the dark quiet rainy days, the windy stormy days, the glory and bluster of the brilliant sunny days that follow. The season has finally arrived, it is indeed Autumn, now during the first weeks of November.

Mo is not so fond of rain as I am:

Each morning as I sip my hot tea I look out at the dunes, now beginning their color change from green to gold and ochre.

Often there are flocks of birds, especially on quiet foggy days .

These are migratory geese, passing through, resting in the flooded swales.

Or after a windy storm, I see geese, ducks, and many flocks of tiny birds who fly much too fast for me to capture them on my camera. One morning there was a large hawk, soaring low, round and round over the dune and swales. Would he capture something as large as a goose? Or a tiny migrant bird? A big beach repair truck scared him away and all was safe again. I looked him up: a Northern Harrier, with a distinctive white patch just above his tail. Hawks are generally only seen on quiet fall or winter days. My bird book says northern harriers nest in marshy wetlands, so he may live nearby. Northern Harrier Audubon Guide pics,

As the dunes become more accessible, I get out my little "Weed Finder" to identify the seeds and dried stalks.

This pod caught my eye on FB, a post by Fine Farmhouse.

FB ~ A Fine Farmhouse

I knew her pods looked so familiar, but had never seen them harvested and dried. What could they be?

FB ~ A Fine Farmhouse

Aha. Something called Velvet Leaf. I 've seen it with its big velvet leaves many times. I'd love to \find some dried to bring home. The pods are oddly pleated and fluted, like miniature industrial filters of some kind. [on the right] here

Mo and I are walking a lot, as helpers become less, um, helpful. I am up to about 6000 steps most days, wow. The new phone app is fun and encouraging. Mo and I inspect all our usual haunts and routes.

Often I fill my pockets with tiny finds, a habit from childhood nature walks.

And I have set out on my desk this favorite Victorian glass vignette, a miniature cabinet of curiosities.

It holds at least 6 types of moss, and fungus; a miniature oak leaf, long dried and brittle tiny twigs, and an acorn cap ''robin's nest'' with tiny blue grey bayberry eggs.

It was a gift from my mother, years ago. I get it out every fall and remember our walks and ''studies'', our love of nature books and journals, our special times together. The gift my mother gave me---so much more than a paperweight, a lifelong love of seeing and studying the natural world around me.

November--one of my favorite months! And it ends with the special holiday of Thanksgiving, something to look forward to. Friends and family, happy times. Turkey and traditions.