It is definitely feeling autumnal around here. The leaves are at the peek of their changing colours, it is must cooler (we are having a weekend clear but cold: 1C this morning), I am cutting wood and last week my neighbour brought his cows home from grazing all summer across the river.
This is the time of year I find myself humming the tune "Autumn Leaves". Here you can enjoy Edith Piaf singing it.
Some of my wood cutting gear. I always wear my hard hat with the screen to protect my eyes and the ear muffs to protect my hearing. Having been hit twice in the head with a falling tree, I do not need to be reminded to wear it. I also have safety gloves and safety chain saw boots. These are also essential (take note you weekend wood cutters. The boots did not even protect me fully as I cut through a boot and half way my big toe on one memorable accident. I do admit I do not have my chain saw pants on. I think I threw them out a while back as they were shredded from my resting my idling chainsaw on my thigh. I am using a lighter saw these days and I am very aware of my risk at cutting my thigh in a careless moment. Having worked as a professional wood cutter (un bûcheron, en française) I came to appreciate the safely gear.
The yellows leaves of the poplar and birch among others are lovely.
Here is a young maple on the way to my wood cutting site.
Another sign of the season is some of my neighbours cows being herded home after a summer of grazing on our property across the river. They have been nursing their Spring calves. This always reminds me of how much I miss having cows. One cow I had for 18 years and she every year had a lovely calf and raised it well. How hard it was to see her along with others loaded and shipped off to a deadly fate. There is always a big Fall auction of cattle that will not be overwintered.
This year, my thoughts are with my brother and his wife as the are finishing the thru trek of the Appalachian Trail about this day. They should be near the end of the 100 mile wilderness section in Maine which bring them to Mount Katahdin, the terminus of the trail. No doubt they will want to climb this rugged mountain to be photographed with the famous sign.
Here is a video of what the 100 mile wilderness trail is like. I chose this one for it's images and not the German language, although that is interesting and reminds us that the Appalachian Trail is a world class trail to hike.
I am sure that they are enjoying the New England foliage. I suspect they are wet from the weather that has passed through recently. They may be cold. I know my brother is in pain. He has been complaining about his artificial knees hurting him for a long time. Trek on bro! you have almost reached your goal. This is the day you said you would finish.