Simple + Southern Sunday No. 622

“For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭108‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Sunrises are infinite and beyond regarding the manner in which they greet us daily, no two ever alike. A thick fog rolled in just before daybreak one morning mid-week and there was nothing to do but wait. The cool of the early hours felt good since our daytime temps have been summer-like. Our favorite meteorologist said that last Friday should be our last flirt with 90’s this year…and followed up by saying, “but no guarantees”.

Even though our late planting of zinnias and sunflowers was mostly a lost cause, we have enjoyed the faithful few that came forth. The butterflies and bees have been happy too. You can’t see them, hidden beneath leaves, but two stalks produced 12 sunflowers at one time in what I am calling my late season “sunflower cluster”!

A sign of the times, something is stirring, change will come. Our forecast next week looks absolutely gorgeous, as October as it gets. Nights mostly in the 40’s, days in the 70’s…even near 40 tonight maybe? Ha…we will be freezing. Running AC through Friday and heat by Sunday morning!

I was finally able to get back to some of my trails around home and capture more reflections, not the Tetons, but a beautiful spot nonetheless! I couldn’t tell if the egret across the way was Henry or Henrietta.

I couldn’t pass up the reflections or my thoughts on my Thursday morning walk. The water is rarely totally calm and slick as glass, but I found pools that were like mirrors. More often there are at least ripples and sometimes choppy waves. Isn’t that just like everyday living, there are ripples and those big waves too, days that are as slick as glass are rare…but the reflections are still there, just harder to see beneath the turmoil.

This muddy cove brought more thoughts. Not always, but sometimes a scene like this will trigger an inward reflection. This old tree has finished what it was placed here to do, and although dead now, cast a reflection that makes it seem twice the tree it was when alive and standing tall. I pray that I might leave such reflections, that even in muddy waters, others, especially the grands, might see and remember things that bring joy, hope, and encouragement!

We can’t get away from the fact that our everyday living involves food. Truth is, we do not attempt to get away from this daily habit. Every meal however, does not include stuffed peppers with goat cheese, sultanas, pine nuts, and capers…one of Pam’s favorite starters at Bottega Cafe.

I made certain all summer that I avoided mowing and trimming one small group of plants growing against the fence behind the picnic table. I recognized early on that these were goldenrods, and I’m glad I did. Many goldenrods are in full array while others are fading. October is goldenrod’s best month!

I wanted to talk about orange butterflies that drop by our place. We can usually count on monarchs, like this girl, to stop by in October. Such was the case last week. The chaste tree is a favorite.

But monarchs like this pretty one aren’t the only orange visitor. You all probably know that monarchs do not taste good to birds and can even make birds sick if they eat them. And birds know this, so they leave them alone. Creation is staggering to my little finite brain. This bad taste is helpful to another orange butterfly which can be mistaken by humans, and birds, to be a monarch, thus the mimic can be a life saver for…

…an orange butterfly known as a viceroy. Pam saw this one and made the photo at the kitchen window while washing dishes. Honestly, the viceroy is not seen often at our house and I think this is the first photo we’ve ever had of one.

This is our more common orange butterfly which stays with us all season, remaining very plentiful in October and also a lover of the chaste tree. This gulf fritillary does lack the deeper color and black lines of the monarch and viceroy.

While we don’t have numerous blooms, the late planting zinnias have kept butterflies and bees coming, and provided cut flowers for Pam for several arrangements.

An all white field of cotton can look like this in a very brief time as the picker breezes through and then the stalks are cut. October is a busy month, maybe the busiest for picking cotton around this area.

I was able to sneak into the garden one afternoon last week to hear sounds and get glimpses of what turned out to be a tea party. I was able to slip away without being detected. I wanted to know more about the festivities, but when I inquired, I was told to be patient and visit the blog on Tuesday for all the details. I suppose I will do just that! This quick photo peeping around the corner will have to suffice until day after tomorrow.

While clearing a tract about 50 miles from us, Richardson Landworks made an interesting discovery on an adjacent property. He thinks this old tractor is probably a Farmall A series, late 30’s or early 40’s. I guess this is the place where it pulled the final plow. If wheels could talk! Those tires have held up quite well. Farmall was a tremendous asset for family farm agriculture, the first models being mass produced starting in 1925! I noticed on this one the seat was offset to the right and the engine to the left. A farmer could look straight down the row ahead without obstruction.

Last Sunday we had late afternoon clearing after the weekend storm finally moved on. I looked out just before dark and through the trees to the west the scene looked like a raging wildfire. Of course we knew that wasn’t the case, but I wanted to get a better view of the horizon while there was still light. It took a few minutes to make my way around our woods trails and light had faded some…

…but the sky was still ablaze! Orange definitely fits the season.