Fall has...fallen
So have most of the leaves from the (deciduous) trees at "La Casa de Camo".(My rambling estate)
The critters are getting ready for Winter.
As seen in the picture (taken from my bedroom window) above, Mr. Groundhog/Woodchuck (Marmota monax) on the left is pretty fat by now to get him through hibernation season, or at least until February 2nd at any rate.
Mr. Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis, the freakin' tree rat!) on the right is gathering acorns which have fallen from the mighty red oak that drops a prodigious amount of leaves each Autumn.
This was the "on" year for that tree; oak trees only bear their nutty fruit on alternate years, but generally not until they are about 20 years old.
Soon, too soon, it will be Winter...
posted by camojack | 01:16
10 Comments:
Still a balmy 71* here. Sigh. We did have a 'brighter' fall than we have in the past. I always thought fall here was kind of a scrubby brown rather than orange or red.
Looks like that tree rat is planting another tree... They forget about half of the ones they bury...
As I whined over at Scrappleface, it's a chilly 5° up here. Jack, if you'd like to borrow my dog, she killed one of those tree rats yesterday in the park. Looked like a brother to the one in your photo. I have a hard time with her killing things....except tree rats! As for fall....we still have no snow, but our leaves have been gone for over a month! It was what I consider a beautiful long fall season...cool but not freezing and no ice!! I can handle winter when it's only about 4 months long. ;o)
Our oaks must be a different variation up here as they produce nuts every year! I dumped 4 wheelbarrows full across the street this year. They're a hazard if left in/on the lawn...just try walking in bare feet!
Our days have been in the low-to-mid 60's here in SoCal, but the nights are getting colder. I actually have to put the heat on to take the chill out of the air in the mornings. I certainly won't miss "winter weather," but I always did like the fall colors when I lived in IL and KY. I haven't seen any lil' critters like squirrels or groundhogs around here. Just birds, lizards and snails. LOTS of snails!
mig:
Some leaves just turn "scrubby brown"; personally, I like the more colorful ones better.
JR:
Those tree rats do forget about half their caches, indeed. I've found a bunch of them myself...in my attic.
Maggie:
It was unseasonably cool for awhile, then this "Indian Summer" arrived. It'll be in the 60's here the next few days, according to the forecast.
UpNorthLurkin:
I suppose even the tree rats serve some purpose in the "Intelligent Design".
My oak is one of the red oak variety, and only produces acorns every other year.
Kajun:
I like purty leaves. Where me mudder lives (in CO) they mostly only have aspen trees (whose leaves turn a uniform yellow) amongst the conifers (A.K.A. evergreens).
'da Bunny:
Have you tried eating any snails yet? I did once, when I was in CA, just to try them. Kinda like any other mollusk, but with an earthy undertone...
"Earthy undertone," what a great euphemism for "muddy flavor." :-) I haven't eaten any snails out here in CA, but I did have "escargot in garlic/butter sauce" in a fancy French restaurant once. I didn't hate it, but it wasn't a dish I would order again.
Hey Camo, I guess I'm not too far from you geographically speaking and the critters are gettin' ready for winter here too. The squirrels look absolutely bloated like they're preparing for a long winter's nap. And the deer are already eating the bushes 5 feet from my front door. Don't ask me why... it's not like there isn't plenty of grass to munch on.
(:D) Regards...
I experienced two falls this year. The normal gorgeous colors of Michigan and a few weeks ago I caught the last week of fall in the Atlanta area, when we visited with my son. Too cool!
'da Bunny:
Yeah, I thought that saying it had an "earthy undertone" was more tactful than "tastes like dirt".
:-)
Hawkeye®:
I think that we're relatively close, geographically speaking, yes.
Beerme:
I prefer to experience more Summer-like conditions.
That was accomplished last week in Cancún..
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