It's Fall: Frost, Fog and Fly-overs

When I moved the white pickup to the shop parking area this morning, the windshield wipers required a couple of swipes to remove a thin coat of "almost" ice.  

Twasn't the real thing, but close. 

I did not take pictures this morning because the place was surrounded with rather thick fog. 

So, I'd say we're pretty darn close to fall, and that makes sense cuz its official start is just four days away. 

All that said, it's a beautiful morning.  

I couldn't see them very clearly through the fog in the hay field, but it was obvious from the back-and-forth conversation between a group in the field and group inside the woods, that some turkeys just didn't want to get up this morning. 

Yesterday morning I watched for several minutes as most of the large flock that hangs out here reported for morning duty with impressive precision.  

With each soft tweet from someone in charge out in the field, one or two birds at a time would exit their tree limbs in the woods and swoop in for a landing next to the rest of the group.

Never more than two, always about 30 seconds apart.  

There's obviously no mob rule among turkeys.  

Someone calls the shots and, at the duly appointed time, each bird responds. 

Well, this morning, someone was rather emphatically "TWEETing" to the birds still in the woods.  

Inside the woods, someone else would answer back with that semi-cackle of turkey talk. 

This went on for about five minutes---back and forth, back and forth.  

No birds emerged from the woods. 

Finally, I went on my way, figuring when those reluctant birds who wanted to sleep in on this cold morning would get up when they were damn well ready. 

I'm amazed at turkey precision, just as that we see among the geese when they start flying over.  

None of these critters need signs or lights or honking horns to guide them, like us humans. They just know cuz someone has taught them or maybe it's just inherent in their systems. 

The other thing I notice in the mornings when I'm leading horses to pasture is that there's a pecking order among the herd AND it always includes a peck or two or three. 

Whatever horse goes out the gate, gets a peck on the rump or wherever can be reached with chomping teeth as the victim leaves the barnyard. 

And, then throughout the day, there are just moments when someone among the herd needs a pecking.  

That someone is usually CB, as evidenced by all the knicks all over his back and rump. 

I'm wondering what would happen if people did this to one another.  Could get ugly. 

Anyway, fall is upon us.  We had some nice rain showers yesterday, providing a thorough cleansing of the landscape. 

Add that to the morning dew, and tenny runners and socks are wet again after chores, and toes are cold thanks to the wet shoes. 

Gardens are going down, one plant at a time.  I've already pulled about three tomato plants and will probably do the whole cucumber spread sometime this week. 

Hopefully, some of the colorful flowers can survive through the cold nights, but with color coming on with fall leaves, the scene won't turn too blah too soon. 

The fog is still hovering as I type, but it's looks like when it lifts, we have a lovely day ahead.

Happy Monday.