Some sure signs that autumn is in the air:
You never know from one day to the next if it’s going to be a sweater day or a flip-flop day. Cool, crisp mornings make me want to sit on the patio and breathe in the scent of fall. Lately that’s been laced with ragweed, so while the mornings are nice, the sneezy, stuffy-head feeling later isn’t. (Thank goodness for OTC remedies!)
Leaves haven’t started turning here yet, but cheerful mums and sturdy pumpkins are cropping up on front porches and in the perimeters of flowerbeds, their promises of relaxing days and cozy nights welcome.
As autumn beckons, though, I’m sort of fascinated with the side of nature that’s one of the lesser celebrated parts of the changing seasons – Bug Life!
The patio and yard are littered with cicadas who’ve sung their last songs of summer and succumbed to old age. They do, however, provide entertainment for our sweet doxie Zelda who thinks they’re great fun to toss in the air and nibble on. Like this gossamered wing specimen she’s been pushing around for a couple of days.
And what are those strings that are floating in the air? Perhaps you’ve stepped outside and been tickled on the cheek by something, but you weren’t sure what. Or if the slanting light of dusk was just right, a nearly transparent filament floated Peter-Pan style across your line of vision. What you are seeing/feeling is gossamer, the fine silk threads spun by spiders to fling their offspring out into the world. I sort of like to think of them as a spider umbilical cords that once the baby is out there, the mama (or papa) spider then snips the string and waves as the young one sets off on the adventure of a lifetime – a process called ballooning or kiting. I’m not sure why this intrigues me as I’m not particularly fond of spiders and have no qualms about stepping on them when they invade my house. But there’s something about the ordered nature of our world that gives me pause, a moment of awe. So much so that I wrote about this very same thing a few years ago. You can read it here if you’re so inclined.
I’m curious – what do you like about autumn? Am I the only one who thinks flying spiders are pretty nifty?
Two things of note:
The winner of Joanne Bischoff’s Cadence of Grace giveaway is Beth who is excited about reading the first book in the trilogy. Thanks to all who stopped by and commented on Joanne’s post about mountain music.
Next week is Historical Fiction week here. Watch for reviews of new historical fiction and GIVEAWAYS! See you then.