The fall colors in the yard are very pretty this year. Got a few pics the other day as the sun was going down, hitting the back yard plants so they were just glowing...
The Contorted Redbud changing colors...
The crape myrtle showing off its fruit.
The Service Berry with spent fruit still hanging on...
And I discovered a volunteer Rabbit Brush. Pretty flowers, but IT MUST DIE.
The Butterfly Bush hanging on to a few last blooms. The Hummingbird Moths LOVE them.
In the chicken yard, the pear tree still has a few fruit to go...
Imminent Disaster discovering that when your sister Dubious Intentions dustbathes, she churns up goodies.
One of the Cockspur Hawthorne trees displaying its fall colors, cool bark and drupes...
Bobbie the buff Brahma rooster molted a lovely feather...
At the very back of our property, the neighbor's some-sort-of-grape plant crowding through the fence. Not producing that I noticed this year.
Sadly, one of the Curly Willows I grew from starts brought north from the old house when we moved got infested with some kind of tiny black bugs, they got under the bark and killed it.
I have another one planted elsewhere and it's doing well, and will replant this one in the chicken yard from cuttings from it--so all is not lost.
But dang, I wish I could move this dead one to the front yard, it's totally Halloween-creepy. And the curly branches are so photogentic! I plan on setting out the branches when we take it down, offering them to crafters in our area to come and get.
It made great shade and cover for the chickens, and they loved eating the leaves.
Speaking of chickens...
Left to right: Bobbie the buff Brahma roo, Chonk the light Brahma hen in back. In front, Henry the bantam golden-laced Wyandotte, Tater Tot the Belgian d'Uccle/bantam/Cochin mix, Sesame the Smokey Pearl, Slick Charlie the partridge Rock behind her, and Kana the Bantam Cochin mix next to her.
Eating is the main talent they all seem to have.
Chonk in particular. Here she is shooting me some
quality Stink Eye for interrupting Food Time.
When Chonk is in your lap you know you're holding some serious chicken meat.
And nobody delivers 'Day of Judgement' scowls like Chonk does.
Meanwhile, Mjolnir is caught mid-wattle-fling like a paused-action 'starring' shot from a 1970's crime drama TV show:
Eggroll has settled on being a rooster, though no crowing or interest in hens as yet. His crossbeak has worsened a bit, but we're keeping it trimmed. Tell-tale sickle-shaped saddle feathers coming in on either side of his as yet still non-existent tail (God I love hyphens, don't I?). He's also working up fantastic dinosaur frill feathers above his eyes.
But nothing competes with eating for him right now.
Peanut continues to impersonate a Hoopoe bird with her Rooster Handle.
Pardon the food she's wearing above her eye.
In the front yard, our struggling MacIntosh apple is making lil' fruits, but is producing every year now.
It's total yield, they're the size of racquet balls:
Also out front a few lingering flowers...
Most everyone is molting in prep for winter, there are drifts of feathers everywhere and nightmare-fodder pincushion chickens...pictures later if I can get them!
