I love this time of year

[kelliem]

I am not a summer person.  I hate being hot, and this summer has been that and then some!  So it is with great relief I observe the shortening days, cooler temperatures, and the gorgeous fall colors.  There's a quality to the light this time of year that feels magical, especially around dusk.  Maybe it's because I have a fall birthday, but this time of year always makes me feel-- connected-- to the earth in the way I don't normally.  I feel more alive.  

I took a few photos this weekend, some of a rare visitor to my yard (a melanistic fox squirrel, which I've never seen before!), others are just prettiness.  Look behind the cut to see them.


Isn't she gorgeous?  Normally I get annoyed by squirrels eating all my bird seed, but somehow I didn't mind this time.

Here's another shot:

She would come right up and take peanuts from my fingers (though she would have nothing to do with a piece of banana-pecan pancake), and even let me touch her head (which I probably shouldn't do, but...). Very brave!

This is the current view looking east from my front walk:

I know it won't last long, but while it does- wow!

And speaking of that quality of the light at dusk this time of year - here is a shot of last night's sunset, looking west from my back yard.


There are more pix on my Flickr stream