It has been a hectic week, with frantic sewing to try to catch up on the projects I wanted for the Fiber Fair. The event was yesterday, and I’ll tell you more about that in the coming week. For now, I am taking a moment on a Sunday for relaxation, and marveling at our beautiful world with its fall color and wildlife. The tulip poplar tree in the front was showing brilliant color for a day or two, then the leaves began coming down in earnest.
It was gorgeous for about a week, then it was past peak. Same for the maple, which was in the process of turning beautifully scarlet, but the leaves fell half green.
Earlier, in October, the deer came by for the first of several visits.
This day there was what appeared to be a mother deer with two adolescents.
Then our resident black bear thought he/she needed a share of the bounty of acorns.
It stayed for quite a while, eating acorns, until My Sweet Babboo went out to the veranda to shoo it away. Luckily, it is wary of humans making noise and scampered into the forest. If you can imagine a 300-pound bear scampering.
A flock of wild turkeys came by for more of their share. When the acorns drop, we get all kinds of visitors.
A few days later, the most surprising thing I’ve ever seen with the wildlife in the area. The deer and the turkeys were here together, watching each other and eating acorns as fast as they could.
This was such an astonishing sight, that I stood at the window for quite some time watching them. Just past the driveway, you can see a tree on its side near the ground, one of a dozen or so that are left from the storm. Sorry about the glare on the window, but I didn’t dare open the door.
It was amusing to see the turkeys just swallow the acorns whole, while the deer stood chewing for quite a bit.
This guy stopped by the feeder. I believe this is a juvenile red breasted grosbeak. The distinctive pattern of red on his chest is just coming into color. He has a way to go for the black to fully darken.
Then the bear came back for another round. The trees had turned over the course of what seemed to be just a few days, now brilliant gold and orange. The downed tree is the same one from the photo above.
Gracie has come by for a peanut butter sandwich recently. I was relieved to see her after the hurricane.
I was especially relieved to see Wilson in the back yard getting his share of the acorn bounty. Wilson is our local woodchuck. I worried about him as he lives in the low part of the cove, probably with a burrow somewhere near the creek. But, he is OK.
Inside, I can tell it is November because my Thanksgiving Cactus is blooming like crazy. One end is all red blooms. You can tell the difference between the Christmas cactus and Thanksgiving cactus by the leaf shape. The spiky ones are Thanksgiving, rounded edges are Christmas.
But if you cannot decide, look at the pollen on the flower. Thanksgiving cactus has yellow pollen, while Christmas cactus pollen is pink. You can see the yellow pollen on this flower.
The other side of the plant has yellow flowers blooming and more buds to come. It is blooming earlier this year than normal.
These rocket shaped flowers always interest me. I like the underside, how it seems to be almost flat…
while the top side has petals reaching in different directions.
My African violet is happy, too. It burst into bloom a few days ago.
I haven’t yet gotten out all my ceramic turkeys, or set a table for November. Time is getting away from me this year, with the leaves falling off the trees before the autumn color can be fully appreciated. So today, I’ll ask My Sweet Babboo to bring up the bin with the November decorations, and get into the spirit of my favorite day of the year, Thanksgiving. I’ll set a table, hang my new wall hanging, and keep watch for the visiting wildlife. That and football games will make a relaxing Sunday. What’s on your agenda for today?
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From My Carolina Home 
Today is birthday party for one of our great grandsons. After that, I have a small quilt top I want to stitch together for the hospital. The grocery store had turkeys 77 cents/lb so I cooked a small one yesterday. We had turkey on (homemade) bread and a bowl of chili last night so today I’ll vacuum pack broth & turkey for future use. My freezer is my best friend !
How interesting to see the turkeys and deer sharing the acorn bounty. I have a tulip poplar and it was one of the last trees to turn color. We’ve had several windy days, but there are still a few leaves holding on. My most spectacular tree is the ginkgo which turns a brilliant yellow almost overnight and once a hard freeze hits, the leaves all fall off at once.
I love seeing what is going on where you live, Carole. We have experienced the leaves falling quickly after a brief time of glorious fall color. The deer and turkeys seem to have no problem sharing the acorns with each other here, also. Your Thanksgiving cactus is beautiful. Enjoy a restful day!
Mother Nature is quite something. Displaying so much beauty after the horrendous exhibition Helene and Milton displayed. Enjoyed your pictures so much.
Beautiful autumn photos! We were admiring a buck strolling across our driveway, I don’t know how they maneuver between the trees with those antlers. I can hear turkeys in the woods & have seen them foraging with deer, usually later in winter when they’re hungrier & brave enough to get closer to the house. Enjoy your day off!
That bear is really wow size!!! My Thanksgiving cactus is just starting to bloom now, too.
I love seeing the pictures of the wildlife in your yard. I have two Thanksgiving cactus plants; one has dropped most of its flowers while the other is just beginning to bloom. The colors are gorgeous. Hoping to get some stitching done today but have the feeling it will be a rather lazy day here.
Wow! Your photos of the deer mingling with the turkeys is a winner! Our oak tree dropped so many acorns that it was like walking in ball bearings! Your wildlife is making it safer for you to walk in that area!
I’m wild about all your nature. You don’t have to go beyond your window to be part of this magical world. I suspect in the photo of the deer and turkey, that turkey wasn’t looking at the deer (and reverse) but it sure looked that way and it was fun. That’s a real site!
I never knew that about the Thanksgiving/Christmas cacti. You learn something new every day!
Amazing wildlife photos, Carole! That is something to see the turkeys and deer there together. Your fall color is so pretty. Ours is pretty much gone now, especially since we had snow and freezing temperatures this week. It’s a football Sunday at our house, too, but I’m also planning to roast a couple more of the pumpkins I grew and make some muffins with the pumpkin. Have a lovely day!
you are terrific. Still in Tampa helping neice whose home was flooded and 52 year old husband died .
made 6 quilt tops on featherweight out of 2.5 strip basket. Gave her my 2005 fall topper from your fall sew along. Thank you for all you have done for flood survivors
I enjoyed your words and photos.
I always enjoy seeing your wildlife photos.
I’m glad the deer and woodchuck, turkeys and bears survived Helene. I always wonder where they take shelter in bad storms. My Christmas or Thanksgiving cactus are in all stages of bloom. So pretty to watch.
zEverything at your place looks to be doing well..Plants and animals just add so much to our lives.Enjoy.
we had a nice visit out of town with our younger daughter for the weekend taking a break from fabric but I brought the knitting along and made progress. I didn’t see even one deer through the mountains on the drive there or back – but plenty of pick up trucks parked here and there I imagine hunting those deer.
You have had so many visitors this week! How nice that there are so many acorns for them to share, and fewer for you to have to pick up if they fall on the lawn!
It’s never dull at your house! Great photos!
Lovely to see the wildlife especially Gracie and Wilson! Busy week – have had out of town company. Thanks, Joan
You have had a lot of visitors lately! So glad they are ok after the storm~ Good for you to take a day of rest!
Jenna
The wildlife is fun to look at – so funny the turkeys and the deer! We just had a hawk eating something in our backyard…believe it was another bird of some sort. Love your beautiful thanskgiving cactus – so pretty. They seem to be blooming early for a few folks this year!