Bee-Lieve it!

It has been a mild autumn. So far, no frost... (now in 1926, according to Joseph Tapley's diaries, there was a killing frost on June 30, and another on August 31st -- which doubtless rendered it a short growing season!) This has been a boon for some, and less of a boon for others. Brian is still hard at it, mowing the lawns.

Carol planted a new variety of raspberry, and the canes are currently bearing their second crop of fruit. There are blackberries on their vines as well, so we are still into berry picking mode.

The corn is finished for this year. All the stalks are cut, bundled, and stored in the dry to become decorations for the harvest festivals, fairs and thanksgiving celebrations.

The sunflowers are at their very best, with a wonderful array of colours on display. Carol plants a lot of different types, from the fuzzy "Teddy Bear" through to these striking red and orange flowers. They are a beacon for the bees, feasting on the flowers.

These bees, bless them, are moving slowly as the weather cools, and when I took these photos it was later in the day, the weather was chilly, and the bees were very sleepy. (you can actually pet them, very gently so as not to hurt them, when they are this dormant.) The first ray of sunshine will be enough to set them off again, hard at work. Bees too are into the autumn harvest, and working overtime to bring home nectar for the hive to turn into honey for the winter season.

This is the time of year the beavers also start to sit up and take notice of work that might need to be done on the dams. It's a good time of year to hike on down to Beavertown and see if anybody is swimming about surveying the dams.