Windy October Day

I was up early to make an appointment today, but I promised George a walk when I got home.  He seems to understand because when I got home, he wouldn't leave me alone until we went.  And if you think I'm kidding when I say he hugs me around my leg when we go, check this out:

I like the woods this time of year.  Of course, I like the woods any time of year.  In Spring, the trilliums bloom.  Trilliums seem almost mystical to me for some reason.  Maybe it's because they're really the first wildflower we see after Winter.  Or maybe it's because they bloom only once during the year, and then they're gone.

We had one trillium at our old house, and when we moved, I was sad to leave it behind.  When George and I first started walking in the woods, it was before the trilliums started to bloom.  I was so excited to see the first one.  I thought it might be the only one, and I nearly fell down trying not to step on it.  When I regained my balance, I looked around and there were trilliums everywhere.  What a wonderful surprise.

In July, we get the wild tiger lilies.

George likes climbing on the vine maples that we have.  He's declawed, and so even though he can climb trees, he can't get down without help.  He likes these because he can climb overhead, but the trees are essentially horizontal, and so he never gets too high to get down.

About the only thing left blooming now are the wild violets.  We have both purple and yellow ones.  They're about the size of a dime.

The leaves are still on the trees, but they won't be for much longer.  I've always liked looking up and seeing the sun shining through them and the way they cast shadows on one another.

As I said earlier, it's windy today, and the windmill is spinning the meter backwards.  It's a good feeling.  And it definitely feels like Fall today.