It's November!

Here is the 1st of the month picture of The Puddle Pond.  Notice the absence of those pesky lily pads.  Yesterday started out rainy and severe thunderstorms were in the forecast.  There was rain and lots of wind but by noon the skies cleared and the afternoon was beautiful.  Blue skies today and warm for this time of year.


The praying mantis was on the gazebo which is now down and stored away for the winter.  

A last picture this season of the gazebo.  The corn in the field behind us hasn't been cut yet this year and probably won't be cut now until after hunting season.  That means there won't be hunters sitting on the fringes of the field waiting for their prey to saunter through.  

Speaking of prey, the bucks have begun to rub the trees in the woods to get the velvet off their antlers.  Just like last year, the forsythia bushes are falling victim to their punishment again.  Fortunately, it appears that this type of pruning doesn't really cause any trauma and they return nicely the next year.

Belated Happy Halloween!
Thursday night between the hours of 6 and 8 PM was Trick or Treat night in our township and in most areas around us.  For the last 25 years we've had no visitors to our house for candy.  Besides living in a rural area where houses are not densely packed, our home sits a distance off the road and even though there is a motion detection light at the garage, it's dark until you reach that point.  Other than the young boy across the street who is taken somewhere else to "trick or treat", there aren't other young children close by.
Despite this, the pumpkins were set out and candy was purchased, just in case.  The porch lights were turned on at 6PM and at 8PM, Mr P took the trash up to the road for it's Friday morning collection.  He noted that as he headed up the driveway, a car was returning to the house across the street.  Thinking the boy across the street just might stop down, the porch light was left on until 8:30PM.  He was a no show. Guess who will be eating the candy!  That must be why I was asked to specifically buy peanut butter cups and Three Musketeers.

After a bumper crop of figs last year, this year's harvest was dismal.  This is all I will probably get. There are a few more on the tree which will need to be pruned and wrapped for the winter soon.  No fig preserves this year.  The preserves were going to be used as Christmas gifts this year so I will need to decide on something else.

My walking buddy and I are not walking early this weekend as she has company for a few days.  I will get out later today on my own.  Hope you have a good weekend.