Let's be honest: We're entering the gray/brown time of year here in the Upper Midwest. While there's beauty in even the starkest of seasons, it can be a little shocking after, arguably, the most colorful month on our calendar: October, with its unbelievable bright reds, oranges, yellows, and greens.
The reality is that the Shagbark Hickories are still alive outside my kitchen window, though they appear to be dying as their leaves curl ... brown and gnarly against the cold winds of November.
I've been following our Shagbark Hickories (Carya ovata) this year, linking my posts with Lucy's tree following meme, over at Loose and Leafy. I thought it would be fun this month to show you the view out my kitchen window. This is looking up a bit, through a less-than-perfect pane of glass, but you get the idea. Some of the trees still have leaves, but most are bare.
Note that I used the description "late autumn" for the title. It's cold here, and many of you in other climes would consider this late autumn or even deep winter weather--with highs slightly above freezing, and lows much below that. Snow is in the forecast for three days next week.
So these leaves are emblematic of what's ahead for us for the next few months.
I was starting to feel a little down about it all--dry, curled leaves ... gray bark and sky ... cold, short days--when some hardy birds entered my field of view.
It started with a brave, little Robin just below the window. This is shot through a screen, but it shows my view. Other birds followed, and I found myself looking up into the Shagbark trees again.
Do you see the Robin?
How about now?
Does this help? How's that for camouflage? (You can click on any of the photos for a larger view.)
These little guys brightened my day. And it's likely snow will brighten the Shagbarks--and the landscape--for my next tree following post in December.
Head on over to Lucy's blog to learn about trees from around the world. I'm also linking in with Tina's Wildlife Wednesday meme at My Gardener Says, although I'm a day late.
