A Second Look--October 5, 2011

We took our Second Look this week in cold, drizzly weather, so it's only appropriate that we noticed changes that come with Fall including the weather. The leaves are just starting to turn different colors and the mushrooms abound. Also, for the first time, I noticed a subtle change in the color of the deer's coat. The reddish brown of the summer has changed to the grayish brown of the winter. This is one reason that I enjoy doing a second look. So much there to see, like the changes in the deer's coat, that I never noticed before.

Wally took the Second Look with me this week, so some of the pictures are his and some of them are mine.

This lovely mushroom actually had three protrusions growing out of it. One is hidden in the back.

Over the last month, the pink sedum has changed to a dark red. This is a very red year for sedum. It usually stays some shade of lighter pink. (Top picture taken beginning of Sept. and bottom picture taken beginning of Oct.)

The oak leaves are starting to go from green to brown. However, you can see that most of the tree is still green.

The tulip poplar leaves are starting to go from green to yellow . However, most of the leaves are still green as with the oak.

The maple tree, that has been virtually destroyed by a sapsucker, is desperately trying to save itself by producing large amounts of seeds.

I've discovered a new invasive vine in the yard--an Asiatic bittersweet.

Since I can't get too close to the deer, it was hard to get a shot showing the difference in their coat color. Even though the lighting is different in these shots, the colors are pretty true to what the eye sees--reddish brown for the summer (left) and grayish brown for the winter (right). Also, you can see that the fawns have lost their spots and are getting bigger. In addition, notice in both pictures, the mama is watching me ready to alert the others to danger. The fawns are clueless. Life is good when mama is watching out for you.