Waning Days of Summer

As I walked through the woods yesterday, an occasional leaf floated softly and silently to the ground. Some yellow, some orange, some curled a crispy brown. Why so early, I wondered. We’ve had plenty of rain. Maybe too much? The official start to fall is still a month away, but we are in the waning days of summer. I suppose this is how the seasons change – leaf by aging leaf. Just like me; I am not young one day and suddenly old the next. So it is with the change of seasons; one gradually slips into the next. This subtle passage of time is a wonder to behold, a prayer for the soul.

Six male deer visited the salt lick this morning. I sat on the porch drinking my first cup of coffee before sunrise, when I noticed two young males, their antlers proudly displayed. I sat very still and watched. They saw me, but continued grazing at the salt lick. After a while, another came, then another, until there were six altogether. The older bucks, with their larger, more impressive racks, came last. I see groups of females often, but I’ve never seen this many males together. It was a beautiful sight.

That's the latest from my country life. Wishing you well.
~Pat

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