Mayflies and Oh, How Time Flies!

Boy, how time flies. It seems like only a moment ago that we were heading down to the Nelson Stone Barn in July. The day was hot, the skies were clear and the trees, well,

 they were full of mayflies! They drip from every leaf. In fact, almost everything is occupied by at least one. It's amazing. But also gross.

Someone has a wagon wheel fetish.

Lately, it's the lady bugs that are bugging me. I tried to read a book outside the other day and was constantly digging in my shirt and pants to retrieve wayward bugs. Yuck. Lady bugs or Asian beetles are a real fall menace. But earlier this summer, it was the mayflies.

Fast forward to fall. The end of September to be exact. And the Stone Barn's last hurrah. We always hike the wilds of Maiden Rock bluff. This time, the sky was full of pelicans. I didn't capture any though. They love to graze the bluffs as they glide by.

This was the night before the blood moon.

The blood orange sun set on our rural Stone Barn Pizza trips.  And on our road trips down the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi. Until next year...

 Endurance is patience concentrated.

Thomas Carlyle

Head over to The Chorus of the Crows if you have the patience!

The Holy Grail of Road Trips

I love how this post starts with orange pumpkins and ends with an orange sunset.  But what else would you expect on an absolutely outstanding fall day. Sunny, 80 degrees and lots of fall fun.  There were pumpkins and apples at this orchard. 

And what an abundance of riches.  Right next door at Carpenter Nature Center in Prescott they were doing a raptor release. We saw hawks, owls, kestrals and eagles up close and personal.  I love this beauty shot.

We always hike Maiden Rock bluff in the fall.  And we always see eagles soaring overhead.

Can you spot the train?

The vista in the other direction.

But it wasn't just sweeping views that enchanted.  Shrooms!

And colorfully spotted walnuts.

And pompous fronds blowing in the breeze.

We had pizza at my favorite place.  The Nelson Stone Barn.  But you already know that.

Dramatic clouds illuminated the night.

Fall colors sprouted in the hills.  Not many restaurants have this country view.

We made a surreal pit stop at a sand pit.

But now we had to quicky make tracks...

To enjoy a spectacular sunset before we drove home.

What a day.

Saturday's Critters

Wild Bird Wednesday