Jon always notices the weirdest bugs.  He spotted this Orbweaver spider on one of our walks.

 

Of course, we didn’t know WHAT it was, so we used the SEEK app, and learned that it is a Marbled Orbweaver.  

 

This picture is a little deceiving, because she is only about the size of a marble.  Interestingly, it is also called a pumpkin spider because the female’s inflated abdomen resembles an orange pumpkin.  Well, this one was definitely yellow, but quite pumpkin-like in shape.  Oh, SEEK shows seasonality of species, and this one peaks in September and October.  Right on schedule.

 

We love our mountain bugs.

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

As we were going down toward the creek, I looked up the hillside and saw this.  Actually it was about 100 feet up the hill, but I knew instantly what it was.  It is growing at the base of a living tree.  The mushroom book says that is not uncommon for Chicken of the Woods to grow at the base of living trees.

 

So, of course, I had to scramble up the hill to get a good picture for you.  When I got up there I noticed that the mushrooms were a little dry, and definitely past their “use by date.”  So it is still there.  

 

Going up wasn’t that hard, but coming back down was a little slippery.  Anyway, I survived, AND got a good picture.

 

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

 

 

 

 

This is Crabapple Lane, how it looked yesterday when we started out for our walk.

 

It was a balmy 60 degrees with a 15 mph wind, so we wore shorts and long sleeves.  Gorgeous day for a walk in the mountains.  

 

I hope it is beautiful where you are too.

 

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

My friends live near Charlotte NC, and they have this banana tree in their back yard.  Of course, it is a tropical tree and dies back in the winter, but this fall it bloomed, and if you look behind the flower you can see a bunch of little bananas.

 

They probably don’t have enough time to ripen before it dies back, but it sure is cool right now.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Here is another predictor of winter weather:  the wooly bear caterpillar.  

 

Looks like more brown than black to me.  The pointy end is the head.  It was crossing the road traveling north. 

 

Here’s what I found in Wikipedia:  

 

 

 

 

I love seeing wild grapes in the fall.  Look at this gorgeous color.  

 

These are on Beaconhill, just past the sign.  We tasted a couple and they are still a little sour.  I guess that’s why the birds and deer haven’t eaten them yet.  

 

When they start disappearing, I will know they are ripe.

 

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

I thought you might like to see the maple trees on Five Forks Drive.  These are near Solitude, but there are lots of them changing all over town.  

 

So pretty!!!  

 

 

HAPPY FALL Y’ALL!!!

 

On our walk the other day, we stopped to look for persimmons on the ground, and Jon noticed this turtle.  And if you look closely, you can see that it is eating a persimmon.

 

We knew that deer and turkeys eat them, and of course we do, but who knew that turtles eat them too?  I love it.

 

 

HAPPY FALL Y’ALL!!!

 

Looking up into the Gingko tree in the church parking lot.  

 

Look at these beautiful leaves.  The species name is biloba, meaning two lobes, but they look like butterflies to me.  

 

And they haven’t even begun to show fall color.  Just wait!!!  I’ll show you again when they change.  They look like golden coins then…I'm thinking a couple weeks.

 

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

 

 

I love it when the Beautyberry shows off.  The color is so otherworldly to me.  I know it is a common Earth color, but it is almost electric.  

 

I hope you have some Beautyberry in your path.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!