Pumpkins, owls and fallen leaves

Maple leaves, glistening after the storm.

Sunday (Rainday) started with Julia's pumpkin pancakes, lingon-berries and steaming coffee.

We've had days of rain, wind, thunder (almost unheard of here), and sporadic power outages. It's nice to hunker down inside for awhile, then that nagging voice says, "Get outside and make some vitamin D." So on went the rain jacket and down to the bay I trudged. The gravel roadway was matted with freshly fallen giant maple leaves, all yellow and orange (my favorite color). Some of those leaves are about a foot in diameter -- they grow 'em big out here. Ominous clouds obscured the Olympics on the horizon.

 

 Then it was off in the other direction to check out the cow pasture by the mailboxes (above). More downed branches and leaves.

 

On the way back, I stopped in Farmer Dave's garden and picked a few big Swiss chard leaves for vegetable lasagne, some lettuce and a green onion for a salad, and parsley for Bunners.

Midweek, we lucked out and had sunshine during a nature hike at the Tacoma Nature Center at Snake Lake, where paths wind through 71 acres of wetlands (above and below) and thick fir forests.

We chased the sun up into the tall trees, where it sprinkled the forest with the last rays of the day.

Above the trail, a barred owl 
waited silently for night.