After October

The summer hammock is gone.

I enjoy the 'September side' of October.....when the days march forward with the forest cloaked in its ever changing cloak of many colors. Now we are in the 'November side' of October...the forest sits striped of its coat, standing gray and brown. All business and no frivolity suggested, it waits for winter.The yard is cleared of its summer furniture.The old ash tree stands with all its color at its feet, tall and gray, with no hammock swinging in the fall wind.

The reading nook by the garden pond sits empty.

Our  tiny garden pond needs to be emptied of it water-plants, the plants heeled into the empty veggie garden until spring.The weeping cherry is the last to shed it's fall red.....but today is cold and gray, so I enjoy its color from the warmth of the cottage. The sun comes and goes as clouds appear.

Tamaracks stand tall.

When the sun does peep through the gray clouds, a burst of yellow appears behind our barn, the Tamaracks' last song of color.

Addie and Nell cleaning up.

The farrier came and trimmed the four horses hooves. Addie and Nell love to see the farrier coming for a visit. They know that there are treats galore awaiting them on the barn floor after the trims. Smelly treats ...but they love them! Sort of their Halloween treats! The horses are now ready for winter layoff...? I can't say that they had a very busy busy summer.It seems that is their lot in life lately.

One chubby Cob doing what she does best...eating!

The sun is lower in the sky now, the days shorter, nights longer. My days are spent more in the studio now.....and I hope I have more to show for it. An oil painting, on copper substrate, sits on my easel and two casein paintings are being done on my drawing board..... and a watercolor commission awaits. I am busy.