10.03.07 THE WANING

Our October moon is waning. It will have completely disappeared behind the shadow of the earth by the tenth of this month. The foliage of the black walnut, Juglans nigra, is also on the wane. It seems to be the first tree around here to completely give up its leaves. By the new moon it will probably be just a skeleton in the forest. All its leaves safely discarded before the frost has made its first nip.

04.27.07 MORE SUMMER GUESTS

Every summer we have a family of Baltimore Orioles, Icterus galbula, in our Black Walnut tree. Orioles winter in Central America, yet every spring a few return to our yard to build their unusual sack-like nest high in the branches of the Walnut. I knew they were back yesterday when I started to hear the single flute-like note of their call around the house.