Yellow Heads Leaving Town

Last week the yellow-headed black birds - and probably the red-winged black birds, too - started leaving town for the winter.  This is one of the lasts ones we saw... sitting in our aspen tree that did manage to get a little taller this  year.  The weight of the birds that sat in it this summer caused the top of it to bend over.

Summer is so very short - mosquitoes were miserable this year after all the rain and flooding we had.  I don't think we planted a thing this summer.

There are leaves on the trees now, but they are beginning to fade, and the grass has been brown for weeks.  Haying has been done in the fields to the west of us.  Things are winding down.  I hope winter isn't too long this year...