The nature of our neighborhood is Nature.  Sure, there are people around.  But the natural world is close at hand, at foot, at eye, or ear.

The other day I gently lifted a small copperhead across to the field.  A little too close to slithering into the garage.

Woodpeckers are back in the bradford pear and sycamore, insect-rich perches for our wrens, cardinals, titmice, finches and their relatives.  I can’t help sensing they instinctually know we’ll soon put the seed-feeders out (as soon as the bears are snoring).

On todays walk, autumn leaves were vibrantly in color, of course.  Here in the Blue Ridge mountains Nature’s art projects are common, but always somehow delightfully surprising.

We return from our walk to meet a new hopping, crawling, flying neighbor, wearing the colors of the season.

Wonder what his/her reception is like with those long antennae?