Falling through November...

 Found yet another ootheca, this time under the greenhouse eaves.

 Wonder how old this one is... years?

Was tracking a red-shouldered hawk,

when this raven decided to shoo it away.

Many insects seem to be loving ANYTHING that's blooming in November.

Which includes our zinnia, which is going bananas.

Moby (hen) struts by, headed for the cherry tomatoes...

Among the flower-fans:

This painted lady eyed me whilst it drilled for nectar.

I want to call those little frills eyelashes, but don't actually know that, so...

 I'll just call them super cool.

Fawn post-rain, chewing cud, enjoying the sun.

Fawn and mama, who's got her eye on me. =)

Big ol' gang moved through, taming the greenery for us.

And trimmed up the circular driveway. Thanks!

The deer are looking SO much better than this summer, now that there's actually FOOD. =)

Their faces are fuller, muscles are back, 

and this one even has a shine to her coat--hooray!

That's fall in this climate: the long-awaited return of water,

and all the life that it brings.

xoxobb

How photography is like meditation

 Photography makes me SLOW DOWN...

focus on one thing,

and then I see things I wouldn't have otherwise (same dahlia),

like a VERY tiny spider,

building a very tiny orb web,

 floating in a sea of dahlia hues.

Found this new ootheca (mantid egg case, on the support for the cardinal climber)

which I hope is from this summer's green mantid rockstar. 

Here she is giving mouth-to-mouth to a honeybee.

Which is what I tell myself so I can gaze at it.

Also, in the photo you can't see the bee's leg twitch.

I had to walk away.

However, notice she's also doing the splits. Woah.

A blue-lipped goddess whom, like Pele (the volcano goddess),

you don't mess with.

Old ootheca on old manzanita branch in garden.

 Those things are AMAZINGLY hard. Like fossil-hard.

 So hopeful: dahlia bud soaking up the sun.

Teensy white crab spider on morning glory, behind scarlet runner bean.

pink-ola dahlia

Honeybee & her adorable shadow on pink zinnia.

Tiny harvest, plus Moby chick.

Another small yet beautiful harvest.

And back to mediation,

was taking photo of this,

Noticed tiny white dust speck on the lower right,

which is this amazingly tiny animal.

And makes me love biology and photography

all over again.

=)

xooxoxbb