the Grabers: Autumn Glen pond, part 1

One feature that I love about where we live is our pond.

It was one of the reasons we chose to build where we did.

I love to take walks around the lake - camera in hand.

The other day when I went out, I wanted to find the oriole's nest. I never did see it among the foilage. I have in the past, but this year I could not spot them.

I got among the trees and could hear them and watched them fly about.

I pulled out my smart phone and found my bird app and played oriole songs on that app. It was so fun to see the birds in the trees call back! They were probably confused!

In the early summer female cottonwood trees release "cotton" into the air, giving an appearance of snow. I tried to capture it on my camera, but it didn't do justice. Fun to watch. These "flakes" would land in the pond.

Cottonwood trees are the state tree of Kansas.

"The explanation that the Kansas Legislature selected the tree in 1937 was: "Whereas, if the full truth were known, it might honestly be said that the successful growth of the cottonwood grove on the homestead was often the determining factor in the decision of the homesteader to 'stick it out until he could prove up on his claim'; and Whereas, The cottonwood tree can rightfully be called 'the pioneer tree of Kansas.'"