I attended my first fall festival of the season last weekend, Peachtree City's Shakerag Festival. At first light, I took this picture of my windowsill "shrine," which exhibits an assortment of things that gather there each season following my walks. It's getting to be time to put away that fragile little speckled egg, the spent poppy pods, found feathers, cicada wings and beach pebbles. The last of my hummingbirds departed last Friday. I hope they won't have a difficult passage. It's nothing short of amazing that these tiny winged creatures will land in South America in the coming weeks. I am going to miss their visits to my window feaders. What they lack in size, they make up for in tenacity. I have read that it's the males that create conflict with their constant battles to own the feeders. But they are the first to begin the tropical migration and it has been peaceful over the last couple of weeks, with the females and their fledges alighting for a drink sans territorial conflicts. I miss their presence each time I find myself standing at my kitchen window and find the feeders unattended.
It's bittersweet, stowing my collections, but the cooler nights with the onset of Fall are a gentle reminder that this change is part of the natural order of things. And, I am reminded that I found some really lovely pine cones on the Tech campus, and those hand-formed earthen hearts from last weekend's festival will get my fall collection off to a nice start. And there's the fall harvest. Pumpkins are in season, and pumpkin breads and fritters and pies will soon lend seasonal warmth comfort to home and table. I don't know how I ever managed back in the days when there was just one season, endless summer . . . 
