Fall in the country

We are having beautiful fall weather here in Michigan. The colors are better than I expected and the cool but sunny weather is great. Cool is relative I guess because while its much cooler than summer was its still a bit above average.

Friday I had just came out of the barn after the morning chores when I saw three deer ambling down the middle of the road. There was a pick up behind them and it was almost as if he was herding them. They didn’t seem scared and they kept up a fast walk right down the center of the road. They were headed to the corn field southeast of us.

Saturday I was trapped inside on a beautiful day, hosting a fruit tree pruning seminar until about 3 pm. Then when I got home I went outside to sit by the pond in the sun to unwind. I was sitting on my redneck bench, an old van seat, watching all the dozens of kinds of birds eating the autumn olive berries in front of me. Suddenly my eyes caught movement across the pond and I watched a young buck strolling along, rubbing his head on everything and also eating a few autumn olive berries. He was there for several minutes before he was out of my view.

Later when I went to check the back pasture fence I scared up 2 big does. They had been resting under the arched branches of another autumn olive right up against the fence. That autumn olive is invasive but it sure seems to please a lot of animals. Lily my horse almost made herself sick eating the berries before I caught her doing it and penned her away from it.

We have had autumn olive on the property since we moved here, we’ve fought it like crazy, but I have never seen it being enjoyed by so many critters as this year. I remember some birds eating the berries, but usually a bit later. I never remember seeing horses and deer eat them. Maybe the drought kept more native plants like dogwood and Virginia creeper from setting a lot of fruit. That’s what would attract more birds, but hardly horses and deer. Maybe they are sweeter this year.

Autumn Olive berries can be made into jelly quite easily. I have done it. It’s a beautiful red color but has little taste. They are high in lycopene and vitamin C. I should pick some branches and let the chickens eat them.

The mast crop is big around here. We had tons of acorns come down and now the black walnuts make it dangerous to stand in the front yard. One hit the top of my plastic bird feeder and went right through. They make it difficult to walk without turning an ankle. I will have to sit in the yard and throw them into the street. Cars crushing them let birds eat the meats.

I suppose I should save them and husk them and shell out the meats like my grandfather did. But that is very messy and time consuming work. I used to have an older guy who would ask to pick them up every year but he hasn’t been around the last few years. Black walnuts may be fine as a woodland tree but why people planted them in yards is beyond me.

A big nut and berry crop- does that mean a long cold winter? It’s not predicted but we shall see.