Dahlia Season

I haven't been to the local garden since last week, and it's very interesting how much it has changed.  The weather is quite a bit cooler, and the wildlife seems to have taken note.  The hummingbirds disappeared a couple of weeks ago.  This time the butterflies were noticeably absent.  There were also significantly less bees.  The dahlias are still there however, and look to be at their peak.  There are many buds on the plants.  It will be interesting to see how many bloom before the first frost hits.

A few minutes after I posted this blip I walked into the kitchen to begin making dinner.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw something large and gray sitting on a bamboo branch.  Sure enough, it was an owl.  I grabbed my camera, changed to my 600mm lens, and was able to get two shots before he flew away.  I placed one of them in extras.  Wow, that was exciting!