Autumn View Down Stonerow Lane

When I go on my morning walk, I can head in any direction, but I often choose this way, because Stonerow Lane is so lovely any time of year. Ask me, I know: I almost bought a house here! The house on the end is the last one I looked at, after viewing the one I actually ended up buying, just a street or two away. So it is that any time I am there, I know I am nearing home, in more ways than one.

The foliage colors are peaking here, and I say that wistfully. You would think I'd be happy it is so gorgeous, and I am. But it is happiness sitting on a precipice, for soon these leaves will fall, and then, oh then, such sorrow, such a sense of loss. How glorious and beautiful it has been! So I try to balance on that precipice and hold my happiness tight to me, trying not to think about the ending of things; about the coming of winter.

As I turned onto Stonerow, I heard a lot of noise overhead. And so I took my headphones off and it was birds, of course. Lots of them! They were pale yellow, like painted silk, with black masks. And they were eating the red berries on the bushes along both sides of Stonerow Lane.

The little birds were flying in and out in an orderly fashion, like children taking turns at the drinking fountain after recess. They were zipping by right over my head, like thick little pale yellow bullets, and it was amazing, and suddenly, I was taking pictures, free-handing it on the superzoom, giving it the old Hail Mary, wishing for my monopod, and praying, Jesus take the wheel, just please let me get one decent shot!

Well, I got about a dozen decent shots, and I've put one in the extras. The little bird is a cedar waxwing, and they look like fake birds painted on pale yellow silk. There is a bit of red at the tips of the wings and a bit of yellow at the tip of the tail. And that black mask is very fetching! Oh, and what does the little bird say? Masks are so comfortable, soon EVERYone will be wearing one!

I liked the way the bird had several little red berries all lined up for eating, and one actually IN its mouth. It reminded me of that bar scene at the Overlook Hotel, from The Shining: "You set 'em up and I'll knock 'em back, Lloyd, one by one." Only, with berries!  ;-)

My two soundtrack songs are these: for the color show, Styx, with Don't Let It End; and for the sweet little pale yellow bird eating red berries in the extras, Carrie Underwood, with Jesus, Take the Wheel.