October's the month, When the smallest breeze Gives us a shower, Of autumn leaves. Bonfires and pumpkins, Leaves sailing down - October is red, And golden and brown. ~ Can Teach Songs ~

There has been a huge change in the weather in the last week. The morning chill is getting colder (25F this morning), and yesterday we had our first dusting of snow! It only lasted half a day - until the sun came up and melted it away. There was no real accumulation, but the little bit we got coated the ground in a white powder.

Sedona loves the snow, and she didn't hesitate to show her joy by rolling around in the front yard. I walked around the yard, taking note of the large ice crystals and the way they lay upon the foliage. The sun wasn't over the horizon yet, so I had to use my flash to take photos. The light reflected off the snow crystals, accenting the sharp edges. I especially loved the way the snow contrasted with the crimson of the strawberry spinach. I was surprised to see that the strawberry spinach plants are still alive and well; we've been dipping below freezing for almost two weeks now.

Steve had to attend an all-day safety class yesterday for his job, even though it was his off day. Rather than sit in and do nothing, I took Sedona for a ride around town. My travels took me to my regular stops: Creamers Field and Pioneer Park. Both places were deserted, and although it wasn't very cold, the wind was blowing enough that I needed to pull my hood up over my head to keep warm. In fact, I was wishing I would have had my lightweight gloves with me too, and pulled my hands up into my sleeves to keep them warm.

There are no more cranes or geese at Creamers Field. They have taken off for warmer places - much like some Alaskans do for short breaks in winter! The fireweed no longer has the brilliant magenta of summer, and each dry brown stalk is topped with wisps and curlicues of cotton.

At Pioneer Park, the streets of Gold Rush Town were deserted and dry brown leaves danced in swirls along the wooden boardwalk curbs. I stopped at the pedestrian footbridge behind Pioneer Park to take a photo of the river. While that part of the Chena never freezes completely (the power plant dumps hot water into the river a little further upstream), eventually it will have thickened ice along the edges, and steam will rise into the frigid air.

Last night, Steve and I went to dinner with a fantastic couple: Celeste and Randy. I've known both of them for more than a year; we met online via Yahoo 360 - a blogging community. They are long-time Alaska residents with a real love of not only Alaska but our earth. Randy is also a passionate photographer, and shares his photographs online HERE. He and Celeste live high on a hill, overlooking the valley. They are privy to some of the most glorious sunrises and sunsets, as well as aurora performances. He also has frequent moose visitors to his yard, and had an eagle family living nearby.

We tried The Turtle Club - our first time, but certainly not theirs. The Turtle Club is known for its prime rib, but since I'm not a big prime rib eater (those who know me well, know that I'm the pickiest eater alive), Steve and I never took the opportunity to dine there. Last night was not the best dining experience, and Celeste apologized for the restaurant's shortcomings, but it really didn't matter to us. The company, friendship, laughs and conversation made the evening totally worthwhile. I look forward to doing it again soon. We'd like to try the Silver Gulch Brewing Company next.

Steve and I have cleaned up the back deck, dumping out the dead plants and sweeping off the many sunflower seed casings that the chickadees and squirrels leave strewn about. I continue to enjoy the birds and the squirrel when they come to visit, and I stocked up on enough sunflower seeds to keep everyone in food all winter.

I do love the antics of the squirrel, but she irritates Steve because she chases away the birds. When Steve sees her out there, he riles up Sedona, flings open the sliding glass door, and tells her to "go get the squirrel!" Of course, this sends Sedona on a rampage, and also sends the squirrel scurrying for the nearest tree, where she climbs to the highest branch and scolds Sedona loudly. The chickadees swoop in immediately, taking their fill while they can.

Yesterday, I was surprised to see a downy woodpecker on the suet cage. I wondered if it was the woodpecker we rescued when she crashed into the side of our house and fell onto our deck back in early September. The markings aren't the same; this one doesn't have the mottled head feathers of a juvenile. And I don't know enough about woodpeckers to know how quickly their feathers change as they transition from juvenile to adult. It's probably not the same bird, but I was happy to see that she decided to make a stop in my yard, and I hope she'll continue to visit. Now if only the owl would come back - and sit still long enough for me to get a photo or two!