Fall in the US in a Pandemic World

By Penelope Penn

Fall conjures up fond memories of a lot of different things for all of us, wherever we live.  Whether I'm exploring the Blue Ridge Parkway in the east, or making my way through the rugged terrain of the west, Mother Nature tops the list to help me through difficult times, and 2020 was admittedly one of the most unusual and challenging years for all of us.

A shy nubbin buck peeks cautiously out from behind an apple tree where he spent the day enjoying fallen apples and a few up in the tree, as high as his small young legs could take him 

I'm always surprised and enamored with the beauty of the BRP, and this area in Bedford, Virginia ranks at the top of my list for favorites to hike, relax, and to photograph.  It's been hard for me to find a place more beautiful to spend a fall day than in Virginia.  Here on Lake Abbott under the shadow and curious history of the Peaks of Otter, the Blue Ridge Mountains have beckoned tourists for decades to stop and enjoy the scenery, and a delicious meal served family style there at the Peaks of Otter Lodge.

On this particular fall day I was packing my trusty Nikon as usual, and discovered this young deer contentedly munching on fallen apples around a very old and sprawling tree. I spent most of the daylight hours carefully and patiently watching him, inching slowly closer and closer.  But it wasn't until I downloaded my photos that I discovered his tiny antlers only beginning to poke through his fur. 

I was elated.  And determined to get an alluring shot of him, no matter how long it took.  Deer are used to people in this area, but being a young deer, he was calm but keeping a safe distance.  Finally I was able to close enough to get a good shot of his beautiful and innocent young face, but he was still mostly hidden behind this old trees thick and weathered trunk, with his head down.  I stayed crouched down and kept a close and careful eye on him, trying to win his confidence.  And he kept a close eye on me and my camera.  Round and round the tree we went, ever so slowly.  Finally, when it was close to sunset, I was about to give up and give in to some mundane photos I'd taken of him just grazing on the apples on the ground with his head down.  But as I ever so slowly stood up so as not to interrupt his feast, he paused to peek out briefly from behind the apple tree.  Then to my delight he peered right into my lens and waited so I could get this shot. He finished chewing his last apple while he watched me move very slowly and cautiously, until I was able to position myself to capture not only a beautiful background and a large chunk of Fall leaves, but the little over turned row boat and the few fading ripples on  Lake Otter before sunset.  I was elated with not only the colors and textures I was able to include but his priceless expression, including the tell all position of his ears.  He's long since outgrown his naivete, but I'll always be grateful I was able to capture and preserve that priceless innocence of his youth.  Perhaps my patience and tenacity had won his trust.  Or perhaps he was just merely too content or too full to move fast after an entire day of filling up on the apples.  No matter. To this day, it's one of my favorite photographs of deer and fall, and my fondest memories.  

Travel restrictions have eased for some of us, but for the most part travel has been seriously hindered by closings and restrictions relative to the pandemic.  So more and more of us are turning to the outside for our R&R and just a little escape from the harsh realities of 2020.  I've found that nature can be a good way to discover new beauty, new interests, new activities and joy so for my first blog, I wanted to share some colorful bits of nature.  And what better time than Fall for colorful photographs to share.

    A retired caboose from the "Chessie System" rests permanently among mounds of Fall colors. 

It dawned on me that we've all seen our older relatives smile and blissfully gaze off in the distance, when they make a reference to "the good ol' days."

Now however, with our "new normal" and current restrictions and changes, no matter your age they are all the "good ol' days."

One day hopefully we'll look back and the glass half fullers at least will reflect on some good things the pandemic gave us. One of the things I'm thankful for is that I established a wildlife garden outside my favorite window to attract birds and butterflies.  In the early days particularly, when we were self quarantining, I especially appreciated the happy chirping and colorful visions of the birds, butterflies, and a few dragon and damsel flies flitting around my yard, even on the dreariest of days.  I'd encourage everyone to do that.  It was a lot of learning and a little sweat, but it's paid for itself over and over. Especially in 2020.

Blue Dasher Dragon and Damsel Flies visited my Wandering Jew in my garden daily when it                                                                                        bloomed

It was fun researching and experimenting to find which plants attracted which species of birds and insects.  Dragons I discovered are voracious predators and will help keep the number of annoying flying insects around your picnic table way down. 

Despite all my research and calculated planning to attract specific wildlife, however, there were always a few who just seemed to prefer a bare stick.

         

                                                                  Roseate Skimmer 

All kidding aside, I learned that since Dragons are aerial predators a bare stick is merely the perfect perch for them to keep an eye out to launch quickly when a tasty morsel happens to fly by.

Summer may be over, but there's still a lot to see and do outside.  Instead of marking the end of Summer and outside activities, Fall actually proves to be a busy time for certain wildlife so hiking, visiting state and federal parks, or just picnicking in your own back yards can be both rewarding and liberating, especially now.

                                                                  Spiny Orb Weaver 

I learned a lot about insects and spiders, much more than I'd ever dreamed I'd want to know.  This particular spider blatantly spun its web overnight I discovered when I almost walked into it as I was trying to get a close up photo of a new blossom.  It's one of the many species of Orb Weavers in the south, which can range in size from a human fingernail - as this one does, to Orb Weavers as large as a human hand.  As tiny as it is, it makes up for a small stature with its curious color and pattern.  When I discovered it in October, it reminded me of a Halloween clown mask, with a few sharp red points protruding out its sides for affect.  Or perhaps to spell danger to predators.  It worked for me.  

Fall may mark the end of walking into sticky webs, but it's not necessarily the end of interesting discoveries outdoors I learned.  Even in our own backyards. 

By Fall, Garden Spiders, Orb Weavers and other spiders with all sorts of unique markings and colorations are abandoning their webs and focused on protecting their eggs.   Webs they have meticulously spun throughout the Summer that have snared thousands of bothersome mosquitoes and other stinging insects around our patios and picnic tables. 

Eventhough this girl's been around for mileniums, I'd never seen one until I visited an island near Charleston, South Carolina.  She's a Golden Orb Weaver and definitely a spider worthy of attention.  They're known for their strong webs whose shiny gold silk has been used to weave into beautiful garments.  And based on a surprising fossil discovery a few years ago, these large and colorful spiders have changed little if any in over 175 million years, according to a paleontologist and his partners who discovered her.  Their webs range in color from pale beige to a deep golden that glistens in the sun, so don't forget to look up too when you're hiking in the sunny south. 

                                                                   © Binding Nuptials

                        To my knowledge this has never been observed nor documented before.

Was it instinct, or was this particular spider particularly crafty?  

I observed this almost invisible, tiny Golden Orb Weaver male (top of photo) patiently waiting for weeks, rain and shine.  He tenaciously repaired this large colorful females web day and night.  Perhaps it was to win her favor over the other males camped out on her web.  Or perhaps it was to insure his escape route from her large mandibles.  This female Golden Orb Weaver was the size of an adults hand.  And this tiny male was ever vigilant and aware that if he got too close, he could get the boot to the dark side of the web again, by legs whose one segment is larger than his entire body.  Or worse, become yet another meal for her, like the other hopeful males, one by one had fallen fate. 

Finally, after several failed attempts to stroke her abdomen to calm this cranky female so he could mate, he seized a moment when she was engrossed in a particularly large meal, to use his strong silk to bind those powerful back legs while she was finally oblivious to his precarious approach. 

                        Then she will be alone,  eating only to nourish her eggs, night and day

After choosing her mate from the myriad of brave hopefuls who spent their summer on her web, she'll fastidiously wrap up her egg cases and ensure the survival of her species.  By then, large holes caused by wind and weather will start to go unrepaired on her massive 6 foot by 6 foot web. 

I developed a new respect for this species.  She's survived virtually unchanged for 175 million years.  We should be so lucky.  I had the good fortune to discover her where I could see and photograph her every day.  And night.  Which I did for over a month.

There are several theories about the colors of their webs - which range from beige to a deep gold color.  It's been my observation, that it is entirely up to the spiders spinning them.  I've seen beige webs closer to the ground and gold ones higher up that glimmer in the sun.  Some speculate that the higher they are, the deeper gold so as to blend in with the sun.  This one however was relatively low, but it was the male I noticed that spun deep gold threads when he repaired her web, so hers was more of a patchwork of beiges and golds. 

Admittedly, prior to this discovery, I have never been the least bit interested in getting this close to spiders.  Any spider, no matter how small.  So it was a challenge for me to get close enough to get good clear shots of her - rain or shine.  She was mostly oblivious to my presence, concentrating more on keeping the male hopefuls at bay as she splayed out her large colorful body in what I can only guess is seductive in spider-speak.  

On several occasions it was getting dark and she suddenly bolted and I lost sight of her in my lens.  As large and seemingly lazy as she was, on the rare occasion when she did move, I noticed that she was extremely quick.  So when I lost sight of her, I immediately jumped, fearing that she'd found her way to my feet and was crawling up my leg. 

This time of year, at least in the continental US, it's doubtful you will find a Golden Orb still alive.  You may however discover one of her egg cases, fastidiously fastened to twigs and leaves when you are doing your fall pruning.  Unlike the deeply colored orange and black adult females, their egg cases are innocuous, drab colored blobs in varying sizes.

Golden Orb Weaver Egg Case, Beginning to Hatch in Spring

Female Goldens will hide their tightly woven cases wherever she feels they will winter over safely.  Sometimes among leaves, securing them to branches in bushes, where they will easily camouflage with the faded leaves of  cold falls and winters.  This one was nestled in the dead leaves of a Rose of Sharon, barely 5 feet tall.  When the warm, moist spring weather provides what her hundreds of offspring need to emerge from their winter hiding spot, they'll burst out purposefully, and begin their new lives in the wild.  As their ancestors have done for millenniums.

Whether you're exploring the rugged terrain of indigenous cactus and cowboys, and mountain climbing in Arizona............................

                                The Mountains and  Indigenous Flora Near Phoenix, Arizona

....or the solace of a rainbow in the surf waiting for migrating whales to meander by....

                                                                 Monterey, California

I've always found nature to be interesting, ever changing, and never stagnant or boring so I'm hoping readers will enjoy what I've spent years studying, learning and documenting.  And this year especially as we celebrate what we are thankful for this month, I hope you'll find more inspiration, more discoveries, more rewards, and most of all, more joy through your travels with my posts on 

                                                                 natures bulletin board.

Photographs and narrative are all original and copyright protected.