To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring. George Santayana

Cleared for takeoff. Farewell Autumn

It seems as if all the flying things are leaving our garden, including this Cabbage White Butterfly

And the Bumblebee Moth disappeared a few weeks ago.

Over the summer we watched the Monarch Caterpillar feeding in our Butterfly Bush:

And then, after pupating, returning as a beautiful Monarch Butterfly

Not all the Monarchs survive. In the following image, a yellow garden spider, the Argiope aurantia, has captured a butterfly and wrapped it in a silk sheath.

Ten days ago, the last few Monarchs visited our garden. They had just flown south from Canada over Lake Erie and settle on our zinnia flowers to build up energy for their long flight to Mexico.

The Swallowtail butterflies have also left

The Spicebush Swallowtail

And the Yellow Swallowtail sharing a viburnum blossom with a Bumblebee.

As the butterfly bushes start going to seed, we noticed Milkweed bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus) on the pods. They are part of the milkweed ecosystem, we left them alone.

As summer slid into autumn, we watched the goldfinch plucking petals off the zinnia flowers to access the seeds.

We had bid farewell to the Ruby-throated Hummingbird that was with us all summer, and a few weeks ago a juvenile hummingbird passing through on its migration to Southern Mexico and Central America.

We still see Dragonflies, but they too will soon be gone.

We were fortunate to be able to retire in the country and align ourselves with the changing seasons. At our advanced age we have learned to say goodbye, which we must do every autumn. But we haven’t been completely abandoned. Here are some of our friends who will remain with us over winter

Racoon

Red fox

Skunk

Eastern Grey Squirrel

Chipmunk

White-tailed deer

The Possums and Groundhogs will be nearby, but underground. We’ll see them in the Spring.