Mood Change

The change is coming. A blustery front that may or may not have a bit of rain in ushering in an estimated low of 41 on Tuesday morning. Time to bring in the orchids - don't ask - and break out the long underwear.

I know it is time for the change. The official first day of fall is Tuesday. That first blast of cold is always a challenge though.

The arrival of the blue asters had already made it clear the end was near. Cold will make it official.

It is still a good six weeks away until the arrival of the barren time when the roadside attractions are not so floral in nature. This also means the arrival of hunting season. I need to be prepared for when there is little to screen me from the scenic byway and the hordes of circling hunters.

A little protection and visual warning, do not disturb, could help.

Mo'o kiha, Mo for short, landed on my roof today. It was a slow and methodical landing. I haven't been up that high in a while.

Nothing says this is my castle quite like a good dragon.

Even better is a good hissing gargoyle. I actually went looking for a flying monkey to warn off the hunters, but a good flying monkey is impossible to find.

This gargoyle is made to climb a wall or tree, a tree in my case, visible from the scenic byway. The branch in his right hand fits into a bracket that will be screwed into the tree.

I felt he was a little plain though. Pe'a lele is now painted up and ready for a coat of clear protective enamel. Then he will be placed high up in a tree, trees that will all be naked soon.

This could be amusing or possibly dangerous if someone should mistake him for a chupacabra and try and shoot him.

I just like to keep the locals guessing. Messing with the motorcyclists and the leaf peepers is just a side bonus.

The garden's mood is changing. There are the very first hints of fall color in some leaves.

The colors change with aging. The quality of light available can change the tone. The garden's Gothic period is close by.