By Rod Schmidt, The Plum Creek Naturalist
Upper Des Moines (October 6, 1989)
You know it’s autumn when…
the blackbirds and grackles show up in noisy flocks. The wood stove in my living room turns from a cold steel obstruction to the warm and cozy center of the house. The White-tailed fawns lose their summer spots.
You know it’s autumn when…
squirrels again look fluffy instead of straggly. Bluejays gather in disorganized flocks to argue from ripe corn rows. My bugling bull Elk replaces me as lord of the creek and valley.
You know it’s autumn when…
Sharp-shinned Hawks send olive-clad Goldfinches scattering and chattering from seedy weed patches to brush cover. Juncos reappear scratching under my spruce tree. Dragon flies are too stiff to fly off in the early morning sun.
You know it’s autumn when…
White-footed Deer Mice re-enter secret passageways in the warm spaces between the studs and plaster of my walls and boldly announce their unseen presence with rattling tails and scampering feet. You can’t walk through the woods without a crunch. Orion rules the night sky.
You know it’s autumn when…
Garter Snakes in the back pasture get slower, while young Red-tailed hawks get faster. Wood Duck and Mallard drakes show up in dress uniform. Monarch Butterflies hang in clusters from Slippery Elm trees.
You know it’s autumn when…
Cedar Waxwings hunt the fruits of Hackberry trees. The cry of a distant honker draws your attention to another southbound “V”. Fox Squirrel nests hold the only leaves on the Butternut trees.
You know it’s autumn when…
you no longer hear the morning coo of the wild dove…
Rodney Schmidt Legacy 