It's been unseasonably warm, unusually late here. I pass a small stand of these on my way home from work. It took a couple times to believe what I was seeing.

out of step and time
blossoms clash with autumn leaves
the eastern redbud
blooming in november
while all else is winding down

#tanka

Deer come surprisingly far into the city, partly because they're protected by law from hunting, and partly because we've encroached so much on the forests.

a riverside path
a deer hoof among footprints
a brief reminder
even in concrete jungles
life will find a way in, through

#tanka

tiny but vivid
the fuchsia buds contribute
to autumn's color choir

#haiku #haiga

It's been over a month since we've had any substantial amount.

rain's hesitant taps
as if asking permission
after such a drought

#haiku

I recently tried the chorizo flavor of this, made from pumpkin seeds. Base seasoning was in the ballpark, but a bit bland. Texture was about right. Crumbled it with some black beans and additional seasonings, and a 4 cheese mex mix to make quesadillas. Not bad! Very filling. Expensive, though. I'd be open to trying a couple of the others. #vegetarian #food

https://foodiesvegan.com/collections/pumfu/products/pumfu-chorizo-crumble

tall loblolly pines
their needles a golden carpet
softening our steps

#haiku

before their journey
geese glean carefully among
the tawny fields

#haiku

I live near a highway, so I hear traffic noise any time of the day or night. Used to be I grumbled about being woken up by birds; now I hardly hear any this early.

over the traffic
piercing through the dim fall dawn
a single bird call

#haiku

tired bumblebee
splayed out on a fall flower
both at their strength's end

#haiku

@Victor Yup, I remembered reading a while back that babies born by C-section miss out on the benefits of coming in contact with some of their mom's microbes. Found this from 2019; apparently the boost is short-lived, though.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/babies-born-c-section-found-have-different-gut-microbes-vaginally-delivered-infants-180973174/

I used Beyond Meat's spicy Italian sausage, but real cheese. Very tasty! #recipe

Cajun potato soup

https://iamhomesteader.com/cajun-potato-soup/

@KarenSohne I'm just starting to learn how to identify them; I'm lucky if I can remember the common names, let alone the Latin ones. So I still have my own personal names for a lot of them, too...

From a recent hike, #mushrooms on a tree stump.

@051G Learn somethin' new every day... 😆

the squirrel’s skitter
answers the leaves’ shuffle
walking down the trail

#haiku

the old, forked oak
graciously accommodates
a tired hiker

#haiku

not the target, yet
the heron takes flight, fleeing
a shotgun’s report

#haiku