In Which a Few Hardy Bugs Still Sing

Corn field bathed in lat afternoon golden light along the Cedar River Trail, north of Robins, Oct. 18, 2015.

We had a hard freeze Saturday morning, and frost Sunday morning—so today, on a quick, later afternoon bicycle ride north to the five-mile marker on the Cedar Valley Nature Trail, I was slightly startled to hear them—crickets.

Hope for more butterflies next year--milkweed seeds, the only plant that hosts Monarch butterfly caterpillars.

Not that many. The grassy and woodsy edges of the trail are much quieter than they have been. But the bugs of summer have not totally given up the ghost—a few hardy crickets still mournfully sing, seeking love before the world freezes over on them.

Sumac.

A few lonely gnats fly in the shade, a sad remnant of the hordes that bedeviled summer bikers.Not that I'm complaining!

The mid-October late afternoon sky turns a pretty gold as the sun nears the horizon, and the tan and brown seed pods of summer plants looks starkly pretty in the fading light. I rode fast as I headed north, and decided I would not make it to Lafayette today—too much homework waiting at home—but, since I was being good and turning around at the 5-mile mark, I would indulge myself a bit and snap some fall photos.

Fluffs on tall grass in setting sun.

Sure, I prefer the greens of summer. After our freeze, color will rapidly fade out of the countryside. The brown fall world has its charms too, but I will be ready when the flowers of spring return. Here are a few more of my ride photos.