Creekside Village Stories

     In the crisp breezes of October, the signs are clear, autumn has arrived in Creekside.  Click or right-click the photos to view them full size. As the days shorten and the sun rises ever lower, the winds set the rhythms for dances of light and shadows.  Because of our evergreens, the Pacific Northwest pallet tends to be darker.  Fall is the time when deciduous leaf colors puncture the darkness. "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!  Are we going to sing pumpkin carols?" A medieval danse macabre summons Creeksiders to Halloween tricks and treats.     When the sun comes out, autumn is the best time to get outside and enjoy nature.  Not too hot, not too cold, not too crowded, it's the quiet, gentle season. Our pooches should not be allowed Halloween candies containing xylitol or chocolate, but an occasional severed hand is fine. "Nevermore!"     Autumn reminds us of the inherent cycle of life and renewal ...

  Photo:  June Jossy First, a little science.   The northern lights , or aurora borealis, are caused by solar storms in the corona or upper atmosphere of our sun.  Solar mass ejections hurl charged particles into space creating the solar wind .  The earth's magnetic field directs these particles towards the northern and southern poles.  The aurorae are created when the energized particles slam into the upper atmosphere.  In the southern hemisphere, the phenomenon is called aurora australis . Our neighbor June took this photo at Creekside Circle, Anacortes, Washington on May 10, 2024 at 11:45 PM.

  Our neighbor Terry shares an experience every nature lover hopes for.  Looking out on the front porch, there lay a newborn fawn curled up in the corner.   Once again we're in that time of year when baby animals are born, and such encounters are not unusual.  A mother deer leaving her newborn in a safe place to go off and feed is normal behavior.  Fawns are born with no scent to attract predators.  As long as they lie motionless, they should be safe.  Mom will usually return within 8 to 12 hours to nurse or move her offspring to another location.  To protect the fawn, Terry kindly blocked off the front porch until mom returned to retrieve her offspring. Unless you know for sure the mother will not return, it's best to leave newborn animals where you find them, even if it might be inconvenient for a short time.  This is a good reminder to review a previous post  with information from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife s...

 On 4-28-24, 8:05 PM, with light drizzle, has a rainbow found our new owl sculpture?   Slightly to the left, the T-Mobile cell tower catches the last glow of the setting sun.