So much happened during the time that I was not posting that I want to try to do a little catch-up for you. 
When we arrived home from the lake cottage on 20 September, I expected that the hummingbirds would have left. 
But - - - They were still hanging around the feeders for the next week.  It was an unexpected pleasure. 
When they finally left, the chickadees started to check out the hummingbird feeders.  I took that as an indication that they wanted their seed.  They sat in the apple tree and watched me hang their feeders.  I hardly had time to turn around before they swooped into the feeders.  They are such messy eaters; seed seemed to fly out of the tray.  The squirrels come in to eat the seed that falls on the ground. 

Speaking of squirrels, they are going to be a great source of entertainment this winter.  This year food was plentiful so there are lots and lots of squirrels. 

After telling you I had not seen Mr. Buck for quite a while, I saw a deer this morning.  It was trotting at quite a pace through the park behind the house.  I could not even see if it had antlers. 

Earlier this month we had confirmation at church.  The youth director thought it would be nice to give each one a fleece blanket with the United Methodist emblem.  The only thing about that was she could not find any such thing. 

She ordered some gorgeous navy blue fleece blankets from Amazon and some United Methodist patches.  A group of us agreed to stitch a patch on a blanket. 

As I stitched each one of these blankets, I thought about figuratively wrapping my arms around each of the confirmants.  The gift of the blanket was intended to remind each student that he/she was wrapped in the arms of the congregation.