The horses were still grazing in the cool morning, with the eastern light already looking autumnal in its changing slant.
Bart managed to fall asleep before I was ready to tack up, so Oisin got to ride with Derry and Jane. He is much happier in company, anyway. Oisin was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, (13 years ago!) which had terrible derecho winds last week. I was a bit oblivious until reading an article in the Washington Post on Monday. I am pleased to report that Oisin’s mother, Bachante, is fine, as is cousin Mary and family, although the chicken coop was destroyed. All the hens survived, and are now roosting in the garage. But Cedar Rapids horse show facilities were blown away. Shocking!
Spider web season 
Oisin is resting after his morning ride
Bart is actually more energetic, in a pleasant way, when he is alone, though all horses, of course, prefer company, being herd animals. The sky was intensely blue today, again with low humidity. Wheeling above us , with shadows chasing over the ground, were many turkey vultures, or buzzards. You almost need to use your imagination to see the specks in the blue. After working on the ring, Bart and I cooled out through the woods, glad that the vultures were not circling for us.
Buzzards above 
Oisin has cleared all spider webs, so trails are unobstructed
Saving the best for last, Stone was very good, and is also the easiest to dismount, being closer to the ground than the Pearl Brothers.
The new door is wonderful for taking pictures, since there are no mullions. At first we did not want that, since it doesn’t match, but already we are appreciating the view. And internal blinds are a nice plus. So far, no birds have flown into the glass, which was a concern.
I watched a female cardinal feeding her youngster some suet. It was amazing and endearing. The male cardinal did some acrobatics on the feeder. The female collected suet in midair.
Motherly love
Not perhaps as close as mother and fledgling, Tom Morris and Twizzler are very fond of each other. Cora is a loner. I found matted hair on her back and when I clipped it off, it turned out to be an abscess that had burst on its own. Yuck! Poor little Cora! I never even noticed there was anything wrong with her. She does keep to herself, but she is very affectionate to people.
“I had a nasty abscess and nobody cared!”
Stay safe, stay well, and Cora advises to keep your distance and wash your hands to avoid abscesses (and Covid).
That’s a wonderful pic of Twizzler and Tom Morris! Of course, I enjoy all your photos and nature notes, but those Crouchers have a special place in my heart.
My god what great pictures of birds