First of the season!!

That's right!

Mr Blue Jay.....

Not as sweet as a Blue Bird,

and he has a very distinct

in fact, sort of annoying call.

But he is my 

bellwether that fall is well and truly here.

Even though 

I sit here at my desk in shorts,

t-shirt and sweat....

Isn't he handsome?

Yes, I know.....in a semi-obnoxious way, right?

I live in the town in which I grew up.

When I was elementary school age, my parents fed the birds each winter.

Predictably, as soon as we saw our first 

Blue Jay of the season, we would put up the bird feeder and carefully fill it.

There were tons....no TONS of Blue Jays back then.

In the last century......

decades ago.....

Now I sound just like my parents...

Have you seen a Blue Jay?

What is your bellwether for fall?

Any interesting fall practices in your family?

smiles!

(I usually try to use only my own images in this blog, however the Blue Jay I saw today wouldn't pose, so this is a googled image)