Things are moving along at Fawn Hill.  There are now two bird feeders up and the birds have definitely found them.  They are grateful for a dry place to feed — as this blurry photo through a window shows.  There is a wonderful variety of birds here, quite a treat for this Florida gal who is accustomed to cardinals, blue jays, the occasional wren and not much else at her Florida feeder.  For years I have known that in Sarasota I was just a bit too far south for the variety of birds that flock to Florida in the winter. The more colorful ones — the finches, orioles, grosbeaks and buntings — stay in the Ocala area.  Sarasota does have great water birds and Myakka River State Park always provided a smorgsboard of water fowl.

It has rained here for days. I’ve been told this is a rainforest and my brief — two week — experience would confirm that. When I stand on my front porch I can hear the nearby Potts Branch — a minor tributary of the Little Tennessee River — as it races down from the hills. It  provides the name for the road that accesses my house on Fawn Hill.  My friend Boni tells me that in times of drought you can use the creek bed as a hiking trail but that certainly is not the case this year.  The rushing of the water is somehow soothing, even though I know it is wreaking havoc as it gains momentum and slams into the Little Tennessee. In downtown Franklin there is a 3-4 mile walkway along the Little Tennessee. Tango and I walked a bit of it yesterday and it is significantly higher than it was a week ago.

So much to learn in this new place.☙