Leaves, Comets, animals and stars

It has been a good few autumnal days for cycling through the forest. The carpet of golden and copper leaves has become ever more sumptuous and sometimes one glides though a golden tunnel. Animals: yesterday saw a red squirrel deep in the forest, followed shortly thereafter by either a yellow woodpecker or one of that family. Then I was buzzed by a buzzard. This morning I also saw a buzzard glide a few metres before my bike: the funny thing this time was that he glided between 2 Nature Preserve (Naturschutzgebiet) signs bearing
An image of a buzzard! As if he'd flown between images of himself.

The comet and winter constellations have been fine as well, when the clouds parted to allow a glimpse. The comet was fine in my father-in-law's (God rest his soul) telescope. My daughter has become an astronomy enthusiast and was glad when I showed her how the circumpolar stars, so beloved of the Egyptians, rotated round the pole star, so that the plough, big dipper or Ursa Major was almost lost in the horizon haze in the evening, and only sank deeper into it, but in the early wintry morning it was triumphantly at the zenith, shining forth even in the early morning house lights of our town, its pointers still pointing to Polaris but now from the other side of it.

The morning had a Turkish flag of cresent moon and brilliant Venus.

The cats have been fine too Golden Romeo visiting occasionally, blending with golden leaves.