Municipal elections are in the air and some mornings are frostier than others.

Fall is just two days into its season and while the animal kingdom is hunkering down for the winter ahead, we citizens are restless for change.

 Facebook is the "final frontier" where an awful lot of people have been going lately.

I saw my first political posting this morning.

In our wee rural community will this newer method of 'influencing the vote' replace the poster, leaflet and print advertising campaigns of another century?   Will our township be twittering on October 26th or just clucking with sage wisdom at the results?

Rumours are still alive and well in these ridings!  Likely libelous accusations of infidelity, drunkeness and age-ist comments, not to mention a complete lack of experience for the job are just some of the buzz being heard about the slate of candidates who for $200 get the right to run for public office.

We have 23 people competing for 8 positions on our Council.

And people say they don't have any choice in elections.  In our case, we can choose between voting out of  anger  based on misinformation or taking the time to hear what each person has to say at our all candidates meeting this weekend in Maynooth.  90 minutes to see and hear who is behind the name.

I've been rising before the sun for a few weeks now, without an alarm to get my day going.

A friend suggested I may be hearing better, because I commented how many more birds were singing this year.  I  think my favourite is the one whose call sounds like, "Please, please, pleased to meet you!".  A white throated warbler?  Barry knows.

And it isn't just one species that's speaking.  Robins, vireos, sparrows and chickadees are all catching up on their news before some of them head south for the winter.  The blue jays and Canada jays are already farther north where it's cooler theoretically.

After years of listening to the male hummingbirds dive bomb each other at the feeder, I'm convinced this is the source of the lightsabre's sound effect George Lucas used in Star Wars.

I read somewhere that once you let the sound of birds into your world, you can never close the door again on a sensitivity to Nature.  After moving from Toronto and participating in three Audubon Bird Counts in Banff National Park in dark Decembers circa 1985-88, I've changed from a Bloor Street denizen to a bird world doyenne.

 Turkeys ( wild and vultures); ravens and crows; vees of geese flying overhead in formation coming and going twice a year; blue herons and kingfishers coming to our pond, interested in our koi; and  Whisky Jacks (or gray jays) will land in our hand and take bread offerings daily throughout the winter.

 When our guests have tried it for the first time, the feeling of the teeny talons gripping their palm is exhiliarating.  If you hold on to the bread, they'll wrestle with you until you let go.  It's a sweet defeat!

Wayne has opened the door and I've stepped through

into a whole new world of self expression.

stay tuned!