Passage

As the light faded into twilight this evening, thousands of Mallards descended upon the few remaining stubble fields south of Bozeman. I surmise that this event is my true herald of autumn, the small waves of migrating waterfowl honking overhead as they pass through the valley. Some may settle for the winter or, at least, a couple of weeks; others are on their way to points further, the Rio Grande Valley or Bosque del Apache…places I must visit. The snap is in the air and a blue autumn sky is accented by colorful Mallards and Northern Pintails.