Hummingbirds were slow to discover our feeder but once they did, they must have gone onto Hummingbird Trip Advisor and given us 5 stars.
Derek put up a second feeder to accommodate the overflow. Soon, we were taking reservations like Nobu of the north.
Original feeder. 
Our second location
We had a few good weeks of feeding frenzies. Now, it’s just an occasional sighting. Soon, the feeders will come down and get a thorough scrubbing before they’re packed away. Giant Vs of geese squawk overhead as they head for warmer destinations. The birds are deserting us before snow arrives.
There’s more to do in the fall when you spend more of your time outside in summer, as we do here in Port. Gazebo curtains, all washable, will dance in the laundry pair before they’re folded away. Cushions brushed off and put in the shed with dryer sheets to deter mice. Furniture covered with dryer sheets and sheltered under the tarp that goes with it. Begonias removed from the planters out front and fall topiaries installed. Weighted down better against the wind, this year. I had to chase them a few times as they rolled away like tumbleweeds.
These little chores are nothing compared to what the merchants must do. GT’s on the Beach has already packed away a hundred or so patio umbrellas until May. Hours will shrink at other restaurants and retailers as colder weather moves in. Some will shutter until spring. They’ll open for Dickens’ Days, the weekend of November 26, and close again.
Pop-up events like yoga on the beach are over for another season. And the town’s amazing volunteer gardeners have been cleaning up the flower beds and preparing them for a winter’s nap. Baskets of flowers will come down from the light standards and holiday décor will go up.
Living in a tourist-friendly town, you notice the anticipation. The preparations for holidays and events involve everyone. It’s a community, all for one and one for all. It’s one of the reasons we love it here so much.
Pro tip: If you’re not a beach person and you want to experience the delights of our village when it’s not so peopley, fall is the perfect time to visit.
So nice that you had the hummingbirds come. I’ve a birdbath for two years now. I can count on one hand how many birds have visited. Our back neighbour feeds the birds, so there is no lack of birds.
Thanks for the dryer sheet tip. We always have mice living in our BBQ and under the tarp that keeps the pool tank ‘warm’ over the winter.
Will miss the summer days….
Hmmm. I wonder why the birds don’t visit? Maybe you need a disco ball and music? But seriously. My Mom had purple martins visiting her houses for decades and yet neighbours who tried to attract them couldn’t do it. It made some of them crazy trying and it became a long-standing competition with one of her oldest friends! (He never did get a purple martin.) Who knows what goes on in the minds of birds!
Great blog Lisa – I find Port beautiful almost all year long. Am fortunate to have many birds here as well. They are so much fun to watch! I’m not sure if the PS Railway still offers special events but one thing I have always wanted to do is the Murder Mystery on board in the fall. It books up fast though. We have tried booking a few times – the first time we were too late. The second time they didn’t have our booking but they were still willing to try and accommodate us, we didn’t take them up on their offer as we would not have gotten to sit together. We sure appreciated their efforts though. We just said we would book for the following fall season, then covid hit. That being said we enjoyed a fabulous meal that evening at Two Forks and toured some of our fav stores and that includes many! There is always enjoyable fun to be had in Port! Cheers and Happy Fall to all!
We are booked for a Fall Colours train ride on Sunday. Yeah, everything books up fast! I love your love for Port Stanley, Cindy.
You are an excellent writer. This is an amazing lede: “Hummingbirds were slow to discover our feeder but once they did, they must have gone onto Hummingbird Trip Advisor and given us 5 stars.”
Thank you so much, Dan! 🙂