A cold Saturday Morning

Although it is still dark, I can see that we had a small snowstorm last night.  So probably there will be no morning walk today. Maybe a drive to the mall for an inside walk will be on the docket. Winter is a beautiful time of year, but it takes me while to get used to the fact that plans sometimes need to be changed quickly due to weather.

We spent a good portion of Thursday taking up the leaves that covered our gardens and lawns. They were blown onto the lawn and the mower scooped them up and mulched them and then we scatteded them back onto the gardens in hopes of even better veggies next year.

The outdoor furniture is safely inside now, the snow blower is in the garage,and some of the Christmas lights have been hung so I think that Summer and Fall are over.

Plans for next week all center around Thanksgiving and the fun times we will have with family and friends. It is a time that I look forward to each year.  As the years go by and the children find homes in different cities it is so fun to look forward to this season of getting all together again even if it is only for a few days.

Summer's Last Big Splash

Looking down into the backyard I see the changes that are expected for this time of year. The trees have some color changes, especially the one large branch in the peach tree. The Cosmos are tall and bright pink and fuchsia.  The grass is still a vibrant green and even some of the Pansies are showing their yellow colors. But the one I like best of all is a Dahlia, a giant deep colored one. The plant has many blossoms so I brought one in so as to enjoy it in the house. Don't you think it is beautiful?

Tired Tuesday

We spent the past few days on a very special triip. Last week we headed to Washington state to visit family and attend the blessing of our Great Grandson. We decided to drive. We wanted to see the Fall colors up in Idaho and Oregon and also in Washington. On the drive up, the rain clouds were low and spilling over onto the landscape, so we saw only the gray colors of wet leaves and fields and rocks alongside the roadway. Ok, so we will see the colors on the drive home. But on Saturday, the sun came out and we truely enjoyed the driving around Seattle and Bremerman. Visiting with family is a treat in itself, but visiting family and getting to hold the new baby is surley the best treat of the day.  We talked and attended Church and ate and celebrated October birthdays and just had a fine time. The morning of our trip home dawned with rain and clouds. We only saw the very tip of Mt Hood before the clouds returned to cover the majestic mountain. All the way home from Mt Hood to Farmington the windshield wipers moved back and forth on the windshield, sometimes slow, other times going almost at their fastest pace. So, let me tell you that again we saw very little Fall color. Guess we need to take a run up the canyon before the leaves fall here.

Pumpkin Patch

Today I decided to harvest from the pumpkin patch.  The vines were withered and the leaves were brown and not offering any protection from the sun for the fruit. After the harvest I brought my treasure into the house and began my fall decorating. Pictures are above.

Now I just have to decide what design to save. The fact that only one pumpkin developed and grew and turned orange makes this an important decision. Which display to you like best?

Colorful flowers and a little visitor

The flowers,Mums, that I planted about 10 days ago are now filled with color. The colors reflect the colors in the umbrella. Just how I planned.  The days are showing signs of fall and the nights are cooler and sometimes quite breezy too. Walking in the mornings will soon warrant a jacket and then gloves will be sure to follow. We walk in the early morning, so a white jacket will be worn, along with a light. Not so much to help us see the sidewalk, but to help others, out that early, to see us. The path we take each day is a very sound and smooth sidewalk. Just have to make sure that no one steps off the sidewalk and into a place unknown that could cause a change in our plans, such as a fall.

The little visitor at our house this week is a small dog who belongs to our daughter's family. They are out of town this week so Patch came here to stay. She has done very well, although she is probably missing all the family she usually sees each day. We have learned that she wants to be where ever we are. She follows me about the house always. We have a very safe outside deck that has no escape route other than coming back into the house. We have left the screen open about eight inches, just enough to let her come in and out at her desire. She has spent a lot of time on the couch in the den. I put her blanket in a soft spot and she seems to like that. She wants me to sit by her and coach her to eat. We have established a routine here, hope she leaves that routine here and does not require that same attention when she goes home.

New Fall Flowers

I did find some Mums in three colors that match the new umbrella. Maroon, orange, and yellow. They have been planted in the pots on the deck. I will post pictures as soon as they become colorful. Right now the blossoms are tight and mostlly green.
 I received a gift today from a friend, a start of rubarb. I had some in a garden about 20 years ago and had mentioned to him that I would like to grow it again. So today when he came to brunch ( our Labor Day celebration) he had a white bag with some starts that he had dug up from his garden. It has been planted and watered well, I do hope it will like its new surroundings and grow well for us.

Fall

I know that we still have 3 more weeks of Summer, but today dawned with the promise of cooler weather. The weather report showes temperatures in the low 80's, quite a change from yesterday, the last day of August, a day that found gardners looking for shade. I have found a store that is having a sale on some fall flowers. I will go there today and get new plants for the 3 boxes on our deck. The Pansies have given us beauty for many months, but they are gone now. So, in a while, I will put in some new colorful plants to brighten up our deck. Maybe, I will pick out some that match the colors in our new umbrella.