Well, I guess it's official. Summer's over, and we've a new season in Fall to appreciate. A season of beginnings, it always feels like to me. A time to savor the remaining days of sunshine, the cooler and more temperate days in which to accomplish those tasks that need completion before the short, unaccommodating days of winter. Here in northwest Oregon, fall always seems like the shortest of seasons to me. All too often, our days quickly turn into rainy days, forcing us inside all too early for my preference.
But while those Autumn days are here, in all their glory and perfection...they just beg to be relished!
There is no more perfect time for a leisurely walk with the dogs.
Come on mom!!!
Sorry for the blur...Annie was waaaay up ahead on the trail, and patiently waited for me when I called out to her.
Remember my nasturtiums that I planted in late spring? Well, they practically took over the front porch, covering easily half of the doorway and overtaking virtually every other flower that I had planted in this bed.
Our first taste of rainfall. For a change, it felt refreshing and blissfully cool, cleaning the air and dampening the dust. Our deck is much in need of a good cleaning and a coat of stain or sealant. This is the before picture. Day before yesterday my husband spent all day long cleaning and scrubbing the wood in preparation for the new stain we've got. I have had the natural cedar tone for all of the 14-15 years that we've enjoyed this deck. I just love the natural greying process that occurs with cedar. But alas, everything must eventually change...I've purchased a semi-transparent stain in the tone of "brick red". Hopefully it will look good with the aged brick patio we're still in hopes of getting done before winter pushes us indoors.
Ladde and Kadie enjoying breakfast. They seemed to find the rainfall refreshing too.
What ya got mom???
Eagle, Harley and Merlin in the background...hopeful for some pears to top off their breakfast. Even the abundance of pears we've enjoyed this summer are now dwindling. Much to the chagrin of the horses, I might add. :)
The tomatoes are ripening in abundance now. I've got quite a few in the freezer for our winters' enjoyment. This is one of the things that I always miss the most - the dying out of my summer garden...for everything there is a season.
These are a few of my flowers awaiting planting. My plan is to rip out the nasturtiums in the front flower bed and plant these chrysanthemums so we can enjoy them before the frost will send them into dormancy for another year. I'll miss my flowers too...
A sure sign of fall...the changing of the colors, and the loss of the leaves on all but the evergreen trees. I forget what type of tree this is, but I just love it. I planted this tree about 7-8 years ago, and it is big enough now that it provides some much-appreciated shade in the front part of our house. One of the last to leaf out in late spring and one of the first to lose its' leaves in early fall.
The old, Black Walnut changing colors ans shedding his leaves.
Our twin oaks looking a bit forlorn this morning in the marine layer blanketing our valley.
Ruby loves her daddy...
And one final look at the wild and crazy nasturtiums trying to take over this little part of our world. Last evening I began the arduous task of ripping them out by their roots. There's these little tiny, black bugs all over the under sides of the leaves...totally creepy. I have no idea what kind of insect they are; but they gotta go! My chrysanthemums await...
Oh, our kitchen countertop project is finished!!! It turned out beautifully, and I just love it!! Many, many thanks to my super talented and patient (with me) husband for his many hours of hard work. Thank you honey!!
Blessings, Lorie @ Cingspots
p.s. if any or all of you are of the praying kind - please include my friends Betty and Michelle, and their families...they are experiencing troublesome times and prayers would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
8 comments:
It seems like if nasturtiums find a happy place, they go absolutely nuts. The flowers are really good in salad - but you should probably wash off those black bugs first. :)
Those "nasties" do look like they are pretty happy there. Aphids most likely, if they were on the plant.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
Loved the photos, I feel like I just had a wonderful visit to your plantation ... the trees, flowers, horses! Loved it all. Many thoughts and prayers to your friends, Betty and Michelle and their families.
Nasturtiums are such pretty flowers! I forgot how much I like them
Thanks, Lorie!
Loved your pictures. I did poorly as far as flowers go. Thanks for the info on Harley. He probably can see some things or outlines anyway. Pepper still can see some things. Katie calls us her grandparents and treats us wonderfully like grandparents but in actuality, I started giving her riding lessons when she was 8 or 9 and she adopted us. We know her parents from church but we aren't too close. She would have come lived with us I think. Her mother is a little jealous I think but that doesn't seem to both Katie. She is not a blood relative but family none the less. She and her hubby live next door and she spends a lot of time with us because Cameron works from 3 to midnight. Could not love her any more. People have said she and I look alike before other than I am 5'3 if I stand up straight and she is 5'10". Her husband is 6'4 so I imagine their baby will be tall.
Lorie,
I could not find an email address for you. The salad you referred to is a piece of cake...Romaine, onion, 1 whole mango cubed, 1 or two bananas sliced a little crumbly blue cheese and I topped it with a Good Seasons Italian dressing made with a combo of wine/cider vinegar and olive/canola oil. Believe it or not, that dressing is excellent on fruit. You will like it.
Lori
Annette beat me to the nasturtiums are edible comment. They do make for a beautiful and tasty salad. :)
My tomatoes are coming back too, I was quite surprised to find them in full production again after the terrible dry, hot summer was had.
The herd is looking fabulous!
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