Musings

While the weather is torturing Florida, here the sun arrived after a cool, clear, and brr cold night. It’s a weather upturn, good times for a while. And this barberry branch, down on the bottom of the plant, is sporting fall colors, while the rest is still in late summer mode.

The overnight cold was low enough that the roof of the garage (and probably the cottage) had a thin layer of frost, although the lawn was still green and untouched. Prediction is for a lovely weekend. We are lucky to be here. Outdoor chores await? What to begin with? Hmm?

Posted at 8:56 PM | Comments Off on Complex, variable wholes

I get seduced by the color shifts as time goes along in, especially, the maples. Despite this sky, we had some bright sunshine periods today. Just delightful. [Ignore the obvious keystoning effects; that’s lens distortion on buildings that are actually very aligned.]

Posted at 9:01 PM | 1 Comment »

When the morning begins this overcast, with ground fog, I figure there’s a good chance it’ll never get sunny.

So, I captured this kind of sunny.

Then, the weather changed, and it did get sunny. Now, however, I can hear thunder in the distance, although my watch-weather indicates there’ll be no rain tonight.

Hah. Using old-fashioned science, I stuck my nose out and, joke’s on me, it is raining.

Posted at 9:22 PM | Comments Off on Predictions, verifications

I’m calling this Raggedy Susan. Not a doll.

Raggedy is symbolic of what is happening to summer here right now. Still very pleasant, and, also, this is the time of the summer when the mosquitos are absent—yay!

Posted at 6:43 PM | Comments Off on Marking time

The weather predictions had me worried that precip might drift in as we attended a potluck at the next lake south of us. It was windy, yes, enough to blow the smoke of the fire here and there, but no rain. I’m guessing these came from a tree at the contributor’s place, but I neglected to ask. Took my back to my childhood. We put up quarts of these and also froze halves by the pound from our tree. These had that golden almost crystalline tender sweetness. Best plums, consistently, and yet rarely in the store.

Posted at 9:16 PM | Comments Off on Italian prune plums

When I looked at the forecast for today yesterday, and even this morning, I thought it would be rainy all day. Actually, it was overcast and wet, and there was rain, but much of the day was without.

Anyway, we’re in the autumn mushroom season—which does not include morels or boletus, which I would eat, but I don’t know if this kind is edible, so I photoed and left it for turtles or whatever non-humans might dine on it.

Posted at 8:39 PM | Comments Off on Moist and cooler

The blush is rising on the apples. And they’re getting sweeter.

The lupine pods have gone grey and exploded, dispersing their seeds.

Not all fall color is leaves.

Posted at 7:17 PM | Comments Off on Fall color

Here’s the north side of the roof of the playhouse, replete with moss infestation. There is no, repeat no, moss on the south side. Trying to decide whether I should sweep away all moss colonies, as I have done previously. Is it bad for “roof-i-ness,” or should I respect the moss life-force?

Posted at 9:05 PM | Comments Off on What to do

These are the stems (ahem, petioles) of the successful transplants from last year’s relocation of most of the rhubarb crowns. They’re a wee forest now, so much more vigorous and healthy than before. And so tempting to pick a few stems and make some sauce. However, I’m following received wisdom and resisting picking to permit the plants another year to recover.

Posted at 9:10 PM | Comments Off on Good gardening

The rain barrel collects drips for hours and hours after precipitation stops, which makes such enticing patterns.

Other drops in other places look like gems, here decorating barberry leaves.

Posted at 9:03 PM | Comments Off on Drip drop