Musings

Enjoyed a glorious sunny, lovely morning, as if it hasn’t been raining off and on for days.

Even the playhouse looked inviting.

However, overcast had returned by the time I walked in mid-afternoon. I took a detour along the back edge of the pine plantation, and discovered the tree guys have been busy.

Here’s the detail on how the rootballs are wrapped and prepped for shipping. They used to use burlap for the wrapping, and this fabric does look like burlap, but I’m guessing it may have some artificial fiber incorporated (polyester?). Ages ago when I worked in the plant nursery world, trees prepared this way were called B&B, for balled and burlapped. [Nobody even cracked a smile.] I never saw the metal frame way back when; seems like a smart improvement.

Posted at 6:21 PM | Comments Off on Pretty + trees ready for shipping

I suspect this is a Cladonia species, perhaps pixie cup. These have long fascinated me, such strange shapes. I’m glad I’m not an ant having to navigate among them.

Late afternoon became sunny and pleasant, not long after we finished a mint (Mentha spp.) transplantation exercise, establishing three new colonies, two to the south, and one (the large parent plant) to the southwest. The hillfort is now empty of foliage, although I’m certain many aggressive mint roots remain. I will transplant at least one rhubarb crown to the north margin of the hillfort. It’s time; they are languishing in the shade by the sour cherry.

Posted at 6:42 PM | Comments Off on Mint-colored and minty

All the rain we’ve had means (of course), the creek is rising. I use is as more precip is expected overnight. We did have a wan sun for a few minutes when we were out moving brush. The pickup did the hard part transporting it from where we didn’t want it to the dump pile, which is as close to where we want it as any place. If I am terribly daring, we may fire the pile (with abundant buckets of lake-water standing by) in the spring and reduce it, I admit, in a not-green way. Speedy, however.

Posted at 6:44 PM | Comments Off on Rising waters

Today was gloomy throughout, with on-going mist and drizzle. The swamp endures.

Even this mullein is tolerating the near-continuous moisture. Rain is better than a hard frost, I suppose.

Overall, we’ve had a warmer-than-average fall.

Posted at 9:19 PM | Comments Off on Enduring, tolerating

Looks like almost-sun over the lake at road’s end…squint….

Raven making raucous alerts to all and sundry, especially other ravens, from a high perch.

Juxtaposition of flicker/woodpecker crater and white, fuzzy fungi, all on grey patterned bark.

Posted at 8:36 PM | Comments Off on Outdoor pleasures

One of those beautiful, clear autumn days, so lovely, so precious. My big project was transplanting a large plug of spearmint in such a way that it won’t take over the property, oh, within five years.

Posted at 9:13 PM | Comments Off on Beware aggressive mint

Today had a foggy morn, and I walked earlier than usual, so I got to see it change and spread and contract in different places than just from the cottage. Here’s a somewhat over-browsed pasture, with fog obscuring the distant treeline. Also, it was very quiet except for the odd crow.

A side benefit is that the spiderwebs sported glorious droplet-gem jewelry.

Posted at 6:39 PM | Comments Off on Fog variations

A quiet sunrise, with fog and horizon color graduation.

Quiet mid-morning on the lake; just wake-riffles from now-absent boat traffic.

And a quiet afternoon, with a senescent maple sculpture soaking in the sun.

Posted at 6:45 PM | Comments Off on Quiet day

Among the many necessary chores and activities around here is going to the laundromat (aka dro). That was today’s big chore. This was the welcoming sign on both doors of the dro. Small-town humor.

Since The Guru reinstalled the clothesline (posthole digger work to get a replacement post erected), we used MaNachur for the drying cycle. Aided by strategic removal of items still damp in late afternoon to the toasty sun porch…toasty until the temps drop, and headed down to reflect an overnight low of approximately 52°F. Still, they’ll be dry dry dry by morn.

We got our late afternoon sandhill crane flyover, for something like the fifth day in a row, that I’ve noticed. Magnificent. And a bit raucous in a pleasant way.

Posted at 8:33 PM | Comments Off on Dry is open

I enjoy the view of “our” lake from the bluff, looking down into the water by the shore and across a wide liquid expanse to the far shore. Today the lake was quiet all day, almost no waves—quite unusual.

Even when dusk was arriving….

Posted at 9:36 PM | Comments Off on Lake view