Late October Musings

Today begins cool and gray with rain in the forecast for later today and in to tomorrow.

And since H is nursing a nasty cold, it's a perfect day to stoke the wood stove and hunker down.

I just put on a pot of broccoli and potato soup and while we wait for it to simmer for our lunch, it's a great time to blog about what's left of the garden as we sadly move toward the end of my favorite month - October.

Before the hard freeze last week, I took the opportunity to wander about the garden with my trusty Olympus and shoot a few frames so I can remind myself in the dead of winter that the garden will bloom forth again next year.

The dahlias and zinnias were still performing beautifully.......

With the exception of the occasional maple, the only trees still showing any color are the birches and some of the poplars. Their golden beauty glows in the forest when the sun hits them in the early morning and early evening. Wild raisin shrubs still sport a few deep red leaves and the spruces, firs and pines are anticipating their days of glory when their branches will glisten with the new fallen snow. Although, not too soon, we hope!


The Karl Forster feather reed grass is at its best this time of year, but the migratory birds have flown the coop! Looks like they left me with a bit of maintenance on the front of the house. Sheesh! I hope the next occupants will be a bit easier on the property.


And the squirrels are raiding the bird feeder again! Between them and the two blue jays, they pretty much clean the feeder out on a daily basis. It's a good thing I bring it in every night, or the racoon would finish the job.

Our favorite sitting spot in the garden is finding more shade these days, and the Joy Pye Weed has taken on a golden glow in the late afternoon sunshine.

Our neighbor's beautiful glass gazing ball reflects the sun in all it's swirling colors.

Spike likes sitting in the warm afternoon sun while I post to the blog. He occasionally jumps up on the desk for his required "noogies". He especially likes his back and neck scratched.

Little Sluggo keeps busy from morning til night chasing the Asian Beetles which invade the house this time of year looking for a warm place to hibernate over the winter. They like to buzz around the lamplight in the evenings.

To all things, there is a season, and in this season of harvest, bringing in the plants, putting the garden to bed and making sure the woodpiles are covered, we are quite busy. I'm sure I'll be most content to sit in front of the fire, my recently finished shawl across my shoulders and knit the long winter away.

Life is Good

Hugs, Giddy