Seasons

First, Noah and I want to thank everyone who sent good wishes his way. They paid off. Yesterday we got the report that his growth was benign. When he gets his stitches out next Friday, the second report giving the cause should be back. Keep those fingers crossed for one more week.


Noah is feeling great and so far has been good about leaving the stitches alone.

I am feeling a little better each day. If only this cough would go away!!

Today is a dark, gloomy day and the rain started a short time ago. It really is looking and feeling like fall around here. A lot of people tell me fall is their favorite season. I love spring, when everything is fresh and new. I love that day in Central New York, usually sometime in May after an overnight rain, when suddenly everything is green. We used to refer to it as 'Green Day'. We don't have that here, the change is much more gradual. I have always had a problem with depression in fall. It's probably related to Seasonal Affected Disorder, but I feel like everything is dying. My depression builds and usually climaxes in January, which is an especially difficult month for me for a number of reasons that I won't bore you with.

Anyway, I thought it might be a good time to highlight the prettier parts of the yard.


This is my little Mandevilla that I was babying along earlier in the summer. I thought that first bud would never open, but it has been flowering all summer and is really a cheerful addition to the front porch.


We've grown Hens and Chicks for years and never knew they flowered. Apparently they do.


I attempted to plant colors other than pink and purple this year, but it's hopeless. I am so attracted to those colors that I can't resist. I must be genetically related to butterflies or hummingbirds. What a pleasant thought.



Of course, I must give credit to my gardening helpers. There's Rob who wields the shovel, and in this rocky ground that's a tough job. There are my eleven canine co-gardeners who excel in weed removal and picking flowers. There are also some others that deserve credit.

This was planted by my bird friends. We encourage the birds with feeders all over the place, water, bird houses and yarn and dog hair to line their nests, but I wish they would stop planting Morning Glories. Although they're pretty little flowers that greet us each morning, the vines grow very fast and wrap around anything they touch. They kill other plants and take over the entire yard. It's a constant struggle to keep them under control.



The birds also planted some sunflowers. I supplied the seed, they chose the location.

So here is an example of the handiwork of the birds and the bees.


One of our favorite summer visitors is our collection of garden spiders. They are big spiders with striped legs. They build big elaborate webs each evening, catch whatever they can, then reel in their webs in the morning. The next night they come back in exactly the same place. They hide away during the winter and return the next summer to the same spot. We have garden spiders in about eight or nine locations that have been coming back for years

Here is his (or her) web and here is the spider hanging in the center.




This Rose of Sharon is still in a pot waiting to get big enough to plant in the yard, but it decided to bloom anyway.


The Pyracantha is peeking over the fence in the back.


The ones in the front yard are going to have a great crop of berries this year. They're so pretty and the birds love the berries.


Part of the frog collection hangs on the front porch adding music to the air. They'll be coming inside soon.

For the last couple years I've been too busy with puppies to feel depressed. This year we're concentrating on obedience training. Maybe enrolling a couple pups in classes will keep my spirits up. It sure can't hurt.