Fall is in the air

Fall officially arrived this week.  The leaves on the trees have started to turn colors and drop.  It's cooler in the morning following much cooler temperatures overnight and it's dark when I drive to work in the morning.  It's still light when I come home from work and there are few hours of daylight in the evening to get outside so we cram outside duties in right after dinner.  

Ginger Gold and Honeycrisp apples are transformed into pies or just sliced and eaten.  There will be more trips to the orchard before the season ends.  Our final harvest from the garden included five neck pumpkins.  One will be roasted in the oven and canned for use over winter and others will be given away.  Kale and three kohlrabi plants are still in the garden but the rest has been cleaned up and put to bed for winter.  There's lots of weeding to do in the asparagus bed and the front flower bed but first frost will probably hit the weeds before I get them all pulled. 

Last November Mr P had major surgery and because he was very limited in what he could do physically, our firewood supply was depleted almost when winter started (remember that horrible winter of ice, snow and cold temps?).  We have been working together to replenish or supply.  He wields the chainsaw, and we share the splitting and stacking duties working to get enough for this winter season.  

Chance was a talker and left us know when she was ready to eat at 5AM in the morning.  She was a constant presence these last six months in her favorite spot under the table in the kitchen.  The house is quiet without her.

I have off work tomorrow and there may be a trip to a fair.  There's a yard sale on Saturday too.  

Enjoy the upcoming weekend.

Sadness Decends

Last Wednesday, September 3, 2014, was a sad day here at the Puddle Pond.  Chance had a medical emergency during the afternoon.  An appointment was scheduled at the vets, a visit that evening and the heart wrenching decision during that appointment made to put her to sleep.  We were both with her until the end which was peaceful.  We brought her home and buried her here with all the other pets that passed before her.  There was a visit to OnlyDaughter, OnlySonInLaw and Grandsons #1 and #2 over the weekend.  We gave OnlySonInLaw her collar which according to his parents was the collar he picked out and put on her when he adopted her in Florida over 21 years ago.

She had a long life and was relatively healthy up to the end.  She was quite the talker and now the house is quiet and we miss her terribly.

Rest in Peace Chance.

See you in September...

 

Where or where did August go??? 

Grandson #1 turned 14 in early August.  He's almost (or is already) as tall as I am and such a handsome young guy.   Goodies from the garden were harvested and enjoyed.  There is still quite a bit in the garden which is quick a tangle of weeds and plants.  If I devoted every evening until the end of September in weeding, I don't think I would finish weeding the garden and my flower bed out front.  First frost will probably hit before then.

In my last post, I detailed the war being waged against the lily pads in the pond.  As you can see from the first of the month photo, it appears the spray is doing its job.  Mr P stated that he will be in the little blue john boat first thing next spring to spray any lily pads brave enough to try and sprout.  There is lots of algae bloom but that will be addressed next year if it continues to "bloom". 

My Mom celebrated her 88th birthday in mid-August.  We took the annual pic with the siblings that made it to the picnic and my brother's grandson hopped on Great Grandma's lap for the photo op.  Happy, happy Birthday Mom and many, many more.

Lots of signs of the end of summer drawing nigh.  There will be at least 4 nice neck pumpkins to pick and can for baking a pumpkin pie this winter.  Chance had a quick opportunity to explore the back yard a little bit one nice day.  

We held a Labor Day picnic yesterday with family and lots of good food.  Pinochle was the card game of choice after eating and Mom was at her table in the family room for a while working on the latest jig saw puzzle.  

I finished a book this week which was a recommendation on a blog I follow - http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/.  The book, Little Heathens by Margaret Kralish was delightful.  Even though she was writing about her life growing up during the Depression and this time frame was my Mom and Dad's, there were lots of things that I could relate to and that were things done as I was growing up.  

Hoping you had a safe Labor Day holiday.  

It's not as light out when I leave for work in the morning and the sun sets earlier now.  Fall is right around the corner so enjoy the last vestiges of summer.