The blooms are fading and it is fall

The blooms are fading and the leaves are dropping.
It is below 50 degrees at night and the days are shorter.
The sunset arrives earlier, and it is much easier to sleep later in the morning.
The rains yesterday and today are helping the dry dry foliage and soil.
The apple crisp was made, and another made to give to a friend.
I am stocking my pantry with soup making supplies.
I made a trip the to the farm stand and purchased a very large,dark pink mum.
It is beautiful.
It is sitting at my door with a large orange pumpkin and 3 crook necked pumpkins, ready to be made into pies.
It is my ode to fall.
I clipped some purple spikes from my Russian sage, and placed inside in a vase with some purple mum flowers and some other outdoor foliage.
The wooden basket on the kitchen table is full of multi-colored gourds and white egg gourds and some orange nandina berries.
I also placed several green pungent walnuts, next to this still life. The walnut tree is on the back edge of my property.
Cider is in fridge and the fans haven't been turned on all week.
It's Friday and another week is gone.
No weekend plans yet but that is ok.
I am ready for fall.

Apples, apples and more

Well hello there how are you? Time has gotten away from me,
but I am still here.
I made a trip to an apple orchard and purchased Cortlands, Galas, and a misc box of apple seconds. I'll use those seconds for some apple crisp I'm about to make this morning.
Last night my son and some of his friends came by and asked 'are there any cookies or pastries in this house?" And I had to say no, which is unusual because the cookie jar is usually full.
But somehow time is getting away from me.
I spent the day yesterday stripping an ugly fishing wallpaper border in a basement bedroom. This from when we moved here last year, but I just never got to redoing this room. Once that was stripped the wall was a variety of ugly colors, hence I painted that room, which was an unplanned item for my day.
By evenings end the room was painted, window washed, curtains ironed and hung, bed set up and made. I hung two different fabric wallhangings, and the floor vaccumed.
Today I have to hang a mirror and a door, and then the room will be done, ready for fall visitors.
The basement bedroom is off of the poolroom, and has it's own bathroom with shower and it will be great for guests as it is in a private location.

My porch plans were submitted by the builder for the building permit, which we have not yet received but as soon as it is approved, we will proceed with the covered porch.

My husband had an unfortunate incident in India. He was walking close to the hotel and a wild dog bit him on the ankle. He, in consultation with his company dr's decided he needed to fly 5 hours to Singapore for an immediate series of rabies shots.
He made it to Singapore within the 24 hrs of commencing the first vaccine.
He will need to stay there the rest of the week for the 2nd and 3rd shots, and then back to India, then back home for the 4th and 5th shots.

Meanwhile I have more than enough things to do to keep me out of trouble.
Now onto that apple crisp.

Beautiful fall

Beautiful fall. The days are shorter, the mornings and evenings are much cooler.
It is almost sweater weather.
The sunrises are crisper and the sunsets like works of art.
This is today's sunrise picture and the cool air blows as I walk along.
I love fall, the sights, scents, tastes and air of it.
I love pumpkins, apples, falling colored leaves.
I like too that I no longer have to water my outdoor plants as much, as nesting is beginning to take place outside as well as inside.
Funny thing though on my back porch this morning. A smashed green walnut or two.
How it go there.. i am not sure... most likely a squirrel or groundhog, carried it near my house, as the only walnut tree we have is at the back of the property, far from the house.
I do have a big orange pumpkin and two crooked neck pumpkins from the farm stand sitting outside my door.
So far the grass is greener and growing more than it did in August, so that task still needs to be done.
For now I will enjoy the fall weather and know that soon, it will be cooler all day, not just in the morning and evening.

WHOA what's going on

Wow, what is going on!
Oh my goodness.
Not only in my own little world, fighting my own little battles of life, but WOW
this is insane. The crazy political world...the financial markets... the international wars and politics and memories of 9-11.
WOW...let's just stop it all....... I want to get off.
This is insane.
I am just feeling like I am in a whirlwind.
The Dem-Repub fighting has gone crazy. This is so wrong... so wrong.
I lived the last 6 years in a non partisan, non political world, living overseas, while the people I was surrounded with thought American politics were crazy.
I agree.
We voted in abstentia in 2004, and I am so glad we did.
It was so NICE to be away from this craziness.
I can't turn on the TV.
I can't read the Washington Post.. fighting bipartisanship.... what has happened to us.
What has happened.

And the stock market and Lehman and AIG.. I had friends with both companies in Singapore.
I feel so sad about it all.
In my own little world I am applying for a building permit and adding on a covered porch, and doing fall clean up of gardens.
My husband is solving problems of own in his work world half way around the world.
My daughter is across the country working on her masters in nursing and my son is working here solving his own problems in his own workplace.
Hang on to those you love, and give them a hug, and do something nice for somebody who doesn't think the way you do.
Oh and don't forget to watch a sunrise or sunset.
It will make your day.

Sunflowers and fall

The sunflowers are drying on their stalks, and turning brown.
So I clipped some to display this way and enjoy while they dry.
To then shred the petals and dry more thoroughly so next spring again I can plant a nice big area of this minature sunflowers.
They don't droop as much as the big big sunflowers.
It's a fun fall thing to do.
I've enjoyed the sunflowers on the stalk, cut in a vase,
and now drying on the table.
And next spring I will plant them, and enjoy them all over again next summer and fall.

Sept 11,2001

Early morning, Sept 11,2001, this is the view we saw as we drove from the airport to our bed and breakfast, Ireland.
But wait, what is that we are hearing on the radio.
We listened in disbelief, and drove as fast as we could to our b and b.
We'd left the night before, Sept 10.2001 from Newark airport,our car parked there in long term parking, flown overnight, and were exhausted. But suddenly, we were fearful.
Would we be able to fly home a week later?
This was a long time planned trip to celebrate our 30th anniversary, the past May, but hadn't been able to get away due to D's travel schedule, and taking our son to his first year of college.
So here we were in wonderful beautiful picturesque Ireland.

That first day, at the b and b, the TV in the lounge was on, and people were quiet in respect.
It was a shock and the dinner theatre we were scheduled to see that night, was cancelled, as most people sat quietly in pubs, or their homes, listening to the horror unfold.
I will write more this week about our trip in Ireland.
Although it was beautiful, it was horrifying as we learned more.
Our college kids called us that night, and that first day,and for a few days, we didn't know when we would be able to leave on our ticketed date, due to the flight restrictions all over the world.
This is the kind of event, that one remembers forever.
Forever emblazoned in our minds.

Misty mountain morning

Hi people.
I'm here I'm here, but it's been a little crazy around these parts.
This morning, with some hazy hazy views, I'm trying to figure out if it's summer or fall.
Feels like fall in the morning, but it's been really really hot.
And my husband was here for a short time, and is getting ready to be gone for a really long time again, so we took off.
We took off for a couple of days for a mini vacation in the city, near Starbucks, and shopping, and near two really great malls,and
near nice restaurants.Yes that's because we don't have good shopping near where we live. And we stayed in a really super nice hotel.
We didn't get a 'summer vacation',so this has to suffice for now due to his crazy international work schedule.
So now I'm here working on indoor and outdoor projects, which I will soon share with you.
Most imminently are the weeds outside that seem to be taking over, although it's been really really dry.
But I just wanted to check in and say hello, and I am here, and I've been enjoying not only comments but emails back and forth from some of my internet friends.
Stay well and enjoy the fall.

Flowers from the garden and a few last peaches from an orchard.
I want more peaches but haven't found any local this week at our orchards in this community. Too bad.
We sure did enjoy the peaches we found.
The last I found were white peaches, and oh were they sweet and delightful.
We ate them fresh everyday and I didn't process them in any way or add sugar.
No jam, no cobbler, no homemade ice cream... just peeled sliced fresh peaches.
Oh so good.

On my last trip to the orchard a week ago I got some apples and made applesauce my way.
Peeled the apples, sliced, added enough water to cover, and cooked until very soft.
I didn't use the food mill, but merely mashed with a heavy spoon.
Fresh golden applesauce with no sugar added. The apples were sweet and didn't turn brown and it tasted fresh and good.

I think we are headed for a rainy weekend due to the hurricane coming on the eastern seaboard, so I won't be getting my outside weeding done.
But that's ok.
More time to read.
or make more applesauce.
What are you doing this weekend?

Bailey's Hot Too

Whew--we've just had 3 days of 90 degrees each day.
The days start out cool and breezy, but increasingly stifling toward evening.
Somehow in this heat, even with the ac on, Bailey tries to hide under the kitchen table.
His usual spot is his dog bed or the wood floor in the kitchen.
But for some reason he's just recently started sprawling under the table.
Maybe it's how we gravitate to shade trees when we sit outside to protect us from the sun.
I wouldn't think anything about it, but it's a recent change and he seems to enjoy the fact I look everywhere for him, or call his name, and then suddenly I realize where he is.
He is 8 1/2 yrs and I certainly hope old age isn't calling his name.
Looks like today, before the hurricane winds and rain start, even in inland VA, that we will have one more hot day.
I want to enjoy it while I can as the cold windy fall will soon be here.

Late summer

Technically it isn't late summer for a few more weeks, but the light is changing through the trees, and the sun is setting earlier.
The morning breezes are much cooler, and the light for the sunrises is changing too.
But we are still enjoying late summer tomatoes, from the farm stand a few miles away.
And enjoying the last few peaches ripening on the counter, sliced, with some yogurt and oh so very sweet and good.
We are now entering my favorite time of year, the fall, with the cooler weather, and shorter days.
Food that evokes nesting inside like soups or stews, or apple cobbler.
It's a great transitioning time of year, and I feel rejuvenated.
How about you?

This is where I spent some time this morning

Well this is where I spent time this morning drinking my two cups of coffee and reading the local and the Washington Post papers.
That is after walking a couple of miles right before the sun came up at it's most beautiful best.
By the time the sun peaked I was sitting here reading the WP and wondering what this new Sept day would bring.
Looking at the forecast one would think it's July: we are to be at 90 today and 93 tomorrow.
So forget about me talking about cooler weather and leaves dropping and fall arriving.
Well at least for this week.
So this week, as last week, politics and the hurricane are on the news.
Wow, never a dull moment.
It could be a long time 'til election in November and that is all I am saying for now on that.
So today I am trimming some shrubs, watering some plants, and doing other outdoor lawn keeping tasks.
I did make my usual batch of cookies as my husband is home for a few days and I hadn't baked in several weeks.
By the time the ac will go on I will be doing indoor domestic tasks of cleaning and laundry.
But for right now back on the front porch in this chair typing you all a good morning hello and hoping you are enjoying this beautiful September day as much as I am.

Picnics, summertime, barbeques

Picnics, summertime, barbeques, fire in the fire pit for smores, and the tiki torches burning. All things of our summertime picnics in our backyard.
This morning the air feels cool, almost crisp, even though it was warm during the day yesteray and is supposed to be high 80's today.
But there are some dry leaves dropping off the trees, and a lot of the plants look like they've had their best growth.
So my patio has probably seen it's best use this summer.
And somehow when it gets cooler in the evening, and dark much much sooner, it feels like summertime is coming to a close.
It's not because I have children going back to school, because mine are grown and off involved in their own lives.
But the bus goes down the street and in the evening, the neighborhood kids aren't outside playing as late.
Fall is defintely trying to make it's appearance, and the cooler air is somehow more rejuvenating.
But for this one day their will be another picnic and another fire in the firepit and candles burning on the picnic table.
Summer is not quite over today.