I stepped out on the porch this morning and was met with a cool fresh feeling on my skin. The autumn is slowly moving on us, bringing the cool mornings and hot days. I don't know that I am ready as winter is not my favorite season. There is never enough green in the winter - the dead season. That is probably why I love my cedars - they provide the green of life and growing in the bleak cold days of winter.
I am getting the ground ready to plant my late summer garden. I am ready for the greens and I am replanting the squash. My tomatoes are looking spiny as they always do at season's end. I have pruned them and will give them a good drink with fertilizer today. I have taken several cuttings from these tomatoes and started the upside down baskets with them. The plant are a beautiful dark green with loads of blooms and several small tomatoes growing. I look forward to having tomatoes a little longer this year.
Today is shrub moving day. I have several shrubs that need to be moved and I want to do it now rather than waiting until spring so the roots can recover during the winter dormant season. I have moved my lamb's ear and tried to gather all the errant seedlings into one nice spot. Lamb's ear spreads like wild fire with all the little seeds scattered throughout the yard and small ears poking up everywhere. Hopefully I have contained most of them at least until the next breeze scatters more seeds.
My Althea has bloomed more this year than any time in memory. The violet seems to be competing with the rose colored bush and the race is neck in neck, but I do believe the rose is winning. My sunflowers are beautiful. The heads large and ready to open in the next week. I only have a few plants as I seem to be feeding all the foul in the county with every seed that goes in the ground.
My pear trees have not produced this year as well as in the past, but the fruit is still large, sweet and juicy. The squirrels love the blooms in late winter. Climbing high in the trees, they sit and crunch the center of the blooms leaving a blanket of white under the trees. I plan to have a large pot of squirrel dumplings this winter. They have ravaged my fruit trees, tomatoes, bird feeders and chicken feed. I have some expensive squirrels in my yard that will make for good eating.
I am getting an egg a day from one of my little hens. I hope that all three will be laying soon, but cooler temperatures are coming and will be lucky to continue with the one a day. The neighbors chicken has hatched two biddies, but only one lived. The tiny thing chases her around the yard, hiding in the tall grass at the edge of the wood when I go out for feeding. They are so fun to watch and the old red rooster is as protective as the mother hen. My own rooster started crowing this weekend and he sounds so funny. Rather high pitched for the first few days, he now has a strong tone. So far his clock is set right - the other starts crowing at 2:30 in the morning.
The writing is coming along, but I have been busy for a couple of weeks and not able to attend as I need. Keep me in your prayers.
Belle
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