Late Autumn Snapshots

I'm still catching up on my blogging and past photos. Being absent the whole summer makes me feel like I'm scrambling to get back on track.

This particular batch of photos is not from any one day, but rather snapshots scattered throughout the autumn. 

The garden did well in most respects this year. We had a good corn crop, zucchini coming out of our ears and lots of butternut squash. The tomatoes were rather sad this year though. I think they had a touch of something because most of them were rotting before they even ripened fully. 

Because we had warm weather so late into the autumn it felt like the summer lasted for a long time. And that thrilled me.

I love all the seasons, they each hold their own charms, delights, activities and trials. But spring and summer have a special place in my heart because it is the time of year when I can be outside, as much as I want without the limitations that colder weather brings. There's is no bundling up in coats, warm socks, hats, mittens, cowls and boots to face the blustery, bitter winds for a quick run to the city or nearby post office before dashing back inside out of the cold. 

When it is warm I just walk outside, barefoot in the grass, to do chores, spin out on the patio, check on the garden, or just take a meandering little walk. I can be in nature and revel in all the glory that summertime brings. 

Cool summer evening, the tree frogs making racket high above, a blush of pink on the horizon as the last light fades. Early mornings with dew-drenched grass and having oatmeal and tea out at the picnic table in the front lawn. Taking walks before the heat of the day hits. Sinking toes in the cool earth, or walking across the hard, rain-deprived clay. Picking veggies and flowers on a quiet evening. Bonfires with friends and family. The cheerful crackle of logs and the chatter of voices. Trips to the lake, across the hot sand, cooling our feet at the end of the journey. Hiking in the still calm of the forest. Bicycling with the wind in my face. Climbing the bluff at our favorite cabin and smelling the crisp lake air. The sound of the wind blowing high above in the pine boughs. The smell of a freshly mowed lawn. Watching the sun rise....

I could go on and on. 

And maybe someday I will. As I have been typing this up the thought occured to me of jotting down my favorite things/memories/moments of each season. I'll probably write it down in my art journal, make it all fancy and splash on some watercolour. And then maybe I can share my thoughts on here. Or perhaps even photos of the actual project. 

Meanwhile, what's your favorite season? And why is it your favorite? I'd love to hear from you!

Up Next: Thanksgiving Snowfall

I know these photos are old, about three weeks or more in fact, but I never got around to sharing them and I wanted to before too much time had passed. The last decent snowfall we had was melting in these photos, this was right before we were drenched with a deluge of rain that caused much flooding.
Of course things look entirely different now!Between the rain, warm weather and the natural course of time, Spring has sprung and everywhere leaves are unfurling, flowers are opening and all growing things are a rich shade of vibrant green.

Misty Autumn Morning

The other day I took a break from my cleaning to run outside and take some pictures. It was misty and the sun was just breaking through the clouds, it was just lovely. The boys and ladies were out in the damp, having breakfast. Most ignored my presence but Mounty watched me curiously. He has always been such an inquisitive little guy. I do have some sad news to share about the boys. But I shall save that for some other time.

There was still a gentle misting of rain lingering on the grasses and leaves. Most everything is dead, and trodden down with autumn rains, but these few grass heads were bobbing in the early morning light.

 But the sky was blue, showing promises of a warm, sunny day later on and as I was finishing my walk the sun came out and brightened up the grey morning.

Most of the leaves have fallen, but there was a lovely patch of yellow leaves in the front yard that were just calling my name. They were also a bit misted with rain, and blowing about in the breeze. But there was a few that held still so I could photograph them. Autumn is always so lovely to experience, so many different and unique colors. It is a blessing to be able to enjoy the beauty of the creation God has made.

September Snapshots: Autumn Is Here!

 A batch of warm Fudgy Cappuccino Cookies. They tasted a little bit like molasses cookies, but with a nice coffee twist.

 The boys enjoying their new pasture. 

 Carding some of my Chestnut colorway with grey angora fiber. it is turning out beautifully and such a fun spinning project. I'll share a picture of the yarn soon....

 Collecting guinea eggs. Normally we get five. But one of our guineas had an incident with the neighbor's puppy. She's a little traumatized.

 When the Physostegia begins to bloom you know autumn has arrived.

 Field corn is ready. I hope they cut it all down, SOON.

 Despite the fact that my allergies hate it, goldenrod is so pretty and I like it.

 The rain and wind cut my walk short. I snapped a few photos before it started pouring.

 Poplar leaves on the ground.

 My one lone Sunflower plant. It spread all over and is so gorgeous. It all sprang from one seed scattered last spring. I never even knew there were sunflowers in the perennial mix. It was a lovely surprise.

Autumn Joy Sedum is turning. Let the cool weather begin. Bring on the donuts, hot apple cider, crisp leaves, warm woolly knits, crackling fires and hay rides. Fall has officially arrived!

Back In May....

 Today I found these photos, taken, edited and waiting for a blog post.....back in May! I completely forgot about/shuffled them away, in the busyness of life this summer. And it has been BUSY! I keep expecting things to slow down, but the calendar keeps filling up. There has been much fun, lots of hard work, a great deal of hot weather, and good memories everywhere. So here is a look at what our area looked like back at the end of May.....

 Look at the corn! It is about 4 or 5 inches tall in this picture. I measured it on July 4th (last Wednesday) and it was 6 and a half feet tall! That beat last years July fourth record by 6 inches!

 I do miss the view that we had back when the corn was short. Now we are fenced in by a rustling hedge of corn. 

 Our field didn't get mowed until late in May. We are currently working on fencing it in for the alpacas. When I was taking a walk down in the field I took some photos of the tall grasses in the evening light. I prefer the neatly mowed field, it is so much greener and tidier, but I must admit I miss seeing the tall grass rippling in the wind.

I'm away from home until this evening. If the lighting is still good, maybe I can take some pictures of my most recent spinning projects. Until next time, take care!

After The Rain

 A few weeks ago we had a wonderful thunderstorm that left everything drenched and covered in water droplets. I love to take photos after rain so I headed out with my camera to see what there was to see. Just as a warning, this post is rather heavy on the photos. Once I started shooting I couldn't stop......

Ripening mulberries

The bush that makes everyone sneeze. We don't know what it is called. Anyone have any ideas? It was given to my Grandma years and years ago by a lady who worked at a nursery.

Iris leaves

Day Lily.

Wet lake rocks on the railing.

Mourning dove, keeping the babies dry & cozy.

Old fashioned rose.

Ripening blackberries.

Painted Daisy.

Cornfield. Since this photo it has grown past my shoulder and almost over my head in some spots.

We have clay and this portion of the cornfield is the bottom of a gentle slope. It gets lots of water and grows VERY tall here.

Lichen on the apple tree.

Sunlight coming through the rain drenched leaves.

White pine.

Concord grapes.

Storm clouds moving off.

Field corn.

It was a beautiful storm, and brought some much needed rain. The soil is exceptionally hard when we haven;t had rain for awhile. Due to the lack of rain we were not able to till our garden until very late. We have planted a few tomatoes, but that is probably all we'll do this year. We'll have to depend on the Farmer's market this summer/autumn. Thankfully prices at the Farmer's markets are excellent, and it is supporting local farmers and gardeners.