#nature
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A colorful October
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables It’s amazing how vibrant the fall colors are out here on our 5 acres. I’m not sure if this is a normal autumn or if this is a particularly splendid year. It takes my breath away almost…
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Team candy corn
Not that my post is about candy corn. I just happen to be eating some right now (it goes great with Hershey Kisses, by the way), and I know that people either love it or hate it. If we have it in the house, we can’t stay out of it. I guess it’s a good…
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Not quite fall, not quite summer
The past few days, we’ve been in what is known as “false fall.” Though it’s still a bit warm for hoodies and hot beverages. Except in the mornings and evenings. “Second summer” will be here soon, with temperatures heading back up near 90 by this weekend. The leaves are still changing, and the hummingbirds and…
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A change is in the air
I usually think of August as being one of the hottest months — not so much this year. The temperatures have been pretty mild and comfortable for most of the month. We’ve had a few warmer days here and there. And with the leaves starting to change, I can definitely tell that fall is just…
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Fledged! And an update on fruit production
At our last house, we had robins and mourning doves nesting in our yard every year. It was fun to watch, especially after the babies hatched. Of course, we’re on a much larger property now. And I see bird nests all over the place. But none of them were in a good place for observation.…
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Drink in the wild air
It’s still very much summer, but I can see that fall is around the corner just by the changes in our yard. I am already harvesting ornamental gourds, for one thing. I am growing those specifically for fall décor. I broke in my dehydrator by drying some cherry tomatoes. It took FOREVER (more than 24…
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Self propelled flowers
I mentioned in my last post that I was making garlic powder. Well, it was a successful experiment in that garlic powder was the end result. However, all that work peeling garlic (7 or 8 heads) and the hours spent drying it in the oven only yielded half a spice jar of garlic powder. Needless…
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As spring fades into summer
Today is the first day I’ve been out to work in the yard in over a week. Last Saturday was my birthday, so I took the day off from working outside. (Even though the weather was perfect!) I took my morning coffee out on our screened-in porch, listened to the birds, and played my word…
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Where the Cottonwood Blows
It’s that joyous time of year when downy cottonwood seeds float through the air. And then they land. And cover everything. We actually had big clumps of them all over the yard. They got in our clothes, our shoes, Blitz’s fur … Thankfully, I’m not seeing quite so many this week (she writes, as she…
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Ebb and Flow
I know I’ve been posting a lot about how grateful I am that we ended up here. This house on five acres is never the type of place I imagined we would be, but I know a peace and joy here that I haven’t known anywhere else. That said, it’s not always coming up roses.…
Karyn Johnson 