TGIF!

Martie is right-drought city around here. I wouldn't waste any money this year traveling to see fall foliage in New England. What color there is has sort of a dull cast. Lots of leaves are just crisping up and falling off. In addition, today will be the second of three in a row where temps are predicted to get into the 80s F-almost 20 degrees above normal.

Despite my vow to just let everything go for the season, I'm still watering pots every day. I just can't do it even though it means dashing out of work every night so I can get the watering done in time to walk before it gets dark. With the sun setting right around 6:30 now getting it done has been a challenge.

I'm enjoying all the pictures-keep them coming! Not much to report from here though.

Sue

Good morning all,

As Sue has said we are in for another summer day here. Yesterday got up to 85 degrees here and today is supposed to be 83. Good grief, this is October for crying out loud. Watering like crazy as like everyone else weve not had any significant rain for a long time. What we really need is a nice tropical system to dump several inches of rain on us from the Gulf.

Loving the pics! Woody, you are making great progress with your project. I want to get outside and get going with my rock edging project today but I dont know about working in the heat all day.Ill see how much I get done.

Bug love the trim color. That is going to look beautiful when finished.

Eden, wonderful entrance display and that door is terrific!

Marian, you are probably right about that. It never crossed my mind that they thought I was the hired help. LOL

Saucy, congratulations on those Sox tickets!!!! You are going to have a terrific time.

Martie, after turning my passion for painting into my business and now hating to paint Ive resisted all temptations to turn any aspect of the gardening into a job for fear the same thing would happen. ~~ I bought that statue Windblown from Design Toscano. I believe they might still have her and it is on sale.

Here are a couple pics from yesterday morning. The fuchsias are the high points in the gardens right now.
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This begonia took a break for a bit and I pruned it back about a month ago and is now looking great again. Has anyone ever wintered over asparagus fern? LOL
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Have a great day!
Deanne

Good Morning,

What a treat to see your beautiful gardens this morning Deanne. Those fuchsias stand out like beacons throughout the gardens. I love how all of your groundcovers are draping over the edges of the walls. My mom overwinters two huge asparagus ferns every winter. I think she's had them at least 5 years now.

Marie, Thank you so much for finding those farm toy websites for me! That's exactly what I was looking for. The dairy farm looks so much like the one we've been visiting with Bella all summer. I'm putting in my order right away. She'll love it! As for the checkerboard on the door, I did that probably 8 yrs ago so I'm trying to remember how. I know I just used a level and a ruler and marked out the pattern with pencil and then filled in the squares with an artists flat paintbrush. I think they're 1" squares. It wasn't hard and really not as time consuming as it sounds. I think I did it in a couple of days.

Martie, You're going to love that Tuscano site. Lots of cool garden statuary. That's where I got my garden fairy too. Can't wait to see what you choose for the park. As for the window box, it's always been the bane of my existence, lol. It's on the north side of the house, under the roof overhang, and shaded by a big maple. I'm always trying to find something that will grow in there. Those are just Alberta spruces that I got for a dollar each at HD this spring, some coleus, and a couple of variegated vinca vines. The spruces seem to be doing ok in there. They've put on some new growth through the summer. I don't think I have to worry about them living long enough to outgrow the space though:) We'll see.

Michelle, I was excited to hear that some work got done of the Children's Garden. I really want you to get that up and going! Easy for me to say huh? I know it's going to be just adorable though! I'd LOVE to have a space to do something like that.

Almost time for Bella here. She was quite a character yesterday, wore Mr. Potato Head's glasses around all evening. I really need to get a picture of her doing that for you all to see. It's very funny! Thanks to her I slept well last night. Have a great Friday everyone. It's supposed to be SUMMER through the weekend here!

Eden

Way back in my childhood, my mother had a large indoor asparagus 'fern'. She never put it outside, and had it for years. I had the same type, but now have a more ferny type, A.densiflorus "Myers", aka A. myersii, foxtail fern.It is a lot prettier than my mother's. I set it out on the deck in the warm months, and indoors in the cold ones.It did exceptionally well this summer, probably due to the cooler wetter July ?

Unlike "everyone else", we had a lovely rain recently, and more in the forecast starting Sunday. I hope it doesn't put a 'damper' ( pun intended) on our monthly 'dinner on the grounds' after A.M. worship.
Like Sue, we are having much above normal temps. I am hoping our fall colors will not be damaged by them. The Dogwoods, Black Gum, and Sumac are all showing good color. The Flaming Fall Revue tour in our county is always around the middle of this month. Cooler temps next week may help bring on the color.

Michelle, I love those farm animals. I wonder if my GDs are getting too old for me to get more for them ? They are ( soon to be ) 14, 12 and 10. As you saw on my recent thread, the oldest is still playing with what I have. They were all three involved in the setting up of the farm while here.

Marie, it is so good that you are having all that painting done. I sure wish I were up to it, or could afford to hire it done. So very much needs it, inside and out. How funny about your DH thinking everything costs $1.98 ....lol,lol.
A friend tried to give us a pug. We told her "No thanks". We have lived over 50 years without a dog, and sure do not need to start now. These cats are aggravation enough, and they may well outlive us....all except Calliecat. She is 16 and 1/2 years old, but she is a fiesty old gal. ( She has never been an indoor cat.)
What a blessing for Skyler that he has your Sarah for a stepmother. I hope the man that my GD's mother has taken up with will be as great...but I doubt it. Tim consider's his lady friend too stringent with what she expects of them. I am not sure about that...I think he is too lenient, but otherwise a very good father.

Re: homework....I have very seldom heard my DGs mention it. I do remember the oldest bringing some with her in November a year or so ago. They are all A students. The youngest is ahead of her class to the extent that she gets restless from boredom, and disrupts the other students! They are working on moving her to a higher class, which means a differant school. The black female superintendant is reluctant to sign a release ( or whatever it is called). There is a lot of conflict over that.

I wonder what is causing the childhood nosebleeds. I had them as a child, and they continued until we moved to Arkansas. I presumed mine were due to the Rheumatic Fever that I was diagnosed as having when I was a child. ( I was in my early 20s when diagnosed. ) The worst one was one night when I was a teen. It started while I was in bed. I got up and went to the kitchen sink ( our only sink) to get a washrag. I passed out on the kitchen floor ! My mother found me there.

Martie, your yard is coming along great. ( And your photography skills) :-) .What fun to have so much working room.You certainly do have a lot of good examples here.

Cindy, I do hope all works out well with you and your houseguest. It is certainly more than I could cope with! I admire you for trying. I think you have been given very good advice on the "tough love". If nothing else, maybe she could go to a homeless shelter? Maybe that would motivate her to do something for herself. There is no children involved ?

Re: alterations....I could sure use that on all my slacks. I have never "filled" them out ! I prefer to wear long tops that help hide the lack. :-) I look more and more like The Born Loser's wife" ! LOL ....well, I'm not that big at the top, yet. :-)

BTW, the puzzles are still on hold. I haven't got into a puzzle mood yet. They will be great when cold weather comes, and the house is all shut up, and Nolon is back inside all day. He is presently engrossed in rounding up all the metalic recyclables,from his years of accumulation. He got a good price from the load of aluminum that a neighbor hauled in for him, and is now working on various other metals.He is spending hours at it...nice for both of us, but hard on his clothing! I just now loaded the washer with overalls.

Whew!!! That's enough for now!
Marian

Summer has come back here along with .8" of rain last night. Originally they had predicted a low of 32 on Sat. night, it has now changed to a low of 60.

What a joy to open up the Idylls to Deannes garden looking as fresh as a daisy. Even though asparagus fern is common, it looks great with the begonia. I have it in several in mono pots this year. I like the texture and like to add them to groupings of pots for a little break in all the busyness.

Eden, which farm set did you order? Weve been to Als Farm Toys store in the Mall of America in Mpls. Many times when DS was "into" farm toys. It was his favorite store. It took me a bit to realize what I was seeing in your porch picture, it must be your pile of wood chips. I would love to see Bella with her glasses. At her age, everything they do is so cute (almost everything!)

I had a dwarf alberta spruce in my container by the front door last summer. For Christmas I added little white lights, more greenery around the bottom and some fake fruit. It didnt make the rest of the winter, but I didnt really expect it to.

As for the childrens garden, I really hate do a lot until the shed gets in place. Im not sure when that will happen because we have been having a fair amount of rain and my dad doesnt want his lawn torn up getting it out of there and with Rick in the field when things are dry.

Marian, what a good project for Nolan, you get things clean up and some spare change in your pocket as well.

Martie, alpine strawberries sound like a perfect thing for the childrens garden. That would be fun to get the 2 little girls togethermaybe someday.

Stay cool

Michelle

I ordered pizza! I had planned to make lunch and then I thought better of it and decided that if they would've had pizza at school for lunch today, why not have it at Saucy's house? Taking the easy way out, I am :)

I splurged and bought myself some Red Sox wear. None of that pink stuff for me (for those not from the area, for some reason about 5 or more years ago, some marketing guru decided that the female red sox fans should have PINK)....I bought a nice plain red "sox" adorned tee. Won't even need a jacket tonight. I live around the corner from the commuter rail (can't hear it, though!) and will enjoy not driving :)

Wow, lots of nosebleeds, huh? It's called an allergic nose according to my doc....I always had them, too. They don't scare me much, and I've taught the kids to remain calm and how to quickly stop it.

Deanne, you sure are stretching out the season....though I know your garden has lots of winter interest too. Even a blanket of snow affords all those different elevations and then there is the colorful plumage of your bird visitors to look forward to....

I have mulled over the electronic babysitting "issue" over the last couple of days. I guess I think we do it okay. We try to participate as a family. I do think that kids today have too much structured time. I learned to solve lots of problems on my own while I was off in the woods with the gang of friends in my neighborhood. We mosied from house to house taking on snacks and bathroom breaks....ahh the good ole days :)

I understand today's structure, just not sure what the outcome will be. And I turned out okay with MTV and my TRS-80....not to mention my big hair.

Okay, enough from me. I'd better go find all those kids...

Saucy

Jake just walked in clutching his nose!

It's an epidemic!

That's right Saucy, you have "extras" this afternoon don't you? Have fun tonight at the game!

Michelle, I'm getting Bella the dairy farm. I'll also get her the set of 25 cows to go with it. It says age 5 but I think she'll be ok with it.

Marian, I think older kids like to play with toys they can "set up". I still like to play with that sort of toys myself.

I forgot to tell you all about the tree cutting experience. They came around 3pm yesterday and had it down in about 20 minutes. BUT, not without letting a piece fall about 8 ft way, into the middle of my helianthus lemon queen, putting an end to that plant for the season, and snapping the top off a little Japaneses Maple too. And I thought there wasn't much they could damage:( I hope that's the end of trees making a mess of my gardens for a long time to come though. That was the third time this year.

Time for Bella's nap and then Meg's picking her up around 4 so I may start spreading that pile of mulch that Michelle spotted in my picture.

Eden

Oh my!!!! I'm Rolling on the floor laughing out loud!!!! I was skimming and read "I got her 25 cows".... Of course I had to go back and re-read Eden's post. I couldn't figure out where the heck Eden was going to fit 25 cows. te he...

Thanks Eden, Michelle and Saucy, Sooo... happy you like the garden pics. So much fun to share with my friends.

Michelle, It's downright hot here today and is going to be tomorrow as well. I really could use some nice days in the 60's to get me in the mood to start cutting back all these plants.

Thanks for the advice regarding asparagus ferns. Michelle, I've got one mono-pot going with it and like it for the same reason you do. It just adds that extra softness and break from the rest of the plants. I've actually added it to a lot of my containers this year as it was in flats cheap at HD this spring.

Saucy, good grief, another nose bleed??? ~~ Have a ball at the Red Sox game tonight!!! I'll be thinking of you.

Marian, I've seen that type of asparagus fern and quite like them. Do they drop a lot of needles when you take them in?

Eden, OMG! I can't believe you've had even more tree damage. That's awful. So sorry, at least its the end of the season but losing part of a JM is sad.

This brug is a cutting from Sue and is looking quite pretty right now.
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Okie Dokie, I'm out of here for now.
Deanne

Wonderful pictures to scroll through. How nice to see more of Martie's place, Deanne's impeccable gardens, and Eden's witty decorating. Makes me want to go up to the attic and get out the big wooden pumpkin for the front door and few ghosts - no doubt with real cobwebs on them :) I admire Woody's diligence on the edging. I have brick edging on back and side gardens, but front gardens are nekked, except for years when I retrench the edges. And GB, I loved the green trim but think the new color will be a crisp change. Do show us a before and after when it's done.

I took the day off, hoping to take Katie to the beach- she loves the sand and I think it reminds her of the track. But she has been flat most of the week and barely more perky this morning. But not worse. More pred and to hell with the side-effects. I've given up on ever getting back the whole package :( So I'll take her on a home visit tonight instead and her job will be to lie there looking innocent and get some lovin'.

I haven't accomplished much today, but did google for refrigerator parts and based on model number was able to track down a new meat tender for the kitchen fridge. The plastic 'edging' broke on one side a few years ago, so it goes off of it's railing everytime it's opened for cheese. (Which is what meat tenders are used for here.) When looking up the model number I noticed I had bought it 1998. I fear that means that the new drawer will be installed and the fridge will die. That's how it works, right?

For those looking for children's gifts, I got an interesting catalogue in the mail last week called 'Hearthsong'. Neat stuff reasonably priced. Based on the cover I feared 'boutique'.

Chelone, I'm with you on the electrician or plumber or whatever you're waiting on. Small business is not an excuse for bad business. And planning is the best way to save money. Let the small things go and they become 'big' things. Reminds that me I need to schedule the chimney cleaning. I didn't use the fireplace much last winter, so it's more for the safety inspection.

I cooked a turkey this morning, have been wanting one for a few weeks. George kitty ate more turkey than he should have and I'm now wondering where it will be deposited.

Saucy enjoy the game!

Hi to everyone I've missed,

Cynthia

I hope Saucy's team wins tonight!

Deanne, that brug is so pretty. I really like white flowers.

Eden, my DS had that same dairy barn set. He had at least a 1/2 dozen different ones. That was his favorite as Rick had a dairy when I was dating him.

It gets dark here by 7:30 so I did just a little cutting back of a few of the more ratty plants.

Night all
Michelle

Sues TGIF looked heaven sent to me today---finally I have two whole days off in a row ! Task number one will be to sleep in till at least 6:30.
Napa County is under a frost advisory tonightnot a good thing, we dont ususlly have our first frost till the end of Oct or early November, and the grape harvest is not all in yet. The late summer has been very cool and many of the Cabs are still on the vine. Think well be hearing some wind machines tonight. Some places even still have smudge pots. I moved by bloomless CG under the eaves of the house, along with my 3 plumerias and covered my lime tree. My begonias are all under cover already. Cut a big bouquet of Dahlias in case I am greeted by black slime in the morning. Got the Sox game on right now and waving towards Saucy wherever she may be in the teeming masses.

Deanne, you must be pretty adept at taking sleight of hand photos that hide the evidence of fall rattiness ! Im determined to get things cleaned up this weekend . What a mess I have right now. I concur with Marian on your encounter with the lady in the car. She could probably not imagine that anyone could design and maintain such a place without professional help lol about Edens cows..

Martie, we actually had rain here today, but I bet not measurable.. Our rainy season often begins in earnest late this month.

Eden, I checked out Toscano tooI love armillary spheres and Im always on the lookout-they had a couple of nice ones there. However, I do have to restrain myself from buying stuffmovers charge by weight yknow ? Alberta spruces for a buck ?? They cost an arm and a leg out here ! Love your Halloween display, even though I am a Halloween curmudgeon ! It must be the kitty s !

Marian, I liked hearing about Nolan collecting the metal- I think pack-ratting stuff like that might be a guy thing-most I know would be like pulling teeth before theyd part with any of it ! In Southern Cal where I grew up asparagus ferns (both sprengerii and Meyerii ) are extremely common. When I worked at the garden center we sold boatloads of them in hanging baskets because they took so much abuse. You would have to try really hard to kill one.

Cynthia- hope Katie enjoys her outing with you . I had that same issue with my old fridge-drove me nuts ! My new one has molded in tracks so I hope to avoid droopy drawer syndrome.

Ok, Im off to sit on my a** and watch baseball

Oh, here are two pics that my DS took a couple days ago

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Kathy in Napa

Hi all, we've really blown the birthday thing as I've just discovered we've missed two, yep, two birthdays!!!! So without further ado.
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and I do believe tomorrow is GB's special day

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So sorry Wendy and Norma for missing your day on the 26th.

Deanne

Happy birthday to Norma, Wendy and GB! I've been bad about posting bday photos lately, but wanted to at least get the wishes out there. Hope you all had and have a great birthday!

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and last but not least...

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Happy Birthday, Marie!!
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Happy Birthday, Norma!!
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Happy Birthday, Wendy!!
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Martie

Our little state has been beset with many very public tragedies of late. This week, three teenagers were killed in an auto accident. The 17yo driver had just gotten his license back after a three month suspension for drunk driving. Let me say that again: A 17 year old, under the legal age for drinking and of the age where limited driving rules apply anyway, was killed along with his 14yo sister and a 15yo friend. It appears that he had an extremely good lawyer who found a loophole in the laws and got him his license back.

Why do I bring this up with this group? Because I seriously doubt that a 17yo would have the wherewithall to hire a lawyer good enough to beat a scrutinized system. His parents must now deal not only with the loss of two children, but with the knowledge that they put him back on the street.

With all of the conversations about parenting and the behavior of some teens, and the fact that our state is now dealing with horrific situations wherein Loopholes in the Law allowed perpetrators to commit horrendous acts, I ask that you all take a good look at what your state is doing to avoid something like this happening where you are.

Off the soapbox, but there enough great kids attached to this group that I want to do everything I can to keep everybody safe.

In better frame -----

I'm sitting here waiting for Ky to contact me through the computer via an alledgedly free program that allows people to use microphones to talk internationally over the internet. We'll see....

I'd planned on doing a bunch of plant moving/dividing today but "do not disturb the roots" keeps running through my head. I doubt with the plants in what amounts to cement at this point that good moving can be accomplished. So -- cuttings it is!!!

Other good news: There may be an alternative for a permanent home for my DB other than the state facility that almost lost its accreditation and is under scrutiny by every mental health agency around. I'll be visiting the place with his social worker, who should be sainted, and am hopeful that it will work out. The hardest part is not telling my parents, and I'm torn whether to get their hopes up when he's not yet been accepted in, or whether to give them hope that there's something better out there. Tough call. Insights, please?!?!

Okay, as you've probably guessed I'm in a very serious mood today so will use it and get some of Rich's business paperwork done.

Best to all!!

Martie, wishing I could trade the Napa weather for ours

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Eden - that's definitely a more interesting, attractive door with your paint job than it must have been before! And you must have a LOT of patience to do that...:-)

Marie - it looks like your new trim color is a perfect match for the bricks.

We had a nice time in Niagara on Thurs. and Fri. - but it felt more like July than October - sunny and very hot (although nicely cool in early morning and evenings.) One can't go to Niagara without stopping at garden centers so a few things came home with us... nothing very special, just a Weigela 'Variegata' for the front bed, a clematis 'Inspiration' to grow into it, a caryopteris and a pot of pretty hens'n'chicks. They were all on sale for 40% off so were pretty cheap, but healthy-looking. Goodness knows if they will survive transplanting into the excessively dry ground out there, even with good watering. I've tried caryopteris at least 3 times before and it's never survived so I don't expect much from the new one! We're getting a bit of rain at the moment but it doesn't look like much - anything is welcome though. Of the birthday pictures, the mums are from my garden but the other two are from gardens in Niagara.

Happy birthday to all who've had 'em in the last month...let there be tables piled high with cakes! Your choice of filling. (But has to include raspberries and chocolate in some form)

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and cookies!

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Best wishes to all the Birthday girls....Marie, Norma, and Wendy.

Michelle, I sure wish Nolon's project 'would' clean things up ! He brought most of the debris home from fire jobs and remodels, instead of having to pay to haul it to the dump. His junk accumulation has continued to be a thorn in my flesh. I really hate the way he has trashed the land since we moved here. It seems to have been a tradition of many Arkies, and is hard for them to quit. I have managed to keep the area around our yard junk free. I must confess, I have my own accumulation of plastic bottles, plastic plant containers, and coffee cans, that I need to get sent off to recycling or the dump ! I used to save them for gardening purposes, but stopped using them several years ago.

Deanne, I brought the asparagus in at least 2 weeks ago, and there is no needle loss yet. I don't recall it being a problem.

Am I the only one counting the days until we get off DST ? I prefer the earlier light in the morning. ( 4 more weeks .)

A disturbance got me out of bed around midnight last night. I thought one or both of the house cats wanted in, but they were too engrossed in the yard activity...lol.

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And here is a pic of some of the Eupatorium coelestinum that is happily taking over my flowerbeds ( where I let it):

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Marian

Happy birthdays to all the gang... as usual, I manage to miss all the "good stuff".

Marian, those pictures are GREAT! I wonder what Rex would do if he encountered one of those babies on his post-prandial pee-pee run? :) I'm not sure if he or I would be more excited, frankly.

Struggling with landscaping issues in preparation for the planting next week... it'll be OK. Also working diligently on the painting of (grainless) garage doors. And soaking up unseasonable warmth and sun...

I really should venture off the auto settings on the old digital. When poor picture quality frustrates me more than the new learning curve, no doubt I'll do it. Marian, lucky you to have such wonders as an armadillo in the backyard. I hope you and Nolon are ready for the winter. Perhaps someone in your church group could help with some of those seasonal chores such as clearing pipes, etc? I found a link for a group that you may have already heard of, Faith in Action. I agree with you about junk around the house, and some people are just naturally "junkier" than others. I am always amazed, with the price of real estate around here, the year-round outdoor climate, and people will still make their outdoor space unusable with junk everywhere.

The wind blew hard yesterday, knocking enough "smoke" off 'Grace' to fill several mattresses. The Euphorbia cotinifolia tree was battered, with small branches broken, and I lopped off more branches to reduce the sail of the canopy. I've lost several of these trees to wind before -- they're exceptionally brittle. This one is a self-sown, multitrunk, so withstands high winds better.

Wonderful birthday photos, painting projects (creamy colors, 'bug!), a Katie report, great score by Saucy on the baseball tickets, bean harvest in -- so many interesting reports. A few more photos of some "scary," Halloween plants, the solanums, S. quitoense: (totally blanking on the purple leaved plant in front --I keep thinking "setacrease" but Google shows zip on that name. It's a large-lvd variety of a common houseplant)

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S. pyracanthum:

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Denise, you are thinking Setcreasea. I am not familiar with any with that wide of a leaf, but there are so many new developments on the market now.
Yes, there are members of our congregation who would willingly and gladly do our chimney cleaning, but I have this wierd reluctance to ask them to do something that may endanger them. I know...it is probably silly of me.
BTW, the armadillo is in the FRONT yard, but it has mined the entire yard. What has no armadillo holes has mole runs ! I prefer the holes....

Thanks, Marian -- at least I was in the ballpark with that name. Old habits die hard, but try to start asking for help, Marian! Especially if you don't have family close by that can help out. My dad calls here all the time, to set up his new surround-sound speakers, whatever. My youngest son got that chore, wasn't looking forward to it, spent a whole weekend day doing it, but he was aglow with that virtuous feeling that comes from helping when he got home. Last week it was to replace a garage door spring. Took 5 mins for my DH to replace it, but it would have been utterly impossible for my dad to do, and a broken garage door would have been a serious hardship. I'm sure you've helped someone in the past; now let others help you and Nolon!

Respectfully, your So. Calif co-idyller,

Denise

There's no point in pretending I'm doing anything fun this weekend other than sitting at the computer editing mountains of transcripts -- or working at avoiding work. Chasing the dog, watering pots, playing with the camera. I finally pulled out the two roses at the base of the fringe tree, a grand experiment in fountains of rose bloom cascading out of the tree that, to me, was a failure. I like the shape of a tree, period, not stuff ruining the lines of the tree, even if it's Madame Alfred Carriere (sorry, Kathy!) Here's a shot of the fringe tree, Chionanthus retusus, which is covered in berries. Not the shocking purple effect of a callicarpa but more a solemn navy blue.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY NORMA !

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY WENDY !!!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIE !!

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The frost came as predicted but was confined to the rooftops, so all survived in the garden. The high 30s are expected for tonight. Today as I was doing fall cleanup I was mentally starting to sort plants to give away, plants to toss, plants to pot up and take along. Much to think about !
Saucy had a successful baseball evening at Fenway, but Vs team does not fare so well- not lookin good for them at the moment.

Marian, I loved your pics of the armadillo ! They always look to me like theyve strolled out of a pre-historic time machine. What do they eat ?

Martie, what a tragic story.. I have a family member that had a problem at 15, but as it turned out the incident was learned from and was instrumental in turning his life around. This was several years ago, and I am confident there will be nothing of this nature in his life again. No one was hurt or injured thank goodness, but he paid for it in many ways , for many years . The key is that he got the help he needed, and the punishment he needed , and used both to his advantage. He has become a responsible and caring and sensitive young man.Re; DB, I would not want to inflate the hopes of your parents especially if this will be a long and arduous process . I assume here that he has been in the state facility for a while and that they have now at least somewhat accepted it and are used to his lot in life. In my family the elderly tend to fret about things. I would feel better keeping the good news under wraps until I felt that there were high odds that the new and better situation would come to fruition.

Denise, cookies aside, Im interested in that plate, and the view of the tablecloth ---are these repros or do you collect vintage linens and dinnerware ? Not to worry about your Mme Alfred, I have never even attempted to grow a rose into a tree. I like a structure that allows me more control over the canopy, especially in a small garden. Chocolate and raspberries-essential in my book. One very cool aspect of moving to Oregon is the quantity and quality of berries and berry varieties that grow there.

Time to cook some dinner and get ready for the Rockies game---Hi to all !

Kathy in Napa

Awesome birthday pictures!

It was 85 degrees here today. We have rain predicted for the next 3 days. It has been a great fall for the things that I got divided, moved and planted in September.

Why is it that the washer decides to go on the fritz when its full of water & DH's extremely dirty farm jeans? :o( At least it was the last load.

I started an impromptu edging project. No doubt influenced by all Woody's edging. I started to edge the butterfly garden and thought why not throw some bricks in the trench? I got around 25' done before it was dark. I actually accomplished quite a few other misc. projects around the yard today. The nastiest was painting 2 propane tanks. I hate using oil based paint.

Marian, I'm glad you posted the armidillo picture. We certainly don't have them around here. Believe me we have our share of junk around here. That tends to happen on a farm.

I'd better go and get my butternut squash out of the oven.

For some reason, I'm hungry for a chocolate chip cookie...

Michelle

Well...I learned a new word...thanks to Chelone. "Prandial": of a meal, usually dinner. :-)

Kathy, they eat grubs and worms. I love your picture ! Is it the same scene that I admired before? I am amazed that you have already had frost. We haven't, and it is getting up around 80 every day for the past 3-4 days. With the house opened up, I still needed only a sheet last night, and will again tonight. Wierd weather for this time of the year !

Hmmmm, Denise, I don't consider it "lucky" to have armadillos mining our lawn ! But it certainly is interesting ! I would gladly share them with you...:-)

Last week saw tragedies amongst the young in this area too. A 22 year old local girl swerved into the wrong lane, and wiped out a middle-aged couple. She is hospitalized in serious condition. Another teenaged girl was horseback riding and thrown , getting her foot hung in the stirrup and dragged some distance to her home. She is in serious condition. Another teen girl ( the girlfriend of one of Nolon's 3rd cousins) has been diagnosed with cancer in various locations of her body. I wonder who will be next in the disaster department.

Martie, I hope all works out well with your brother's placement in a better facility. I wish you did not have to be in such a sad situation. That is so tragic about the 3 teens. How on earth can the parents bear it.....

Mmmm, Michelle, I love butternut squash. Sorry about your washer.

Ooops...it's past my bedtime !

Marian

Good morning everyone,

Well we are finally going to get some rain. We got a small bit last night but it is supposed to be rainy and cloudy Monday through Wednesday. Hoping we get some significant precipitation out of this as everything is so dry right now.

Michelle, so strange that our weather seems to be exactly the same right now. We had three days in a row over 85 degrees and now three days of rain. Hard to believe its Oct with the temps weve been having. I cant seem to motivate to get anything in the house with the hot temps outside. ~~ What a bummer about your washing machine. I do hope this doesnt start a round of breaking Idyll appliances like happened the last time someone had a broken refrigerator. As I recall we had to replace our dishwasher in that go round. LOL ~~ Looking forward to seeing your edging project. I was supposed to start my rock edging on the new border but its been too darned hot to work with rocks this past week. ~~ I love that fall arrangement by your potting shed. Beautiful!

Kathy, I cant believe you got a frost in CA and we havent had one here yet! IN fact it didnt go below 60 last night. The lowest temp weve had so far was 38. Glad to hear you didnt have any damage. ~~ I cant even imagine moving away from here. The thought of moving so many much loved plants makes me cringe. Id probably decide that the whole thing was hopeless and just bring the containers.

Denise, that fringe tree is gorgeous! Love those blue berries. I also love your container plants. You have such a terrific collection of unusual plants. Did I tell you that my S. cylindrical is making a pup? Neato! ~~ BTW is that one of those variegated hibiscus that looks like Maple Sugar in that first photo with your birthday greetings? Ive got a cutting of that from Steve Silk and am hoping I can get a good plant from it.

Marian, Id be crazed if I had to deal with armadillo damage.

Woody and Cynthia, your callicarpas are gorgeous! Id love to have one here. I didnt think theyd get berries for me but if Woody can get them I should be able to also.

Sue, looks like your datura and Charles Grimaldi are still going strong. They look terrific in that photograph together.

OK Im outta here for now. Have a great day everyone.
Deanne

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Happy Birthday Norma!

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Happy Birthday Marie!

Thank you everyone for the lovely birthday greetings! Had a pretty uneventful birthday here, I told my family I wanted to stop counting now - the numbers are getting too high. I celebrated the 3rd anniversary of my 39th birthday!

Denise, my DH did get two cakes for my birthday dinner - one white cake with white frosting since that is what the kids like, and chocolate cake for me. I guess I complained that we always get white cake, when chocolate is really my favorite.

I have to confess that the pictures above are from one of the gardens we saw at Idyllunion, not my own. We have been sooooooo dry here, many things don't look too hot. I'm not big on supplemental watering of established plantings, but we have had only 2 1/2 inches of rain since the beginning of August so I've had to water often.

Well, DS is pacing around behind me waiting for the computer, so I guess I'll give in. Hopefully I'll be back later to catch up!

-Wendy

Yesterday we spent in the town of Stratford where we saw "Oklahoma"...a very good presentation. Afterwards it was dinner out with friends.

On the way home, lightning and rain...which is most welcome! We had more throughout the night. YES! So this was a fine birthday, except it is a difficult one. I am officially OLD.

I have so enjoyed the birthday cards for one and all. What a talented bunch of gardeners and photographers we have here! Sue, it looks like you have a Cotinus Golden Spirit now? I'm surprised you aren't picking bananas now to go with your breakfast! Deanne, that's a campanula, right? Martie, is that Josephine? Michelle, do you dry any of your flowers? Your card was very appropriate as I'm into orange in a big way these days. Kathy, that scene looks very familiar somehow, like one of my son hiking in Glacier Park. So beautiful! Armadillos are nifty creatures Marian...except in the garden. I enjoyed them in Oklahoma when we visited there. It seems they are rather recent arrivals as DH says they weren't around when he grew up there.

I'm planning a visit on Tuesday to meet the Mama Bouvier and see if she and her beau are interesting parents for a future pet of ours. I want to see their temperaments. I also want to learn a bit more about whether there will be children about to play with the puppies, which health issues are checked out, and various other things. I have a dog trainer friend going with me. Woody, these puppies are in the direction of Hamilton, so we may be visiting them several times. We'll see.

I've been a sloth this morning...so DH is protesting that breakfast is LATE!

Later,
'bug

Thanks Wendy! Is that Gravetye Beauty? No matter, it's a beauty anyway! Oh!...catching up here, I see that it is not in YOUR garden. Maybe this should change!

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And for you dear friend...
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No time to read, yet, but thought you could use a Sunday chuckle. The cul-de-sac kids found this. I've completely missed it for quite some time, obviously!! There's much discussion about how it will be picked :-)

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Martie

Sheeee's Baaaaaaaack!!! Am watering like crazy to take advantage of the miniscule amount of rain that actually fell last night. Rinse it through, so to speak ....

Denise: Chionanthus retusus is my second fav shrub after Viburnum carlesii. Can you tell I'm into white fragrance?? Anyway, mine doesn't have blue berries, but is also only three years old. Is it because of my zone or the plant's age? I want blue berries, and bet the birds would, too :-) Good suggestion to Marian, BTW.

Kathy: My feelings are the same as your about DB's situation. He's been in the unit he's in for just over two years and has made progress to the point where he can generally care for his personal hygeine, including laundry, but still is prone to getting way out of control if he doesn't get his way. That there is a unit where he could live permanently is a true dream come true, if they accept him. Fingers, toes and everything else crossed.

Marian: I can honestly say that I've never seen an Armadillo in it's own place. I didn't know they dug (like woodchucks????) and also didn't know they are nocturnal. Are the shells really shells? Do they bite? Do they have a useful purpose? Feel like a second grader, here. LOL

Okay Deanne: "This brug is a cutting from Sue ..." I think NOT!!! It is a miracle!! Darned if I can grow them, as you well know, and absolutely appreciate those that can.

Marie: Happy Mom and Dad visiting!! It'll be fun to Meet the Parents and take it from there. How did Sarah do at the school? Was Skyler surprised? Yes, that is Josephine who may have succumbed to wilt and dryness, but I'm hopeful she'll rebound.

Wendy: Remind me next time I see you to give you the recipe for Cake Pan Cake, the best-ever chocolate cake you will ever eat. If others want it, I'll post it, but be assured that it's full of fat and carbs :-) (No eggs, though!!)

On may way to start a new thread with some long shots that, I must say, didn't turn out too badly. Did some research on more sophisticated cameras and am horrendously confused, so will stick with what's working for now. Kinda like "always plant marigolds for certain success."

Best to everyone - Martie

Back from grocery shopping as the stores will be closed tomorrow...which I forgot about. A quick drive-by here.

Martie, Sarah did just fine at school. No surprise there. She managed to present four silly poems that they adored. The fourth was a French one which they also loved and the teacher begged for a copy. The only hitch was that while she was presenting, guess who marched into the classroom thinking it was time for an afternoon walk with the gang? Yep, Skyler's Mom. She'd got everything mixed up and then emailed Sarah that it was her fault. Yes, DD has her trials.

Last night when I returned from our day out, a wonderful phone message was waiting for me. It was the whole gang singing HB to moi! What a hoot.

DH has just finished puttying storm windows, so now he wants lunch. It never ends...
'bug

Good morning

A very Happy Birthday to all the birthday ladies - cards (belated though they will now be) to follow!

I've done the briefest of skims to make sure everyeone is well and safe and will look forward to returning to enjoy photos and details later.

My first full week at work was exhuasting, mainly due to being caught in the middle of a professional conflict and ending up as a mediator. All is resolved, relations smoothed over to the point where everyone can work well together, but I feel as if I've been through the wringer - yuk! On the pleasant side the Eastman school of Music was in the middle of a 2 week guitar festival so evenings were taken up taking David to several fabulous concerts and a masterclass. One of my absolute favorite classical guitarists - David Russell played and taught - he was amazing and simply the nicest person you could wish to meet.

DH has been home which is wonderful but means meals take a little more planning. He is still low carbing it which means my usual weekday standby of a quick pasta dish no longer fits the bill. Last night just the two of us went out by ourselves for the first time in many months - we saw the movie Eastern Promises (excellent, though way too violent to recommend without reservation) and had an Indian meal together after. After such a busy week it was a welcome treat.

This week I also found myself reading McCormick McCarthy's book "The Road" which was utterly compelling but at the same time sad and drepressing beyond belief. I've been pondering on it for days - for while being one of the most devastasting things I've read, it has some of the most beautiful prose I've ever come across. Not a book I'd feel comfortable recommending but I'd be really interested if anyone else has read it - Kathy?...

Today is rainy and grey and we're closing the pool - always something that always makes me feel a little sad. I think I'll call a friend to come over and drink wine this evening and laugh about silly things - it's a 3 day weekend thanks to Columbus and it's come at just at the right time. Anyone free tonight?

Mary

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Wendy-Sorry, I don't like the card I made you! (That sounds bad) I need to get a better pic since my up to date flower pics are few and far between-that's a temporary card until I get a decent redo up : ) Hope the bday girls have had much fun on their special days.

Missing idyll time in Idyllland(yes,three l's to throw you into a dither; )

~babs

I am enjoying all the photos.

Wanted to share something with all of you. I mentioned previously that my DD broke her foot. We took her to the Dr.'s a week and a half ago. He said that the Xray showed only a small amount of improvement. My DD was devastated since she's been couped up for 6 weeks. Any way, one of the ladies in another group I belong to suggested that my daughter look into an Electronic Bone Stimulator. The problem is that she has no health insurance. The Stimulator costs over $3,000. When I posted this the lady that suggested the Stimulator offered to send me the one her mom used. Apparently her mother broke her foot, had surgery and the bone still wasn't healing. The Bone Stimulator helped her. I emailed her my address and the Bone Stimulator arrived on Friday. How kind and generous is that?

I see that there are a few birthdays happening. I'll need to make a few cards.
Take care,
Mariann
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I have emerged from the abyss otherwise known as the Guest Room..Ai yi-yi! Im sure that many of you are familiar with The Guest Room.."Where should we put this stuff?" "Oh, just throw it in The Guest Room for now." So there it goes and there it stays until oh-oh, a real guest is coming ! So you shove it all in the closet and warn the guest not to open the closet doors under any circumstances. I spent the better part of the day up there, and have effectively sorted and purged . Filled the trash tote and have two more 32 gal trash bags full and waiting in the wings. Put together a huge pile of salvation army items and lugged them down to the garage. Also lugged down 3 pieces of defunct stereo equipment to take to the electronics recycling next weekend. Discovered that one of the twin beds is sporting two mattresses instead of a mattress and box springs-it teeters at an odd angle as a result.One can only speculate how that came about ! Found a box of 45s. Cleaned out the cedar "Hopeless" chest, which had only two items of any value in it. Its the smallest room in the house , and yet an absolute mountain of stuff kept emerging. ! So it was a productive day..and beautiful weather as I gazed longingly out the window. I did take a break for some watering and deadheading. Everything is just bone dry.

How great all the pics were for the birthday trio !

Michelle, I am going to get butternut squash next weekend at the farmers market and make a recipe I found for squash enchiladas. If it turns out Ill share

Marian , you and Marie asked about the photo, it was a pic from Yosemite , taken by DS. Marie, maybe you will have some pics of the Bouvier couple ?

Deanne- lol, youd probably need an extra truck for all your containers ! My DD is coming down for Thanksgiving and I told her to bring an empty car, because I am sending as many of the containers back up for her to babysit as I can fit in her vehicle.

Mary, I have not read "The Road", but had in fact made plans to read all three of his border trilogy this winter. I am so behind on my reading list ! I have promised myself that I will get back to my book-a-week pace this winter. Thank you so much for posting the David Russell link- I have always loved classical guitar and dont have nearly enough cds in my collection. I will definitely order a couple of Davids !

Babs, glad to see a post from you no matter how brief ! Hope all is well.

Mariann, isnt it nice to encounter the kindness of others ? I hope your DD is helped by the device that was sent to you ! I imagine that the protracted recovery period has affected your DDs attitude which in turn makes healing more difficult. I wish her the best !

Okay, time to take an evening stroll in the garden with a glass of cheap-o chardonnay. Greetings to all !

Kathy in Napa

Our Thanksgiving dinner was eaten this evening so as to allow us time tomorrow to go on a hike with friends. We actually had a pork roast, something I've not made in years. I think they make pigs differently these days....all moist meat, not a trace of fat. There was some asparagus in the garden that shot up after I cut it all back not long ago, so we also ate that, along with rice and home made cranberry sauce. A fine meal.

The blues are coming to an end in the foggy Fall garden.

The second round of delphiniums:
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Monkshood:
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Cuttings of wallflowers for next year:
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The first coat of paint on the house trim is completed. I like it fine, but the second coat is very golden, and I like it less. :( This is coat #1.
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I enjoyed finding this duet on Youtube today. I was so impressed by the youngster's talent! And watching their smiles meant that they were having real fun together.

Good morning

GB - sounds like a delicious meal. Love the new paint job!

Last night David had a friend for a sleep over - a lovely boy but he doesn't eat any of the food I serve. I made a roast chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes and broccoli. A nice meal I thought. The only thing he would touch was the chicken, but being a free range one it wasn't huge. Even after 4 helpings he was hungry after. I couldn't tempt him with bread (ours was wheat, he eats white), fruit or yoghurt. Worried he would be awake in the night I sent DH out for ice cream. This morning our sleep over guest wouldn't eat toast or bagels, had a little cereal, left the fruit again - and he's hungry. Sheesh! Perhaps it's time for any early drop off. I suspect it's fast food he's craving, little of which can be found here.

Mary

Good morning! Feels like life in the fast lane here, except I think instead of traveling in a fast lane I'm stuck on a roundabout! ;o)

Week and weekend flew by in a flash without much free time. Laundry, dishes and other housework has piled up. Whatssupwiththat?! Today will be spent taking dogs to the vet and then coming home to shovel out the house. I'm tired just thinking about it so will start thinking of white sandy beaches, crystal clear blue water and a warm soft breeze blowing as I sip on a lovely cold drink (with umbrella).......pull up a chaise lounge if you are inclined to join me...

Lovely photos for the birthdays! Happy belated birthday wishes to the 3 birthday ladies!!!

I guess I should quit daydreaming and begin working. Hope it is a great week for all...

T.

I tried to find the date of the local fall color tour, but couldn't.
If anyone reading here is coming through Arkansas this month, here is a link that may be of interest to you:

Hello Idylls!

Lots going on here. The new room is without a roof, so of course it's raining....we should've stripped it sooner, huh? My skylights came in and without a roof I can see that it's going to be a bright room!

I am somewhat determined to have a better lawn next year, too. I have been overseeding, fertilizing, and patching and the cool rainy weather should work in my favor.

The game was a blast! Lots of good food (the peanuts were my favorite) and a GREAT game ending! I got home at 3 a.m. - the train ride home was LONG! I think I'll scratch that from my "must do" list and start figuring out how I'll get to a Patriots game :)

Mary, my BIL is a picky eater....it used to be amusing to see a grown man eat chicken nuggets off the kid's menu! This kid will have to learn to adapt rather than have everyone try to please him. BIL met a significant other who cooks beautifully and has added to his food repertoire :) Love'll do that, I guess!

GB, I think the color you chose is wonderful! and there is lots of gold in your brick color, so you'll see....it'll be great!

Happy Birthday to GB, Wendy, and Norma. Babs, I really liked Wendy's card!

T., I'm right there with you on the beach.

Speaking of beaches. I cancelled my welding class for a SCUBA class. It starts Thursday. Nick was certified for the Fire Dept. (we have a couple of lakes in town) and we're thinking warm and tropical for our 15th anniversary. I will have to weld after the first of the year.....

Oh, and welding reminds me of this great little place that Nick and I found after breakfast this morning....lots of concrete statuary and antique iron work, arbors, all kinds of outdoor art for sale! It seems that Nick and I have very different garden taste.....he mentioned lions at the entrance to a path......

Gotta go start some dishes, laundry, etc.....

Saucy