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Post by vox on Sept 28, 2009 11:19:23 GMT -6
He he! sounds so lovely Phalon, have you any pictures of them (plants I mean, not naked boys!)
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Post by Phalon on Sept 28, 2009 21:16:22 GMT -6
Vox! How have you been? I don't have naked boys in my garden; I'd worry about the girls getting an eyefull, you know. (eye-roll) Here's a link though, that has some photos. Siren's naked ladies are much prettier, I think. www.henriettesherbal.com/plants/colchicum/autumnale.htmlI don't have much at all blooming right now. The hydrangeas are about faded, the black-eyed susans lost all their petals, and even the sedums are about done. There are a few roses opened and though the rose bushes are full of tight buds, I'm not sure they'll have a chance to bloom before frost hits. It happens every year - I think I'm going to have a late flush of roses, then we get a couple of frosts, and pfft; the buds wither. The asters though, are hitting their stride. There's a variety called 'October Skies' with gobs of tiny lavendery-blue flowers with bright yellow centers like a sun. The taller wild ones I let grow all over the place look like masses of billowy white clouds. I was just thinking yesterday what a perfect match they were together. The garden looked just like the sky. No such pleasantness today though; the October skies turned dark gray pouring down sheets of rain. The wind is blowing so hard it's a wonder the trees are still standing. It always amazes me - and is a bit frightening to watch - how mature trees can bend and sway in the wind. |
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Post by Siren on Sept 29, 2009 10:28:45 GMT -6
Ooo - I like that sort of weather, Gams. Just one way folks think I'm a bit odd. Some of my mom's flowers are loving the rain and cool weather we've had lately and are hitting their stride, too, Gams. Here are a few snapshots. Yes, the date stamp is incorrect. And even my techie niece can't figure out how to turn it off! Grrrr.... Also, I took these too late in the day, and the flash affected how the colors look: Sorry about the poor focus, but isn't that red and yellow dahlia beautiful? My mom calls the blue one a moon flower:  Some petunias (which are actually dark purple) and a gorgeous, hot pink daisy:  My sister commented that this waxy begonia is so lush, it looks artificial. And it's blooms are actually a dark, dark pink. I agree with Gams - waxy begonias are one of my favorite flowers:  |
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Post by Phalon on Oct 4, 2009 6:48:57 GMT -6
The blue flower is a platycodon, Siren - around here they're called balloon flowers because before the flowers open the buds look just like little balloons.
I envy your Mom being able to have dahlias and petunias...and any other annual in her gardens. I gave up on them years ago, not because they don't grow well here, but because those damned pesky squirrels dug them out of the ground and left them strewn all over the yard every time I planted them. They seem to leave my containers alone though, so at least I can have colorful pots and window boxes...most of which contain wax begonias. Even after this week's weather, the begonias still look good.
Oh geeze that wind that blew through here early in the week and lasted for two days was horrendous. It left behind a lot of downed trees and a cold-front that dashed my hopes for a long, sunny gorgeous autumn....or at least put it on hold. It's rained every day this week, we had frost one night, and they are talking snow for later this week or the next.
You know I love the snow...but not this early. Hopefully I'll miss it; I'm headed cross-state to Mom's for much of the week and they are typically warmer there then we are here by the lake.
Catch you all later, Sweet Taters.
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Post by Siren on Oct 4, 2009 8:51:00 GMT -6
Those moon/balloon flowers are weird-looking, aren't they? That balloon-shaped bud you mentioned is like nothing I've seen. My niece said they look like something from another planet.
The squirrels at my mom's place do sometimes dig in Mama's low planters. But they're not too destructive. They do plant a LOT of pecan and walnut trees in her flower beds, though, and eat out of her bird feeders constantly. They are some mighty well-fed squirrels.
Our cool, wet weather is encouraging our hopes for a pretty autumn weather. It was raining when I went to bed last night, and is raining even now - a nice, slow rain.
Gams, I hope your mom is doing well, and that you two have a great visit. Travel safe.
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Post by Phalon on Oct 9, 2009 21:50:50 GMT -6
I had a great visit with Mom, Siren...a bit stressful and frustrating at times because she's still in a hospital-type setting, but otherwise it was great to see both her and my brother.
The autumn colors really popped while I was gone. I was amazed at how beautiful it all seemed once I got off the highway, and driving through the countryside for the last hour or so of the trip home. You'd think after forty-some years, I'd be used to seeing the change in seasons come, but I swear, each year when autumn really starts to show is just as magical to me as if I'd never seen it before.
I have the rest of the week off work - and don't you know it, it has rained everyday since I got home! This evening was homecoming, (a big deal in a small town), and they played in the pouring rain. Bluck! Hubs, BP, and I hung out at Xena-Sis's - she always does a big open-house spread for homecoming because she's right across the street from the football field, and people just mill in and out all night. Social Butterfly LX opted to go to the game, and not really watch the game, but hang out with her friends.
Our boys lost miserably - 51 to 7. But mmmmm....homemade chili with all the fixin's this year; it didn't really matter what the score was, or who won or lost. It's the food that counts!
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Post by stepper on Oct 9, 2009 22:55:27 GMT -6
Phalon - you're getting snow already?? We're all the way down into the 60's here. BRRR! We finally got rain too. Not enough to end the dought, but enough to green everything up...just in time for cooler weather. It rarely turns into a real fall down here though. Except for Lost Maples, most trees turn brown and drop their leaves all within a few days. There are exceptions, but for the most part fall hits hard and fast here. No long walks in the woods either.
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Post by stepper on Oct 9, 2009 23:07:20 GMT -6
The autumn colors really popped while I was gone. I was amazed at how beautiful it all seemed once I got off the highway, and driving through the countryside for the last hour or so of the trip home. You'd think after forty-some years, I'd be used to seeing the change in seasons come, but I swear, each year when autumn really starts to show is just as magical to me as if I'd never seen it before. I know what you mean. We got married in western-central PA the third weekend of October and that year, the third weekend was peak viewing in that area. Everyone was treated to incredible views. And the crowning glory, aside from the wedding of course, was the two huge maples in front of the country church where we got married. They were mostly a very bright red and had not hardly dropped a leaf. It was literally picture perfect. I went back and took pictures a week later and the trees were still in excellent shape. For a nature boy, it was a special time. |
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Post by Siren on Oct 10, 2009 9:17:23 GMT -6
It's not too early for snow in Colorado, either. You might remember some photos I posted of the little guest ranch my cousin runs in Colorado. She got snow a couple of weeks ago. She said it was early, before she had brought any of her plants in. But I know it must be so, so beautiful. I want to be there when it's snowy at Yellow Pine Ranch. If you'd like to see the place, here's a link: www.yellowpine.us/Your Homecoming celebration sounds perfect, Gams...except for that rain, darn it. But you know, I bet the football players kind of got a kick out of it. They were probably having more fun on the field that the folks in the stands were. I will always remember sitting in a pouring rain and watching an OU soccer game, thinking, "What am I DOING?". But it was fun, anyway. Your country drive, enjoying the foliage, sounds wonderful, too. That's one of my favorite things to do. Historic Route 66 runs right through Oklahoma City. When you head east on 66, that's a gorgeous drive. And a great little burger joint awaits you in Bristow, OK! Step, my sis had a fall wedding, too. They were married in a very rustic, old lodge in our city park. She decorated the place with fall-colored faux leaves, fruits, ribbons, and other decorations. It was really beautiful, and different from most weddings. |
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Post by Phalon on Oct 10, 2009 22:34:08 GMT -6
Oh my, Siren! I remember those pictures you posted once from your trip to your cousin's. And now these on the link. Yellow Pine Ranch looks absolutely picturesque! I'd love to spend a week or two in a place like that....except I'd probably want to extend it to three or four or more!
And Stepper - your wedding sounds like it was lovely! We both wanted an October wedding, but couldn't get the chapel then, so opted for August instead. I suppose an early Happy Anniversary never hurt; I'd never remember to say it if I didn't get it in now - I always run late. Congratulations! How many years will this be, if I'm not being too nosy?
No, not yet, thank goodness. It's waaay too early, though it's been in and out of the forecast for the last week. The snow we were supposed to get was rain instead - 7 inches of it. And Hubs and friend have been reroofing this week! It's the only week he could get off work, and it needed to be done. We did not, however, need for it to be raining inside the house!
Snow is back in for this coming week. The roof is nearly done, so I wouldn't mind a bit if it came again as rain instead.
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Post by stepper on Oct 11, 2009 14:07:41 GMT -6
This makes thirty two.
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Post by Siren on Oct 11, 2009 22:40:13 GMT -6
Fantastic, Step! That's a great accomplishment.
Oh yes, Gams, you would love a visit to Yellow Pine. And you would love my cousin. She would adopt you and the family right away. You'd be sitting in her cozy kitchen, visiting, just we always do. And no matter how long the stay, she'd cry when you leave. Joanne is a dear. And Yellow Pine is sheer bliss.
Seven inches of rain?? Here's hoping your weekend wasn't too drippy.
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Post by Phalon on Oct 12, 2009 4:22:16 GMT -6
I agree, Stepper. Thirty-two years! That deserves an extra congratulations!
We got the last drop of our seven inches of rain sometime early, early Saturday morning, Siren. The weekend was gorgeous - sun shining, those big, white puffy October sky clouds, although when the sun was hidden by them it was downright cold! When BP and I rode our bikes downtown, gloves would have been appropriate.
The change in weather allowed me to get outside and do some of that yard-work that desperately needed to be done. Only it was not the yard-work I desperately wanted to do - work in my gardens. The storms during the week left a lot of downed limbs, and I chopped them up with the loppers, and hand-sawed the bigger ones into manageable pieces. Looks like we'll have lots of wood for a bonfire once it dries. What would have taken Hubs minutes to do with the chainsaw, took me a couple of hours - but he was putting on the roof, so I didn't want to call him down because I don't know how to use it, and didn't want to take him away from what he was doing. We really, really need this to be done; just like any project on a 100-plus year old home, it's turned into way more than we expected. The project is way over budget, and not yet complete. But they tell me they're in the home-stretch, so hopefully in the next couple of days.
Yesterday my yard-work consisted of picking up all the insulation shreds, shingles, wood scraps from the old roof, and such. When it's all done we need to this giant magnet thing that you wheel across the ground to pick up all the nails, (and there are tons of them). Now how cool is that? I might not care to learn how to use a chainsaw, but the magnet thing sounds fun.
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Post by stepper on Oct 12, 2009 20:27:49 GMT -6
LOL! Thanks! Yes, thirty two years, and the first three weren't so bad! (I'm glad spouse doesn't read these things.)  Roofing isn't easy to do, especially if he had to replace some of the woodwork too - he's going to need a special dinner or something when he gets done. |
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Post by Siren on Oct 14, 2009 0:21:10 GMT -6
My BIL has one of those magnet rollers, Gams. He caught me tossing nails on his garage floor, just so I could play with the magnet. Good idea, Step. And I know a treat for Hubs, Gams - let him rig up that sharpener again. I think he hooked up a motor to his sander? Remember how he sharpened every item in the house and garage to a dangerous degree, and had such fun doing it? After all, that Thanksgiving turkey is only just over a month away.  |
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Post by Phalon on Oct 14, 2009 21:29:54 GMT -6
BOLL!!! I can sooo see myself doing the same thing, Siren!
I think Hubs just might want to pass on the sharpener thingy, (even though he had waaay to much fun with it). I'm sure it'll be a long while after this roof is done before he wants to even touch another power tool. They spent 14 hours up there on Sunday trying to get it done, and unfortunately they had to call it quits because they ran out of daylight before it was finished. And they just got to the part they had originally planned on doing - build trusses so the part of the roof that's flat, (who puts a flat roof on a house in the snow-belt anyway?), is now sloped. All the work of the previous week, like Stepper mentioned, was spent replacing woodwork on the highest peak that they found was damaged.
And then the rains came again. Pfft.
I think Stepper's right...when this is all done he's going to need a special dinner or something. And since I don't cook much, I'm thinking the "or something" might be just the thing.
Ah, but he's drop dead tired, so maybe take out Chinese will cover both bases, and he can fall sleep before he gets to third.
Oh uhm.....hi, Mrs. Stepper! I didn't see you walk in the back door.
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Post by Siren on Oct 15, 2009 7:31:45 GMT -6
"who puts a flat roof on a house in the snow-belt anyway?" LOL! I know, Gams. I have never understood flat roofs, anyway. They are just a leak waiting to happen.
It has been chilly and wet here for days and days. I don't mind it; I really love this sort of weather. But it seems to be getting many people down - especially my friend who has to wash the high school team's white football pants!
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Post by Phalon on Oct 16, 2009 3:56:11 GMT -6
Poor friend! I look at my own muddy work clothes, and can empathize with her. At least, I don't roll around in the mud on purposes....most times, anyway!
Cold and wet here too. Everyone I talk to is still optimistic that the Indian Summer which is always so gorgeous will still come. I wish my boss had some of that optimism. These last two weeks of rain near the end of the season has kept the customers away...who wants to plant anything in the cold and wet. She announced yesterday, we'll be working half-staff for the rest of the month. Blah! I've only got a handful of work days left, stretched over the next two weeks, and with the expense of the roofing project, it couldn't have come at a worse time.
I keep hoping for a stretch of really nice weather....and hoping it comes soon!
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Post by Siren on Oct 16, 2009 16:56:36 GMT -6
Oh man - I'm sorry about your reduced hours, Gams. There is a lot of that going around. I hear that a nearby town is requiring their employees to take some furlough days. There is never a good time for this sort of thing. But I'm sorry that the timing is especially bad for your family. My thoughts are with you all.
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Post by Phalon on Oct 17, 2009 4:34:46 GMT -6
Yep, times are tough all around. A friend was telling me the other day, he read that in Nebraska one out of every twenty-five homes are in foreclosure! I don't know about the accuracy of that, but even if it's off just a little bit, it's astonishing. Thanks for the good thoughts. At least we'll have a roof over our heads this winter....if they ever get it finished!
I knew it was approaching; it's not as if it came as a shock that my work season was about to end. The reduced hours and closing for the season a bit early really only comes down to me getting laid off about a month early this year, so I shouldn't be too upset. It's just that brief feeling of panic that comes every fall when the nursery shuts down.
I'm determined this off-season to really work on my writing. Aside from my blog, for which I don't receive compensation, I only wrote one article this past year, though I've got hundreds more floating around in my head. It'd be nice to get them out of there to free up space for all that other day-to-day stuff I seem to forget with too much frequency!
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Post by stepper on Oct 17, 2009 16:39:00 GMT -6
First off, I'm sorry about the reduced hours Phalon. I know it's difficult enough as is, but cutting your hours on you too when you've got expenses must be worrisome.
Uh, blog?? Where?
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Post by Mini Mia on Oct 17, 2009 18:52:59 GMT -6
Ack! I'm so behind. I keep forgetting to pop in once in a while to check for new posts. 
Phalon: You can make money off your blog by selling it through the Kindle. Info in the threads on the A&E board. I don't know if Grit would allow it, but if they don't, you can start your own blog elsewhere. 
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Post by Phalon on Oct 17, 2009 22:55:23 GMT -6
Thanks, Stepper. We'll be okay - it's just a matter of doing a better job of sticking to a stricter budget this winter. Things going ok your way, I hope?
Uh, there. In that red wording that Joxie put up.
I write for Grit magazine....just a little thing, mostly about gardening and bits of life as I know it thrown in here and there.
I don't think they'd allow it, Joxie. And I like doing it for them, because I don't have to know one tiny little bit about the computer stuff - I just write it, and send it in with a few pictures to the editors, and they do all the technical work, posting it, and maintaining the website and what-not. Of course, since they are editors, every once in awhile my wording gets changed a bit....mostly by one particular editor, and mostly the titles. He has no sense of humor....or much more appropriately, doesn't get my sense of humor.
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Post by Mini Mia on Oct 17, 2009 23:12:52 GMT -6
Well, the info is there if-ever you should change your mind. There are even links to sites that give helpful info on how to do it.
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magnus greel
Whooshite Candidate
Speak loudly and carry a big sword
Posts: 66
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Post by magnus greel on Oct 18, 2009 0:51:24 GMT -6
Wow, Grit actually exists... still! All those comic book ads couldn't make me believe there could be a paper called that...
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Post by Phalon on Oct 18, 2009 9:18:58 GMT -6
It's kinda funny, Magnus....as a kid, Hubs used to deliver Grit door-to-door, selling it for 5 cents a paper. It's changed a lot since then, and is now sold in newstands and by subscription in a glossy magazine form.....and without comic-book advertisements.
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Post by Phalon on Oct 20, 2009 4:30:29 GMT -6
We've had wonderful fall weather the past two days - though not that Indian Summer everyone has been anticipating; it's still far too chilly to be considered Indian Summer. But it's been dry and sunny - perfect for spending time outdoors.
Sunday was for yard work. While the guys were busy on the roof, I mowed the lawn; not to actually cut the grass, but to mulch the leaves and turn them into confetti. I also got nearly half the gardens cut back, but couldn't bear to whack down some of the plants that still look good, or prune the buds off the roses.
Yesterday was for play - roller-skiing in the morning, and in the evening I played with the girls, doing something I haven't done since I was a kid.....which was something I probably shouldn't have being doing as an adult.
"Mom, Mom, Mom!!!! You have to try this!"
LX and her friend built double bike ramps. OMG, we had so much fun jumping ramps when we were kids, I couldn't resist. Only our ramps were in the street.....the girls put their ramps down in the ravine, at the bottom of the hill....which doesn't look so very steep until you're sitting on a bike at the top of it.
The Mom in me said, 'This is too dangerous; you shouldn't be letting your kids do this.' The adult in me said, 'This is too dangerous; WTF are you thinking trying it yourself!!!'
Too high, too high, too high. Too fast, too fast, too fast. ACK!!
WIPE OUT!!!!
Once. The other ten or so times I did it were perfect landings, and I was a kid again!!! Until the last time, which was another wipe-out....
....which was why it was the last time!
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Post by Siren on Oct 21, 2009 18:55:45 GMT -6
Some kids only remember their moms on the shore at the lake...sitting in a lawn chair during the back yard football game...on the ground, looking up at the tree house. Your kids will remember you being part of the fun, Gams. What a great thing! Anyone see the Orionids meteor shower last night/this morning? My sis says she and her hubby saw some awesome shooting stars Monday and yesterday on their early-morning ride to work. But alas, it was too cloudy this morning for the big show. I hope you guys got to enjoy it. stardate.org/nightsky/meteors/ |
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Post by Phalon on Oct 21, 2009 22:22:41 GMT -6
I forgot to remember that the other day, Siren, when I got up, heard my bones creak, and walked around the rest of the day with sore muscles!
But I have to admit, I think I have as much fun doing some of these things now as I did when I was a kid.
Darn! I didn't know about the meteor shower; I would have gone out and looked if I had. It probably would have been too cloudy here too though - it rained last night into this morning (and no leaks in the roof...yay!)
The rain cleared up by mid-morning though, so my plans didn't fall through. My friend and I drove to a little park not too far north of here. The road followed the shoreline and the drive was simply beautiful. With the rain just ending and the sun starting to peek through, the golden-leaved maples hanging over the road on either side created a glowing tunnel. The park was at the shore, and we walked along the beach for a good three or four miles. The lake wasn't calm, but not roaring either - the waves white-capped, but the wind wasn't fierce enough to make it uncomfortably cold. Autumn-colored trees along the bluff were brilliant in contrast to the dune grass now faded to tan, and the lighter sand.
I brought Quetta, and she had a ball running in and out of the water, running up ahead, circling around, and generally being a dog doing dog-like things.
The morning was perfect. Absolutely perfect. It's times like this that I wish I could take you all along, and introduce you to the lake at her best.
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Post by Siren on Oct 22, 2009 17:47:30 GMT -6
I would love to see the lake with you, Gams. Thanks for taking us on a virtual trip. It sounds wonderful. And congrats on that drip-free roof!.
My new route to work takes me through a "green area" in the middle of a ritzy neighborhood. The folks who planned that neighborhood, decades ago, were wise enough to leave a long, wide strip of grass and trees, with a road right through it. There are softball and soccer fields, and lots of jogging paths. On my pre-dawn drive to work, I've seen several joggers and walkers enjoying the area. And my sunny afternoon drive home is just gorgeous right now. The colors are really starting to pop on those big, old trees. I love, love, love this brief, glorious time of year.
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