October

October 1st, 2018

October, dear October.....

who raises our spirits with it's blue, blue skies and flamboyant colours, so that when melancholy November arrives we are well girded to bear its gloomy, foggy ways.

 A little drive through the Valley to waken one's eyes to October's beauty....

One leaves the gardens 

 Along the fence a riotous

scarlet scarf tops

the fence line, while in the

distance the neighbour

add his cornstalks to

Autumn's festive costume.

 The last of the roses bloom, - just as if it is still June

 Up on the hillside a grove of Aspen falls into the rills where the small streams trickle

 and down here, below, the curly willow driveway that Charles created from little stubs of willow sticks grows larger and provides more shade

 long shadows, a lone sunflower that has served the birds gladly....

 poplars glow in the sunshine

and the sky burns blue through the branches of the pine

along the Similkameen the gold skips the gravelly beach

and is reflected in the still, quiet river

 Oh look, - what is this below??

If once I knew

I have forgotten..

but what a lovely contrast

The river ripples round the bend

watched over by surrounding hills

and off in the distance Apex Mountain

Here above the far bank is an irrigated meadow,

long since harvested, and lying

at the foot of the sloping hills

closer to civilization a little black cat keeps a wary eye on us...

We come to Ginty's pond, - alas, now covered in scum

but still a favourite haunt of ducks

and other animals, - far back in the darker, wooded reaches

the colours of fall dot the hills

and the bull rush grows mightily

the water wends through the trees and grasses, glinting in the sunlight

that finds its way through the trees

the hills, dotted with golden globes

and the fences, festooned with wine and white

and here and there a touch of gold

and fuzzy wild clematis

Feast your eyes on the glorious season

and be full of thanks and praise

for October!!

It behooves one to remember

that November looms...

fortify your soul!!!!!

Monday, September 24th

The night of the Harvest Moon......

Leon Redbone's version...

with Cornet

If you enjoy his Harvest Moon

try listening to

Up a Lazy River

A unigue and gravelly voice

somewhat like an old trombone!!

September

"The breezes taste of apple peel

The air is full of smells to feel -

Ripe fruit, old footballs, burning brush

New books, erasers, chalk and such

.................

Like plates washed clean with suds, the days

Are polished with a morning haze."

John Updike

I have always loved September.

When I was young it was the first day of school

and one never knew what the year would bring.....

excitement, and challenges,

learning and expansion of life.

When I was middling young,

Mum to a family,

the start of the school year

held a whole new concept..

the children off to school,

and Mum looking for ways 

to fill her days...

Well, now I am oldish,

and the words of

Autumn Leaves mist my eyes

(I miss you most of all,my darling

when autumn leaves start to fall)

I am still looking for ways

to fill my days.

Grateful for the looms...

I was taken with the idea of a collapsible scarf

and so I wound the warp

and here are the results

driven to see what the magic

of water would do to this warp

I spent far too many hours

for an ancient lady

and so today I resolved 

to make it a day of rest, more or less!

Callie and I went wandering in the garden

(Bruce is too restless to wander)

and we found lovely evidences of autumn

about to descend upon us....

The autumn crocus, and the asters

The lovely orange lanterns that follow us from garden to garden

and the Sedum, which promises to lighten up

the corner of the garden

where it lives.

I found this sweet Hellebore, just starting to bloom

and evidence of the fall crop of raspberries

to store away in the freezer

to make winter breakfasts

reminiscent of summer mornings

the peony leaves speak of autumn colours

as does the mountain ash, liberally burdened

with glowing berries

the last of the honeysuckle, the bee balm and the phlox

but look, the cleome has bloomed this year...

and the nicotiana lends its beautiful fragrance to

September evenings

like the occasional small violets that spring up, thinking

April has arrived

the quince bush shares its fruit

with a small twig of that beautiful blossom

that makes it such a delight in the spring.

A sweet morning to welcome September,

but now I see it is lunchtime.

A tomato sandwich

and a bowl of peaches and cream!!

Will you join me......

Gratitude and Satisfaction

Monday, August 27th, 2018

WOW!

What a day!

I woke this morning at six-o-three 

after a fabulous sleep,

and sprang* out of bed

to accommodate the little dog!

What a surprise......

Instead of smoke

I saw blue skies, white clouds, and

the sun just glimmering through

as it rose on the day.

Fresh air flowed through the open window...

The rain bucket was full!

Albeit a small one....

As you can see from the debris floating on top

it has been some time since that

bucket has seen rain water....

June, I think.

Wll it last?

Are we just enjoying the whim of passing air currents?

The fires close by are still burning ferociously...

the smoke is going somewhere?

How lovely not to have it here,

even for a morning!!!

....and I have a warp to beam on

All's right with the world

and the morning's at seven!

*sprang 

definition of this word changes with the years..

definitely it is dependent upon the age of the "sprangee"

I can remember springing out of bed

with the greatest alactricity  (my word)

in the younger years.

Now it is merely a way of expressing oneself

with  delight for the morning, or the greater

need which rouses one to 'spring'.