September..............

Try to remember the kind of September
When life was slow and oh, so mellow
Try to remember the kind of September
When grass was green and grain was yellow
Try to remember the kind of September
When you were a tender and callow fellow
Try to remember and if you remember
Then follow, follow.

Try to remember when life was so tender
That no one wept except the willow
Try to remember the time of September
When love was an ember about to billow
Try to remember and if you remember
Then follow, follow.

Deep in December It's nice to remember
Although you know the snow will follow
Deep in December It's nice to remember
The fire of September that made us mellow
Deep in December our hearts should remember
And follow, follow, follow...

Oh what a mess it all is. As soon as August drew to a close the temperatures dropped. That is a relief. The house is cold and I am NOT putting heat on. I am wearing longer pants and leggins though. Its nice after the horrible heat and humidity. I am hoping after Tuesday that I can get outside and begin some clean up. With everything dying back I can see what needs pulling. Especially weeds. If I get that accomplished then I can turn the dirt over.
This guy was eating what he is supposed to eat instead of raiding my bird feeders.

My fish are fat enough but I fed them anyway, there are 3 of them now we don't know what happened to number 4. The black one hardly shows up but I did get a good shot today. So he is doing OK.






I like to grow Chives because I like the flowers, and Garlic Chives are even better. Well at least they are just as pretty, no they are prettier. Oh I don't know but anyway these ones did well in a pot


Still only 4 Zucchini from 3 plants but the flowers are pretty. The plants will soon be done and gone. Certainly not the place for them next year.



Pretty flowers on the Hosta

Not many berries left on the tree but the Robins and Chickadee are still enjoying what's left.

I usually take pictures of the front of the house. Here is the back

This was just a pretty shot

Bella Enjoying the sun today out by the pond


I will be bringing these in for the winter.

along with the Spider plants sitting next to my bird houses.

I will soon have to get them all prepared because we have almost had frost this past week. I dread having to do that but it's worth it because of the money it saves come Spring as well as saving a plant that does not need to die back. I will do a post on that when the time comes. Meanwhile I am hoping for a few nice weeks during the Fall to clean up everything.

At a loss...........................

The weather this year has been strange. It seems we have had so much rain and yet the garden is dry. I can't afford to put mulch down on the garden as well as the walking areas. That would hold some moisture in, maybe next year but its really not practical. That would basically mean the whole yard would be under mulch. I cut back on grass because it's hard to maintain. Out the back the dogs pretty much wreck the grass. The front is turning into moss and bald spots. I have no answer because I have no money.

I need to finish the fence on that one side out front, just a few more pieces.
The flowers now are finishing up, there are daisies out at the moment but everything is straggly and so much needs pulling. Will I get it done before the snow flies? I am finding it more difficult every year to tolerate any kind of heat and especially humidity. It kills me.

We will probably stay in this house a few more years God willing, that means getting the garden in some shape in those years so when we sell the house it looks presentable. I tried putting in shrubs this year but at least 3 didn't thrive. I will try something else next year maybe. Even the Hosta this year did not do well, something was eating on them, some bug or other.

My vegetable garden was a flop. I hardly think it worth the effort really. It is expensive to plant and for what I got back it made things very expensive, even though they taste so good.
Once again, the zucchini was a flop. The Tomatoes didn't do well even though I put down Dairy Doo. The ones in pots were a job to keep watered but did as well as those in the ground. Only one was a strong plant.

My herbs did well though. I need to cut those back soon and try them in the house for winter.
Maybe next year if Gerry is not working I can get some help out there, it's getting to much to do on my own. I am getting old and I fotget that fact. I suppose in some ways it's good that I don't actually feel old, but I am. Kneeling is painful, getting back up is difficult and I can't see. My eye is getting worse. The eye doctor doesn't want to fix the cataracts because only having one good eye, he doesn't want to risk loosing the other one. Not likely but still. I am beginning to think it worth the risk.I would not have to wear glasses if I had my eye fixed.

Anyway.............maybe next years garden I will just put in more annuals and let it go. Then Spring comes and I am enthusiastic again. Still it is a big yard front and back. Maybe I should go find some more ivy and really go to town with ground covers. That would cut back on the garden part at least. The Ivy I have potted wont over winter in the house so I will plant that.

I have to go get supplies in for the birds. I look forwards to that. Seeing birds again. They have not been around all summer, thanks in part to the cats. They have kept the Chipmunks away but done nothing to scare the squirrels.

I certainly believe the climate is changing and it looks like we may be in for a hard winter this year. We have not had one in awhile. Some things are cyclical but even so, things have changed.
Right now in Texas they have the terrible floods from the hurricane Harvey. Nothing like that seen before and in places not normally flooded.Well it could happen here. We are not far from the Bay and if we got that much rain, you just never know. We are never more than 5 miles from water anywhere around here so it's a possibility. I don't think we carry flood insurance. Not sure I would want to live on a lake as nice as it would be, I would not want to deal with that.

I dread having to bring in the plants for the winter but it is certainly a cost saver. The Geraniums I brought in did really well this year outside. So I will bring those back in and pamper them/ The Ivy I will put in the ground because I know that wont live. The herbs, well I would love for those the survive so I can use them. Just the Rosemary and Basil. I will try those in the kitchen window maybe and the Lavender. The one in the small pot did well but the one I planted out front in a container died. I never have luck with Lavender

I think getting up at 5 am is causing my lack of enthusiasm. I am too tired for anything. I need to at least trim the Basil down and the Sage. The sage has done well. I also put in Dill, even though it didn't do great it has seeds on it. SO maybe next year it will come back and do well. I will try to save the heads of Dill. I bought a machine that seals bags for the feezer and I will be picking the herbs and freezing them.
Just a few days of babysitting left and I can get on a better schedule. Maybe that will help.

This is my 2nd year of having a veggie garden and I can see what is and what is not worth while. Tomatoes and Peppers didn't do well but they could so will plant those again. I did put in a pot of onions, that was a waste of time. Peas and green beans did not do a thing.......not enough sun I suspect, so I don't think I will try that again. Zucchini, I don't understand, lots of flowers but no fruit, well 4 so far. Again, maybe more sun? Radishes, forget it. I got those in then it got so wet I never thinned them out and they just took up space. Never used the Spinach or Kale. Easier to buy that stuff. The idea of container gardens seemed nice but, nope, not worth it.

The Roses all did well in the Spring but none have blossomed since. Till now, and I had a couple more blooms. Just not a good year for the garden. Not at all good.

Around and about....................

Nothing going on in the garden. Nothing at all. When we went down to Twin Lakes the other day I took some pictures of the Golden Rod. I used my regular camera instead of the cell phone. I can zoom in on that.
So hiding in the Golden Rod were some little critters



This pretty was also down at Twin lakes

Meanwhile back at home. The Robins are stripping the Mountain Ash.


Loaded with berries this year does this mean a bad winter?

The Chickadee was thinking about trying one

Bessie has taken to sleeping in the garden. She still goes for a walk about but not as often and far as she used to


The girls are not inclined to spend time out in the heat any more than I do.

Bodi does not like the heat at all.

There were tiny bees on the flowers that came back when it cooled down and rained.

Just about everything is dying back and I can't get out to clean up and weed. I hate this weather. I just can not wait for Fall.

Robins are busy...........................

I have hardly seen birds all summer. I have kept the feeders full to entice the birds in but all I got was Squirrels. My Mountain Ash is loaded with berries. That means the Robins will be busy...........sure enough, they are in today and busy as little bees.

That one is moulting, needs nourishment I think. LOL.

Bottoms up.............

That Robin comes often now and fills up on the berries. Pretty soon the word will be out and that tree will be stripped in no time.
Meanwhile, while I was snapping pictures of that one there was a mum and two babies in the other tree. Made some nice pictures they did. Only one ended up sitting for a picture though.



They were not a bit concerned as I stood under them taking pictures.


A tatty Blue Jay showed up.

I got a nice picture of a Mourning Dove. She was at the feeder.

Not a lot going on in the birdy kingdom just yet, hope for more soon.