Cardinals never leave. . . . . . . .

Northern cardinal : Cardinalis cardinalis

The name comes from the LATIN word cardinalis which 

means 'important.'

The sweet, pale-feathered female cardinal is a very familiar backyard bird.

 Along with many bright red males usually close by, they are non-migrators.

 They are extremely territorial in springtime, however become non-territorial

 during winter and gather in small flocks of up to 20 birds. 

We enjoy their visits to our feeders and bird baths, and the now bare fig tree

 is a favorite perch as they go about their day come rain or shine.

 Male Northern cardinal.

I managed to get photos from the window of Mrs. Cardinal yesterday, and
 brilliant red Mr. Cardinal today, when the rain stopped for a while. 
Everywhere is saturated and today yet another storm continues to
 bring nonstop rain for the entire day.

Garden - November 2018

Much of autumn still clings to wet branches.

 While all around the air turns brisk and damp.

 Winter stirs in the heart and mind.

Eastgate Park is looking Autumnal. . . . . . .

. . . . . . at long last!  

We had almost given up on a colorful neighborhood walk this Fall.

 Nothing seemed to be changing in the canopy of dreary, shriveling green leaves,

 (other than a zillion acorns falling on the roof, the garden, our heads!), although
 we're well on our way into November. . . . . . . and December isn't far off, but

 don't let's go there quite yet!

So, after the Saturday hustle and bustle of an afternoon in the city, I insisted

 we take a Sunday mid-afternoon walk around our little neighborhood city park

 to celebrate the return to earlier dusk and darkness that comes with 'daylight

 saving time' . . . . . which, by the way, I love.
 Lighting candles earlier, cooking and dining with the garden clothed in deep blues 
outside the windows, brings a whole new feeling to these pre-winter days.

The pond was quite busy with Canada geese doing their usual thing - not much -

but soon came swimming toward us, hoping for food, which the signs say we

 cannot offer now.

"Sorry sweet children, we can no longer take a bag of snacks and have fun

 feeding the geese and ducks as we did in former generations". 

So, what are your thoughts on that? Are our toddlers poisoning the millions of 

geese who no longer fly back to Canada by tossing them a few stale bread crumbs?

Are childhood memories no longer going to include a fun pond visit on a sunny 

afternoon with mom and dad or the grandparents?

The quiet swimming of the birds did help in moving the still water and

presenting some lovely reflections of the trees

It was a warm afternoon requiring just a light sweater, plus good footwear 

to clamber through a section of woods which we hadn't visited before.

  Breathing in the fresh air Autumn air, peering up at the Carolina Blue sky,

I was grateful that Nature had once again come through with palette and

paintbrushes. In the noise and busyness of modern day life there are still

 some things we can rely on thank goodness.

If in the northern hemisphere, were you able to get out this past weekend

 and enjoy some colorful Autumn scenery? I hope so.

Out of the blue. . . . . . .

Here it is almost November. 

Can you believe I'm actually cutting hydrangeas at this late date! 

I didn't have a single bloom all summer for two reasons -

cutting the shrubs down to the ground last autumn when the house was re-sided 

and painted, and the incredibly disappointing unseasonal weather we've

 experienced these past months.

Yesterday we worked in the garden for several hours. Weather was perfect, first 

really sunny day after what seemed a week of rain, dreary skies and quite chilly days.

The flowers are in water that will gradually dry up. I'll remove the remaining

 leaves - then hopefully have a nice bouquet of dried, faded blooms to use for

 decorating. I recently tossed out my old ones as they were disintegrating into

confetti and no longer pretty!

Happy week everyone. 

Hope this autumn week will be beautiful wherever you are.

Another Birthday. . . . . . . .

. . . . . it's big one and I promise not to sigh, or cry!

As the seasons change, rolling one into another, Autumn arrives

 and I have an auspicious birthday today!  

Each birthday celebrated makes one

 more conscious of the fragility of life. I'm grateful to be 

celebrating my 75th in good health, feeling happy, and 

surrounded by people I love and who love me.

As Bob Hope once said -

 "You know you are getting old when the candles

 cost more than the cake."

I love that quote and it makes me laugh.

Yesterday was granddaughter Jasmin's birthday also.
Turning 22 was a little less exciting than last year's 21 when
we flew down to New Orleans for jazz and razzmatazz!!!
However, we had a great time right here at home this year.

***~~~Many Happy Returns dear Jasmin~~~***

Autumn soon -

Leaving home yesterday there were only tiny signs that somewhere

out there Autumn was on its way!

Notice the trees in my back garden were still really green.

Here, in northern Virginia and the District of Columbia it's

cooler.  I see a little color in the smaller street trees, but it's

 definitely not the usual vista of gold and orange seen in mid-October.

Today we'll be heading into the city where we'll park the car and

 enjoy some serious downtown walking, and perhaps some shopping.

It's cloudy, but the light showers during the night are over, and today

will be comfortable for sightseeing, high of around 64F. Hopefully I'll get

 some photos to share.

Enjoy your Saturday.

Autumn Road Trip. . . . . . . .

Southwestern France 2008

Photo taken driving through the vineyards to the medieval bastide town of Mirepoix. 

Located in the Ariège department of the Midi-Pyrenees, near my family's home,

 this beautiful town invites you to sit outside at one of the many cafes in the evocative

 13th century market square, to enjoy a drink or a meal.

  

We are off this morning.

No quiet country roads edged with ancient plane trees.

No rolling hillsides carpeted with vines now dressed in brilliant 

Autumn colors. . . . . but hoping for an enjoyable drive, and then

a glass of fruity red wine this evening somewhere fun in our

 nation's Capital!  

Cheers!

Sunrise on Sunday. . . . . .

I've rarely seen such a magnificent sunrise off to the east across the garden.

My best sunrise memories are from Autumn mornings at the coast, viewed from a 

high floor hotel balcony. Watching the sun creep up from the horizon, throw

 down a golden carpet and unroll it across the pewter ocean, sometimes all the way

 to tide line along the beach, is breathtaking.

This morning's surprise came close. I grabbed the camera and dashed outside.

Sunrise or sunset. . . . . they are always too brief.

Thankfully, the ancient mariner's rhyme, 'red sky at morning sailor's warning' 

 forecasting rain, isn't expected. Here, the entire day looks close to perfect. 

At last we can enjoy true Autumn weather. . . . . . . this morning I actually

 felt quite a chill in the air, and I welcomed it.

Sunrise ~ 7:20 AM today

Have a special Sunday wherever you are.

Always seem to be waiting -

The North Carolina State Fair opening scheduled for today has been cancelled.

Today we will sit out the last throes of Hurricane Michael which is already
 bringing us strong gusty winds. Possible tornado activity and flooding from
 the heavy rainfall is also expected. 
I'm getting tired of moving things to safer places off the porch, deck etc. 
I'm worrying about the big trees falling on us, power outages, and heavy
 water runoff through the back garden. As the wind bands come around
buckets of acorns fall from the massive oaks, rattle down the roof and roll
across the back deck.
 I am so sad to see the devastation in Florida, this was a huge storm.
These days I seem to worry about just about everything, much more than
 I ever have. Perhaps it's an aging thing. . . . . .as aging I am!

Meanwhile, with the heat continuing daily, early autumn decor displayed
 outdoors is not doing so well. I've already lost a pumpkin - it 'exploded' on
 the porch and is now in the compost bin!

Chrysanthemums are beautiful, most of the buds are now fully open,
 hopefully they last a while longer until cooler weather arrives.
I've moved them today so they will not get damaged in the wind and rain.

My cooking pumpkins and squash are my simple indoor decor for the

 season. . . . . until they are enjoyed roasted and made into tasty dishes.

Freda's delicious Apple Butter from her pumpkin farm.

A really much appreciated tasty gift.

The great British author P.D. James got it right when she wrote ~

"It was one of those perfect English autumnal days

 which occur more frequently in memory than in life."

Oh how I'm longing for golden days such as those of my own English childhood.

Autumn. . . . . . it's in the air!

The past few mornings crept up on us with the somewhat morose feeling of a
 seasonal change. Invisible skies, the garden cloaked in thick white fog, the
 grass dew covered. 
The now giant fig tree has laid down its first layer of dank leaves.
Later in the day, when the sun appeared and the ground dried, they 
metamorphosed into a cloth of gold, almost inviting one to sit beneath
 the branches and enjoy a late afternoon picnic. . . . . . . .or at least a
 cup of Darjeeling tea!

I have longed for Autumn this year following one of the most disappointing Summers

 in memory here in the southeast US. Nothing seemed quite right. Travels north 

and west brought the best Summer moments where I actually enjoyed the season.

No sunshine expected today, showers later, and now we are watching
 Hurricane Michael approaching the Gulf Coast of Florida.
This morning it has become an extremely dangerous category 4 storm. By 
tomorrow afternoon it will also start to impact North Carolina with very

heavy rains after making landfall and moving north. 

Friends and acquaintances in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina - we'll be thinking of you.

Country drive for pumpkins!

This week has flown by.  We have been so busy. 
Here it is almost the weekend again which doesn't seem possible!

Last weekend we drove through the North Carolina countryside to get our pumpkins.

It was so hot, and still is, high of 90F today, with no color changes visible in the trees yet. 

Fields of corn, tobacco, sunflowers etc. had been plowed under and some 

winter crops were greening up. The clouds were beautiful, hanging in the

 stillness of the sunny sky. All seemed perfect for an early Autumn day, other
 than just being far too hot!
We stopped, as always, at Sunni Sky's for homemade ice cream - rum raisin for Bob, 
raspberry for me - yummy!

We still wear our summer clothes - whilst I crave sweater, coat, and scarf days!
Still just linen sheets at night, but longing to change to the cozy duvet, turn off
 the a/c and open the windows.

 Our lovely friends at the Johnson Pumpkin Farm welcomed us - and we 'sat a spell

on the porch swing' sharing stories of the past twelve months since we came down

last Fall for pumpkins and squash grown by Ms. Freda and Mr. Doug.
The bad summer weather here with too much heat and far too much rain, has
 impacted the pumpkin crop - fewer for sure than the other years when we've visited.

Sweet Lucky the farm cat has become more friendly than ever - he was up

 in my lap as soon as I grabbed a spot on the porch swing and purred non-stop. 

He is now about ten, and has become a bit of a worry for the Johnsons,

 insisting on crossing the very busy road to meet up with their

 cows in the pasture across from the farmhouse. Here's hoping Lucky

is not using up his nine lives!

More another day as to where I'm displaying my pumpkins.

Plus, I've already roasted one to use in this this pumpkin and wild mushroom tart

 for supper last night. It was really good with a small green salad tossed with chipotle

ranch dressing and toasted pistachios.

My garden green peppers - a rather small crop - tomatoes 

from my neighbor's patch.

We both got our 'flu shots yesterday - important as it may be a bad 'flu season ahead.

Here's to an enjoyable weekend everyone.