Sunny Days
We’ve been having wonderful weather recently. It all started last Friday with a nice sunny day and temps climbing into the 50’s. I was at my mom & dad’s house and my sister came over with her clan. We had a blast making homemade pizza and ice cream and we spent the afternoon playing outside.
I enjoy sunny days, particularly this time of the year. I think that kids really know how to make the most of them. I generally spend them working and finishing up garden chores, they’re happy making the most of them by playing. Mr Chiot’s and I did spend some time on Saturday morning enjoying the weather by hiking, but I spent the afternoon working outside.
What’s your favorite sunny fall day activity?
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What Happened to the Rake?
I was out raking leaves yesterday and it occurred to me that I haven’t seen anyone using a rake in years. While I whooshed leaves with my rake, all around me I heard that annoying leaf blower sound. I really appreciate the quietness of raking.
It’s interesting to me the extinction of the humble rake. As a child we loved to rake leaves into big piles and play in them. What could be more fun on a beautiful fall day? I still enjoy raking leaves, it’s a great time to think about the changing seasons and be thankful for them. I have used a leaf blower once and I didn’t find it any faster than raking. Not to mention it’s much cheaper, my rake cost me about $10 and it takes no electric and no gas.
The bagging and throwing away of leaves is also something that befuddles me. I don’t really understand why people don’t put them in a pile out back and then use them in the spring instead of buying bags and bags of mulch and fertilizer. It’s kind of funny since we live in a very wooded area and just about every property here has a wooded border somewhere. Why don’t people just blow the leaves into the woods? Why go to all the hassle of bagging them? These are the things I think about while raking.
In my front lawn I do collect the leaves with grass clippings in the mower, and I use these as mulch. If the lawn doesn’t need mowed it gets raked, along with the rest of the property.
What do you prefer, leaf blower or rake? (do you think the leaf blower sound is the most annoying sound in the world as I do?)
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The Death Blow
It seems like we go along unfazed by the cold until one morning we wake up to a blanket of crisp white. Yesterday morning was that morning.
The grass is completely white and crispy with frost and the fallen leaves are perfectly outlined, enhancing their beauty.
There were even frozen jeweled raindrops on some of the tree branches from the freezing rain we had the night before and the frost even covered the wood of the raised beds.
It’s fascinating how frost works, highlighting the tips of all of the leaves, outlining them in sparkling crystals.
With the frost comes a new season in the garden. I can now begin cleaning out the remnants of summer and start putting the garden to bed. I’m always reluctant to admit that winter is near until I witness the death blow that comes inevitable by surprise some morning.
The garden is now a mere shell of what it was at the height of summer. I can now admit that the glory is over and retreat to the warmth of the house to plan next summer’s gardens being thankful that I have photos of what I accomplished this summer.
This is the prodding I need, what gets you motivated to close out the gardening season?
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Fall Chores: Cleaning out the Gutters
When you live in the woods you have a lot of chores in the fall; raking, planting, mulching, cleaning out gardens, mowing and cleaning out the gutters!
We usually wait until they’re all off the trees and then we get out the ladders and clean them out for those icy winter rains. It’s really not a bad chore since you end up with some brown matter for your compost pile. Mr Chiots usually gets up and does it, but I have on occasion. I took these photos last Thurs, and as you can see there are still a few leaves on the trees. We had a big wind storm on Friday night and now all the leaves are down (and the gutters are very very full of leaves).
I have most of my fall chores checked off the list so it looks like we’ll be out cleaning out the gutters on the next nice day. We’ll also be raking all the leaves in the front lawn. I’m planning on using the leaves to fill the crates I’ll be putting up around my hydrangeas (to keep those munching deer out).
What fall chores do you have yet to check off your list?
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Throw Open the Windows
Yesterday we had a nice warm sunny day, it was in the mid 60’s. When we have weather this warm I always open all the windows to get some fresh air in the house.
The cats are in heaven on days like today, and so am I. One of the things I really miss in winter is open windows and being able to hear the sounds of nature.
What are you going to miss this winter?
