Spring Again - in November

UPDATE:  make that summer again.  It is now 77 degrees F outside.  Ridiculous.

Michigan's weather has always been a little crazy.  There have been years when we have already had snow.  Like this year when snow flakes fell a few weeks ago.  Now, spring has returned.  My friend even has daisies blooming in her garden, though I cut everything down weeks ago.

A week ago I had two spruce trees cut down.  They were both planted in 1973 and have always struggled.  My suspicion is that the landscape company never removed the burlap bags around the roots.  That sure would explain why when I dug around the stumps I found no roots - after 47 years. Both trees had had several dead branches removed, needle cast disease was present and they were not really attractive.  Years of having them sprayed and even injected were to no avail.  So, off with their heads and everything else.  Here are some photos.

Looking out at the street - before

Looking toward the house - before.  I had decided that they added nothing positive to the landscape.

Downfall.  The big blue spruce lying in the street.

Gone.  I had not realized the size of the trunk until the tree was cut down.

This tree, which was growing on one side and had new growth along the trunk as a result of injections, gets ready to fall.

And down.

The view from the street now.  Neighbors said my yard looks huge.  Well, it is a large yard, but the evergreens masked the true size.

I moved a few things around and we will see what everything looks like come the real spring next year.  For now, I have more leaves to clean up and for once, I have decent weather in which to accomplish the fall tasks at hand.

It's Fall - Inside and Out

 

It would appear the option for Legacy blogger is gone.  Glad I decided to just post pics.  

A Glorious Fall Day to Fall-back On

O.K. It wouldn't be my blog if I didn't blog about Daylight Saving Time.  Let me repeat, we still have exactly the same number of hours of sunlight no matter what time is on the clock.  That is a repeat for those who hail 'more sunlight' in the spring when we 'spring forward'.  But yesterday it was 'fall-back'.

I say hooray since I hate DST.  Now that I am retired what time it is is of little consequence.  Or what day it is for that matter.  But our government's argument that it saves energy is BS at it's finest.  With over 123 million households in the United States, telling me you can power 100,000 of them with saved electricity from DST is not too impressive.

I may not have to turn lights on as early in the evening, but I certainly have to turn them on in the morning in order to see.  I get up at 6:00 am on average and usually have lights on until after eight and sometimes nine on a rainy, cloudy day, despite that fact that two sides if my home are glass and I have a skylight.

This morning was great.  I was up at six and by seven it was daylight.  No more will the high school students be waiting in the dark for the bus at 6:35 am.  Oh yes, our government is so concerned about child safety that they extended DST through October so kids could go trick-or-treating in daylight.  I got news for you.  NO ONE ever comes to my home before seven, when it is finally dark.  Halloween is supposed to be a spooky holiday and there is nothing spooky about sunshine.  I never understood the movie 'Halloween' when kids were out in the daylight begging for candy.  Where exactly does this happen?  Certainly not in Michigan.

Anyway, I decided I would go ahead and post about this after my Costco Connection magazine asked the question this month in its survey.  'Should daylight saving time be ended?"  It is the first time I have ever voted in one of their polls.

And then the local Patch ran an article about heart attacks, and drivers falling asleep at the wheel, and car-deer collisions.  I still think we only need two time zones - one east of the Mississippi River and one west of the Mississippi.  And forget DST.

Like anyone cares what I think, but that is why I have a blog so I can talk to myself on paper - screen - whatever.

November 1 Already

Where did this year go?  I am putting my garden to bed already.  Here are some pics from the last two weeks of fall activity.

A late blooming groundcover sedum:

Oakleaf hydrangea starting to turn:

Berries on a burning bush:

The view of trees from the front door:

We've had two morning frosts and many of the perennials have turned yellow.  I'll be busy cleaning them up today as the temps hit the 70's.  My yard is so wet during the winter that if I leave the dead leaves on the flowers I have an unbelievable mess in the spring.  Of course, no one told this rose bush that summer is over:

Twitter Update:  So, I posted this and went to Twitter and there it was.  So October 31 is not really October 31?  Who knows.  I'll keep checking.

Fun in the Leaves

Summer yesterday, fall today, but summer returns on Tuesday.  Ya gotta love Michigan weather.  And Charlie does.  Friday we were cleaning leaves and he wanted me to lift him up so he could put them back on the trees.  Too cute.  This weekend he helped his parents clean up the leaves at their house.

He is also enjoying his first year of decorating pumpkins.

I don't remember ever doing pumpkins with my sons, most likely because the neighborhood ruffians would smash them if you left them on your porch.

Nowadays, most of the damage is done by the deer.  Mama and her two children have been around here on a regular basis lately and she dares me to chase her out of the yard.  What an attitude she has!

Happy Sunday!

More Halloween and Fall

From a trip to Hidden Lake Gardens in Tipton, Michigan several years ago:

Welcome to My home:

Halloween 1993 at the office:

Scary dinosaurs:

Fall Color before the Snow Flies

They are predicting snow flurries.  Yuck.  Everything is just starting to turn to Fall colors.  Here are a few:

Crabapples just waiting for the birds to devour them:

Viburnum:

 

Hydrangea blooms:

Japanese Maple:

Katsura Tree:

Enjoy your fall while it lasts.

As Summer Fades to Fall

I have already begun my fall garden clean-up, but I can't resist taking pictures of what is happening in the garden.  Except for the monstrous bees and wasps and whatever, it is quite beautiful out there.  If I could bottle up today's weather and sell it, I'd be a billionaire.

The seeds on these small coneflowers attract lots of small birds.  And several fall blooming sedums are putting on a colorful show:

 

 

 

Hosta 'Royal Standard' is in full bloom:

As is the very fragrant Hosta 'Fragrant' (duh):

This Maiden grass, which needs to be moved come next Spring, is blooming now,

right next to this sweet autumn clematis.

And speaking of autumn, red leaves and berries are showing up in the yard.  Here is a viburnum already changing color:

And the berries on a high-bush cranberry:

Think I'll go out and enjoy this fine weather while it lasts.