Slow September...

We are slowly slipping into fall.  It has been so dry, the birch trees are losing their leaves.  They looked parched, until last night.  We had a small downpour and that lifted their spirits. 

My garden is pretty much a loss.  I did get these giant jalapeños.  So I tried jalapeño poppers.   They turned out great!

My husband and I rarely go out.  It was a real treat for us to go to a Symphony Rock Concert.   What a wonderful experience. 

It has been very dry and it wasn't a surprise we've had a few fires in the area. Luckily they haven't been too bad. They were quickly contained.   Thank goodness for firefighters. 

Our Harrelson apple tree was a rockstar this year.  Two pecks of apples.  They are delicious.  Meanwhile, my giant Zestar produced a whopping 4 apples and one was wormy. Yes, that brown grass is my lawn. 

What does one do with all those apples?  Apple pie, of course. 

What have you harvested?  What type of apples trees do you have?

Thunderstorms...

We are getting thunderstorms everywhere but here.  It is quite dry and very dusty.  Did I mention that the first 2 weeks of September are always the hottest?  

I had a hummingbird stop by on its way to somewhere.  We've also been hearing an owl at night.  We used to have 2 owls, long long ago.  We haven't heard any for years, so we were pretty happy to hear him.  

The bees are everywhere. Especially anywhere there is water.   They do love the hollyhocks.  It is nice to have hollyhocks again.  We fenced some of them from the deer.

There have been thunderstorms everywhere but here.  We are supposed to get rain tonight, but it isn't looking good. I do enjoy seeing a nice thunderhead.  I tend to get lost in the evolving cloud.  

This was the last pretty moon night.  Now when I walk Dollor it is just infinite layers of stars.  Supposedly we should see some northern lights this week.  I hope so. 

 What is it like in your neck of the woods?  Hot? Rain? Stars? Moon? Flowers? Dust? 

This and that...

 I picked a milk pail full of crabapples.  That is about it for fruit around here.  I had a few strawberries and nothing else.  The birds ate the cherries and the chipmunks gobbled up the chokecherries.  The currents, gooseberries, raspberries, and service berries were non-existent.  I will make jelly and fruit rollups with the crab apples. 

Even my sweetgrass was a bit disappointing.  I have never seen such short braids.  I wasn't too surprised, as sweetgrass grows in boggy areas.  We've had so little rain there wasn't much 'bog' for them. 

The only thing that is truly flourishing is my husband's giant pumpkin.  His goal is 100lbs this year and he is making good headway.  They are as big, if not bigger, than last year's champion (75 lbs.) and we still have a maybe a month of growing season left. 

That is about it for here.  I usually post on Sunday's, but things may be a bit sporadic for a while.  Due to staffing issues, I have to work on the weekends at least until the end of September.  I try very hard not to talk about work, but being unable to hire has stretched us all thin.  I love my job but look forward to retirement.  Having staff and students depend on your decision making is extremely stressful.

Are you retired?  Do you miss it? Any advice to get me through the last 3 years 1 month and 28 days?

Kool Deadwood Nites...

 It was my favorite event of the year this weekend... Kool Deadwood Nites...

I remember when this classic car show started.  There were 4 or 5 cars in the Sunday parade.  Now there are over 900 entries and every one of them is unique.  It went from weekend to a week of shows, hot rod runs, a huge auction, and music.  We are about 3 miles from Deadwood as the crow flies, and you could hear the bands on our front porch.  I enjoyed the final parade this morning.  

There is everything from hot rods, rat rods, classic cars, exactly how they were, and completely modified.  That is what makes this event special.  I enjoy the creativity and how friendly everyone is.  My husband and I got ice cream and wandered through the cars.  People we didn't know chatted it up about their memories of a vehicle and owners were proud to talk about what inspired them.  Throughout the week they go on drives around the hills and every year one of the runs goes by our school.  We take all of the students down the road to see the show and the drivers put on a display, burning out, honking, and waving.  The students love it as much as the drivers. 

Summer is winding down.  Kool Deadwood Nites signals the end of summer.  Now the leaves change, hunting begins, and there is always the threat of snow. 

A nice quiet weekend...

 The motorcycle rally is over, and the world is quiet again.  I think Mother Nature herself gets frustrated with the noise and chaos, because the last weekend of the rally always brings thunderstorms.  Like she is trying to wash it all away. 

I don't know why, but I have avoided weeding the butterfly bed all summer.  Mainly, I think, because without any moisture it is impossible to pull up any roots.  Finally, I broke down and pulled up all the grass and daisies.  It looks much better.  I found a couple of mouse nests in the thick grass.  Another reason to weed.  

It is sweetgrass season.  I went down to the pond and did some meditating Bonnie style.  To me meditation is picking berries, weeding, or harvesting sweetgrass.  I am able to sit, relax, keep my mind focused, and not ponder life.  Just one stem of sweetgrass at a time.  Meanwhile, the frogs and dragonflies kept me company.  

Do you see the tadpole?  The pond is still full of them. 

The trail down to the pond is like something from a storybook.  I enjoy hiking our little trails through the woods. 

I don't have many flowers left blooming.  The bees have to share. It wouldn't be so bad, but the deer ate most of the hollyhocks.  I'm slowly fencing more and more of my flower gardens.  

I have an August hummingbird hanging around.  I thought she would enjoy the phlox, but she just sticks to the feeders.  I enjoy watching her flit to and fro. 

Another weekend is over.  Summer is drawing to a close and soon it will be fall.  Sometimes if feels like time is slipping through my fingers.  How is your summer going?  Are you feeling fall in the air?

Late summer thoughts...

 I pulled up my carrots, sliced them, and roasted them.  Then I put them in the freezer so I can enjoy them this winter.  I am trying for a second set and I replanted the carrots, lettuce and bok choi.   I haven't tried that before.  We will see how that goes.

We have had fawns around.  I don't get as many pictures as I used to as Dollor makes sure they keep their distance.  

I don't have many flowers, but the ones I do have are wonderful.  This rose has bloomed off and on since spring.  It doesn't have a scent, yet is is very pretty.

This rose is scented and has also bloomed non-stop.  It really likes it on the deck.  The problem is it a zone 5, so I'm going to have to figure out how to overwinter it. 

Fencing has kept some of my hollyhocks from getting eaten by the deer.  I have some pink, purple, and deep red ones.  

Probably my favorite thing about the hollyhocks is that the bumblebees use them as hammocks.  I walk around in the morning with my cup of coffee and watch them wake up.  

The sunsets and sunrises have been very red from the fires around the U.S.  I am surprised we haven't had any fires as we haven't had much rain.  This is the Sturgis Rally week.  Not my favorite week.  Already there has been 12 motorcycle deaths the week before the rally.  

What do you have blooming as summer winds down?  Have you heard of the Sturgis Rally?  Have you ever gone to it?  I suppose it is more fun when you aren't trying to get to and from work.