the warm storm

 Last week was "peak leaf week" in our neck of the words.  Our daily walking trail was just amazing.

Around the house, too...amazing color.

It's been so warm, though, that Todd has continued to mow for exercise.  In shorts.

New flowers continue to pop up.

Bees and wasps continue to bustle around fallen apples.

It's going to be close to 80 F today and tomorrow...in November!  No rain, though.  It's such odd weather.  

We celebrated Halloween in our usual way.  Making treats to mail out to friends and family...

...and making a last-minute treat for ourselves.  Wanting to make it a little healthier, I took my favorite healthy pumpkin cake recipe and cut it in half, making five small cupcakes.  A cream cheese glaze and a dash of sprinkles makes the perfect Halloween snack!

We finished up our 31-day Halloween scary movie marathon with a "Blair Witch Project"/"Rosemary's Baby" double feature.

And now we turn to something even scarier:  the election.  Todd and I have been sickened over the transmogrification of the Republican Party and the possibility that they might gain control.  If you are a Christian whose faith informs your voting choice, please read this "Medium" article and consider its words.  A few choice excerpts:  

Jesus was unequivocal about what it means to follow him: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind… And you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37–40).

Trump’s entire being violates this core teaching. His rhetoric is rooted in division, derision, and contempt. While Jesus calls us to love our neighbors, Trump has systematically attacked and demonized immigrants, people with disabilities, communities of color, LGBTQ+ people, and women.

A vote for Trump is not a neutral act — it’s a choice that supports a worldview fundamentally at odds with the radical, inclusive love that Jesus embodied.

The contrast could not be more stark: Where Jesus lifts up the poor, Trump exalts the wealthy. Where Jesus welcomes foreigners, Trump builds walls and threatens to deport. Where Jesus heals the sick, Trump tries to strip away their healthcare. Where Jesus speaks truth to power, Trump wields lies to maintain power.

Jesus envisions a world where the last shall be first, where enemies are loved, where strangers are welcomed, where truth prevails.

Trump envisions a world where the powerful dominate the weak, where enemies are crushed, where foreigners are demonized, where lies are weapons in the pursuit of power.

And if a core task of the follower of Jesus to help bring about the Kingdom of God in this world, nothing does more at this moment to actively prevent the coming of God’s Kingdom than a vote for Trump.    - Andrew Springer for "Medium"

Food for thought.  Have a great week!  

shotgun overrun

 Gorgeous weather for early-morning hikes!

Unless we have free time, we usually hike in the state forest by our house.  It's pretty, but...it's also hunting season.

I'm not a fan of guns...at all.  Deer hunting lasts until late January, though, so we try to wear bright colors and make a lot of noise on the trails.  

It's still fairly warm (low 80s) during the day, but we're starting to get some fall color.

Even our front bushes have put on color from last week to this week.

The bushes are directly behind Todd...just a hint of color last week...

...this week...the start of brilliant red!

One of my favorite flowers is in full bloom right now - celosia.  They love the dry, they love the heat, and they'll keep right on trucking until the first frost.  So many different shapes and colors!

There's always someone hiding inside...

It's been so dry that they're going to seed early...I'm going to be sure to save as much as I can.  They are cross-pollinated, meaning that the insects carrying pollen from flower to flower will cause the seed to produce an interesting blend of colors.  If you're interested in an identical version of a flower like this, it's best to order the seed directly from a seed company!

Still plenty of insects, but cooler nights and mornings mean that bees are sleeping later and later.  

They'll be around until it gets fairly cold, but right now, they're loving the temperatures.  The resurgence of warm weather has brought out the wood ducks, too!  

Some friends brought their pup over for a hike this week.  She was happy to see the kittens...through the glass, of course!

They're usually too busy to be bothered with company.

Nice early autumn days with a little bit of baking...

apple cider muffins

...a little bit of quilting...

...and a little bit of knitting.

A nice way to ease into the season.  Have a great week!  

warts and all

 Just because it's September doesn't mean that we don't have COLOR!

soldier beetle in a zinnia

Brilliant purple ironweed...

The color of our apples tells me that it's time to start picking!

Some of our colorful autumn sedum is blooming...

...and the hydrangeas are starting to blush around the edges.  Yep, starting to look like fall!

Recent rain has absolutely flattened a lot of my tall flowers.  Every year I intend to build in some kind of support system, and every year it's just too late by the time I think of it.  But at least the downed flowers provide waves of color!

The weeds love our wet, humid days, and have gotten completely out of control in the back garden.  In the middle, I can see a bright patch of flowers...

...but the weeds have grown incredibly since the last time I mowed the paths.  I can't even get through to pick flowers for bouquets (ticks!), so I'm just enjoying them from a distance...and waiting for a break in the weather so I can mow again.  

Ditto for my pumpkin patch!  The weeds grew up through the vines, so I can just glimpse a bit of color against the green.  I'm not sure when to pick them, because I have no idea what I planted.  I guess I'll just pick them when I like the way they look!

warts and all!

The brilliant yellow flowers provide a nice pop of color, too. I know that I mentioned my worry over poor pollination, but what a relief...the pumpkin patch is absolutely crammed full of every kind of pollinator.  I counted three bees...four?...in this one flower alone!

Hairy pumpkin stems are a delight, too.

I've been keeping an eye out for squash bugs, and quickly took care of these three intruders on a young pumpkin.  After the fact, I realized that they were not squash bugs, but assassin bug nymphs.  What do you call someone who kills an assassin? ;)  Anyway, I deeply regret it, because they are wonderful to have in the garden.

Inside, kittens continue to be adorable.

Frances is continually begging Calliope to become his friend, but she ignores him.  It's kind of pitiful, hearing his sad trills every day, but I guess he'll give up eventually.  Calliope is definitely not interested in any kind of fellowship.

Frances has branched out to sleeping on my keyboard...

...and requires a twice-daily nap in my arms.  It's a good thing that I work from home!  ;)

Barnabas is starting to follow his example.  My lap stays pretty full...just like my days.  Loving this cooler time as we slowly slide into fall.

Have a great week!