red snake keepsake

It seems like we've got a lot of creatures here who are "making hay while the sun shines."  Grasshoppers are still whirring in the undergrowth or crouching motionless, torpid in the hot sun.

It's a great comfort when I consider the tangled mess that I've cultivated out back, knowing that at least I've created a massive food source for so many little creatures.

My little jungle is still producing pumpkins...

...and amazingly, dahlias...although I didn't prune, stake, or feed them.

The dinnerplate dahlias have collapsed under the weight of their massive heads, but they can still be salvaged.

The smaller dahlias have such a tight, tidy petal formation.  It's very appealing!

So lovely!

In the dark of the early morning, I hear barred owls calling, "Who cooks for you?  Who cooks for yooouuu?"  A few hours into daylight, the turkeys add their chorus.  Our back field is a popular hang-out spot, and we've also noticed them on a side slope.  We counted close to 40 turkeys - in one day! - last week.

After a summer of silence, we've started hearing coyotes yowling at night. Yes, the season is marching on!  Sunrises are suddenly more saturated with color...

...and the deepening reds of our apples is a reminder that we should pick, pick, pick before it's too late.

I'm bringing the season inside, with little touches like tiny felt pumpkins...

...and wreaths made from my garden flowers, dried.

We are starting to see a bit more color in the leaves, although the weather isn't really cooperating (still in the 80s this week).  It is really starting to feel like fall, and I'm contemplating several cold-weather projects, like this brilliant embroidery piece by artist Yumiko Higuchi.

photo courtesy of Yumiko Higuchi

Todd and I are both looking forward to a peaceful and productive October.

Have a great week!

hot water plotter

It's almost October, and quilts are out!

Happily, it rained on our first "official" day of fall.  After a long, hot summer, there's really nothing that I love more than chilly fall days.

To commemorate, I baked pumpkin bread "acorns."

They were so delicious that I made a loaf, too.  The recipe I use is less ostentatious than its showy cousin, the one that uses 3 cups of sugar and 2 cups of oil for 2 small loaves.  My stripped-down version calls for just 2 tablespoons of oil and 1/2 cup honey, and as someone who loves pumpkin bread, I honestly don't miss it.  A simple frosting of cream cheese, vanilla, milk, and a bit of honey makes a perfect topping.

Although we have an apple tree, pumpkin is still king here in the fall.  I have two other pumpkin staples that I have to recommend:  spicy pumpkin scones and brown butter pumpkin oatmeal cookies.  It's not autumn around here without them!

Mornings have been delightfully brisk.  Todd dons his warm plaid shirts without comment, because he knows that I have to have the windows open, even if it's only 45 degrees.  It's fall, y'all!

We had our first fire this week!

Since I don't normally do them, most of my 500-piece puzzles got the axe during my Marie Kondo sweep.  However, this one made the cut...barely...because of the cheerful autumn theme!

This is the perfect weather for crafting.  I found and completed another knitting project, a hot water bottle cover.  

I've mentioned this here before, but I used to consider hot water bottles tools of the elderly in some sepia-toned past.  It wasn't until I was staying with a friend in Germany that I was introduced to their pleasures - they retain heat for around 8 hours, and there isn't anything more delightful than a fresh one slipped under a quilt.  I didn't get to use mine in South Carolina, but Indiana weather is pretty perfect for it!  

I've been continuing to work on embroidery practice.  I've always had trouble transferring patterns before, but I've discovered that coping the design on tracing paper with a permanent marker, and then tracing on the back with a charcoal pencil, works nicely.  With some pressure, the charcoal transfers tidily to your fabric surface.

I've mainly been practicing stem and chain stitches...

...but I think I'm ready to move on to my old nemesis, the satin stitch.  

photo courtesy of trishburr.com

Speaking of tools of the elderly, I bought a magnifying lamp with bright LEDs to help with this detail work.  I'm prone to migraines so wanted to limit my eye strain.  So far, so good!  

Because of persistent tendonitis, I've had to pause on quilting right now.  I've moved on to a different project: dried flower wreaths.  It's a lot harder than expected - my flowers are mostly larger, with no frilly "fillers" available.  I'm pretty clumsy with it.  At least I have a lot of material to work with!

Although I have a few other varieties, I'm mainly working with celosia.  I love the colors!

Looking back at this time last year, I can see that in the first week of October = first frost!

The trees around the pond were in full autumn mode.

It's quite the contrast to this year (glaring at our 85 degree forecast today).  Still, I know that it won't be long.  

Have a great week!