heat defeat

It's hot...really hot.  Normally, when temperatures are in the 90s, I stay inside.  But because of this girl, we are outside...so...much.

Many socialization excursions that will have to take the place of puppy training until she gets a clean bill of health from the vet.  So it's walks on campus, with so many other pups...

(adults pups are okay!)

...and lots of local hikes, where she meets lots of new people.

She loves the car!  

She's a pretty chill pup...most of the time.

Okay, so I *have* to be outside...at least I can try to enjoy some nature.

green heron eating a frog

groundhog invading our neighbors' container gardens

black tiger swallowtail caterpillar

But honestly, I have the worst attitude ever.  For some reason, summer is killing me this year.  I never like summer with the heat/humidity, the mosquitoes, the ticks...but this year it's just the worst.  I'm apathetic and lethargic.  I'm not motivated to get things done and feel almost desperate for fall.  Every time I see a sign, I celebrate. 

Changing leaves...coincidence?!?

This is a FALL webworm caterpillar!

These winter shoes really needed cleaning because it's ALMOST time to wear them again, right?  Right?!?!?

We had to have some trees trimmed because they were crowding power lines recently...

They only cut a few down.  Most of them were just trimmed closely on one side.  Bare, they look like winter trees.  

Sometimes I look at them and pretend that the leaves are falling and that soon it will be cold again.  I've got another two months to go, easy, so I'm trying to work through this summer ennui with lots of pep talks.

Summer flowers from the garden!!

Fresh fruit!!

Lazy cats in the grass!

(Claudia is doing well and will get to go outside again soon!)

Lakes, rivers, wildlife!

geese at Lake Griffy

It's helping...a little bit.  But sometimes staying positive is a full-time job.  September will be here soon! Stiff upper lip!  

And...have a great week!  

Signed, someone who is ready to live in a more moderate climate.  ;)  

bats in the belfry

 It's harvest time!

We got a grand total of two watermelons from our vine, but at least they were tasty!  I'll plant more seeds next year.  

Cantaloupe were plentiful, but they all showed insect bore holes before they were ripe enough to pick.  Eh, I'll probably skip planting these again.  

The weather was perfect for harvesting the apple crop today!   

We got a grand total of 4.5 pounds...not even enough for a pie, once I cut out the bad spots.  But plenty for apple muffins, apple bread, apple baked oatmeal...the house smells amazing!  :)  And in October, I'll start with pumpkin.  I love fall!!  

I've also started harvesting a few sunflower heads.  I've laid them out on the dining room table to fully dry, which is an incredible temptation for kittens who are not allowed on said table.

Lots of interesting sights around the property.  Last week, I saw something fluttering around at dusk and knew instantly that it wasn't a bird.  When I was growing up, my great-grandma lived just down the street, with a small church right next door.  

I spent a lot of time in the field behind the church, and at dusk, bats would swoop out of the belfry.  I've always loved them. And now, here at our Indiana place...bats!!

Unfortunately, because of my chronic shoulder tendonitis, I just can't heft my heavy zoom lens, so I was forced to use a lightweight one that didn't zoom much...but I got enough detail to be able to identify this as an Eastern red bat!  They're pretty plentiful here, although their winter habits seem to be somewhat mysterious.  Some fly south, but since they can withstand temperatures in the low 20s, some hang around.   So great to see them!

Another exciting discovery...black tiger swallowtail caterpillars!  They go through a couple of stages and molts before pupating.  I posted the early stage, or instar, last week.

He's already molted into a bigger, bolder fellow.

Lots of deer, as usual.

This guy, of course.

So many familiar faces, but some losses too.  I've been so excited about our wood ducks, even as their numbers dwindled.  The last two hung around for a really long time...

...but as our nights have gotten colder, they've been around less and less.  They've likely headed south for warmer temperatures.  It's possible that they'll return here in the spring...fingers crossed.  

(spider warning!  skip next picture if you're spider-averse!)

And oh, my garden spider!  I've been so excited about her web, right beside the front porch.  I studied it (a double web, as an added layer of protection against predators) and was sometimes outside early enough to see her weave it fresh.  I cheered internally whenever I saw her skillfully bag up a dead insect for later consumption. I read up on her habits and kept an eye out for egg sacs (one garden spider can lay up to four sacs full of eggs!).  And, one morning, she was...dead.

Her big, protein-filled abdomen was completely eaten by some predator.  A bird?  A shrew?  A praying mantis?  There's no way to know, especially considering that whatever did it had a light enough touch to take the abdomen quickly and leave her suspended in her web.  I was surprised at how disappointed I was, and how much I looked forward to my daily web-check.  It's tough to get so easily attached to wild things.  Well, hopefully there will be another one next year.

Since the weather's been so nice, Todd and I have been out hiking more.  I love seeing late summer berries!

grey dogwood

pokeweed

winterberry

A heavy trim a few weeks ago has brought fresh flower growth, which the hummingbirds love.  Looks like they'll be sticking around a little while longer!

Cool nights and warm days are also perfect for kitten naps.

Everyone here is loving this weather.

Have a great week!  

Post-Diss Bliss

The fall rains have come!

That means that we're starting to see some beautiful color when we take our morning walks. Some trees have leaves that are barely tipped with color...

...and others that have been completely consumed by it.

Maple trees in fall are nearly my favorite. The bark turns dark, almost black, and the leaves are a constantly-changing riot of color for weeks.

This sweetgum tree doesn't have any red at all...just cheerful yellow leaves among the green.

One of my favorites, the ginkgo, has that bright yellow edge to its fall leaves that I love so much!

Every day, I bring home any leaves that strike my fancy. I brought these home because they reminded me of a rainbow.

This one, because of the dramatic half-changed state.

This one, because of the deeply-etched veins.

Sometimes I'll take whole tree branches, especially oak.

I love to bring them inside and lay them on the table. The colors are really wonderful!

The sweetgum seeds are still green, but are nice to pile up, too.

There's a flurry of fall activity in my yard, too. The swallowtail caterpillars are preparing to go into a chrysalis state.

All over the yard, insects are mating. The timing must be right, so that their eggs can be laid in the ground before frost, but not so early that they would be in danger from digging creatures or from having their growth schedule skewed from too-warm weather. These grasshoppers will soon separate, and the female will lay her fertilized eggs in the still-soft ground.

Still not many butterflies, but several unusual moths around! My cosmos are done for the year, and the marigolds are on their way out, but I still have lots of zinnias that attract these little visitors.

My autumn sedum has finally bloomed, too!

It consists of a flower head full of teeny tiny flowers. They're delicate-looking, but they stay beautiful through the fall rains and a whole range of temperatures.

I recently found several patches of clover outside. There must've been some four-leafed ones there, because we've had some extraordinary luck.

My husband, who possess several attractive qualities, including this one...

...finally completed his dissertation!

He has some easy revisions, but we can both envision a dissertation-free life in the near future. At long last, we're able to schedule a camping/kayaking trip. We went to a movie together...for the first time in over two years. We played board games and then vegged on the couch for the season premier of "The Office". In other words, we've been having some blessedly normal days!

I've been scurrying to complete a knitting project, too. I had some very nice, soft, springy wool in a lovely wheat color, fingering weight, that I thought would be perfect for some fingerless gloves.

I've scorned them in the past ("If it's cold enough to wear gloves, you need your whole hand covered up!"), but they're truly miraculous in the fall. Perfect for those months when it's not quite thick, woolen glove weather, but there's a definite bite in the air. These gloves are perfect protection in cool mornings and brisk, chilly nights. I even wear them around the house, since the open fingers enable me to use my phone or type on the computer.

This particular pattern ("October Leaves" on Ravelry) is really clever. A four-stitch cable snakes up the wrist to the base of the thumb, and then separates to form two delicate lace leaves.

There's also a cable on the other side of the hand.

I'm very pleased with my new fingerless gloves!

Since the weather's turned, I've also been baking a lot. In fact, I've baked three pies in the past 10 days. Pies are so quick and easy, even if you don't have much experience. And there's nothing like biting into a warm, tasty slice of pie that you've baked yourself, from scratch.

I've posted my go-to pie crust recipe on here before. It's Smitten Kitchen's no-fail all-butter pie crust. I highly recommend it for any type of pie.

The first pie I baked this season was also the easiest. I love blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries in a pie, so I paged through several recipes before deciding on one. I'm really pleased with the result.

Three Berry Pie
allrecipes.com
makes one pie

Ingredients
one recipe pie crust
6 cups berries
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup sugar

Directions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Mix together your cornstarch and sugar, withholding two tablespoons. After well combined, pour onto your fruit and mix well. When fruit is completely coated, sprinkle the held-back tablespoons of sugar/cornstarch mixture into the bottom of your pie crust, and pour the fruit on top. Cover with second crust. Crimp crust and pierce with fork. Cover the edge of your pie with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting...this helps the liquid inside to congeal.

It's so easy! The pie only has three ingredients. And the no-fail pie crust truly is no-fail. Look at that flaky crust!

It's the perfect weather for fall. I hope you'll try it soon!