Goldenrod is popping up everywhere – a late summer favorite. This particular patch is up in the woods. Our maple trees, especially the group on the far side of the house are already turning color and dropping lots of leaves. I suspected this might be because of all the rain we’ve had. It’s been an extremely – and I mean extremely – wet summer and that maple sits in a little mini-valley where water tends to stay for a while. It’s rather like the secret garden. The tree trunk that just fell is in the same area. I looked it up yesterday and sure enough, a too wet summer can cause leaves to drop early. (As can a too dry summer.)
On Friday, our tree guy magically appeared and chopped up the trunk, removing the pieces with a big claw. Then they completely cleaned up that area. I like these guys. I don’t think I’ll like the bill when it comes, but we couldn’t just leave it. There are some parts of the property where we could definitely leave it (and have) but not when half of it falls on our neighbor’s property.
For the first time in a long time, I just couldn’t get to sleep last night. My brain was on overdrive. Long story short, I’m feeling very tired today. This, too, shall pass. So this morning, I spent an hour or two reading The Bullet That Missed, the third in the Thursday Night Murder Club series – along with a nice hot cup of coffee.
So far, it’s a rather gray day. We might get a bit of rain.
Pippa is enjoying the last bits of summer before she has to go back to school. Remember those days of running barefoot? When summer seemed endless in the best possible way?
Stay safe.
Happy Monday.
Pippa’s dress is so wonderful – makes me want some non-boring clothes (as I sit here in linen pants and a tea, good for hot days but dull). I am doing a weeding sweep of a flower garden, a bucket full of pulled weeds a day, before it gets hot – wonder if I just pulled up the golden rod? Oh dear!
Ceci
I’m always in boring clothes these days, Ceci!
Stay safe.
sorry you lost a tree … a very sad thing! and the bill is no fun either … but hopefully there’s relief, too, that something necessary has now been done. and you get to decide what next to do with that space. :)
pippa looks happy. like she’s excited about school … or maybe the thought of it just hasn’t entered her mind yet. ignorance can be bliss sometimes!
glad you’re enjoying those osman books. they’re top of my tbr list.
hopefully you sleep better tonight.
early tasks done early here (i like that a lot). one of them is feeding earl and the birds and i like that, too. they get a suet cake, two kinds of seed mixes in the tray feeder and dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts (both shelled and unshelled) on the deck. and there are plenty of trees, other food from neighbors and a sweet little creek here, too, so there is often a fun-to-watch crowd on the deck. :)
hope you, don and everyone else have a great day today and stay safe.
kathy
Oh, the tree was dead already, that’s why I said it was a tree trunk.
Stay safe, Kathy.
oops … missed the “trunk” part; sorry.
glad that job is done for you. hoping the bill is “trunk”-sized, not “tree-sized” for you, too.
kathy
xo
I didn’t sleep well for the past two nights. Entirely my fault, as I am too in love with eating the brownies I made on Friday night. I knew that amount of chocolate had too much caffeine for me to metabolize quickly. I think I’ll skip brownies for a day or so… I really need some rest, as my daughters and I are leaving for Chicago soon. I’m so excited about exploring this big American city; I’ve only seen it from outside Grand Central Station, while waiting for a train connection. I’ve been to O’Hare many many times, but that hardly counts for being in Chicago!
I’ve discovered a new-to-me author, Steven Rowley. The first book I read is The Guncle, about a gay man on a long hiatus from acting, living in Palm Springs, who suddenly has temporary custody of his young nephew and niece. I loved it. I’m now reading another book (I believe it’s his second?), called The Editor, about a man who, after years of writing, finally sells a book to Doubleday, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis becomes his editor. It’s a factionalized account but delves into the author/editor relationship. I’m only a few dozen pages in, but am as enthralled as I was with The Guncle.
Hope your tree bill isn’t too high…
I’ve spent tons of time in Chicago over the years. You’ll like it there.
Enjoy, Wendy.
Stay safe.
Pippa is a darling in her pretty dress. Yes, school will be starting soon for your girls. I have some cute back-to-school clothes for Jessie and Walter. Enjoy your reading. Hugs, Elaine
Thanks so much, Elaine.
Stay safe.
Gotta luv Pippa’s expression, like she just KNOWS her time is coming for shoes on and back to school. What a cutie; you really know how to stage your Blythes, Claudia.
I am so thrown off when kids start school earlier these days. ‘In my time’ (makes me sound like an old-old lady!), was always September; but our school district here has been in full swing since the first week of August and I have no idea WHY except that I know the kids nowadays get more time off at Thanksgiving and Easter than we ever did (back in the day). They’ve gotta make it up somewhere I guess. What I’ve noticed, too, is that they have an enormous number of half days throughout the school year and that almost NEVER happened when I was in K-12. Equally noticeable is that the community-college kids in our area seem to in large part NOT go to school on Fridays anymore. I’d have thought I was making a generalization, but … no …
The goldenrod is so pretty. We’re now in a spate of hot weather here in Southern Calif (we’re under a NWS heat advisory til tomorrow night) and it’s popping out some blooms but killing others, depending upon the plant. My roses have done so, so poorly this year, but I was able to get one bud for a clear vase earlier this morning before the sun fries the poor, delicate thing.
I know! I see that happening everywhere! We never started school until after Labor Day. I would not be happy to give up those days in August in order to start school!
Stay safe.
dear Claudia/Don — glad you got the tree problem cleaned up — you are probably right in saying the bill will be $$$ – this sort of work tends to be very costly around these parts !! you mentioned “barefoot days” — in my younger life, it was no shoes from May until Sept — school was not open until after Labor Day. This girl sure reminds me of me, haha!! stay safe
Well, it’s only a small portion of a dead tree. They were in and out of here in about 45 minutes.
Stay safe, Linda.
Yep, I’m noticing some yellow leaves on our American Linden out front. Our case is too dry of a summer. Extremely dry. The coneflowers, normally still going strong into September, are looking faded and frazzled. All of the Brown-Eyed Susan’s are blooming early and I’m afraid we won’t have any color in our beds by fall.
Yesterday I went on an adventure with #2 son to meet the doggie he’s decided to adopt from a suburban shelter. It’s a one year old wire-haired/mixed breed Dachshund and, oh what an endearing character he is. The shelter took him and another small breed dog in just a few days ago when their owner was accused of mistreatment. He’s so skinny you can feel his ribs and the shelter worker said they’re afraid he’s had a miserable first year. Tomorrow he’s neutered and Nick can pick him up on Thursday. So excited for him! He’s wanted a dog for a while and now that he’s established in his big apartment where he works remotely he’s all set to give the little guy all the love and attention he’s never known.
Take care,
Kay
Our Brown-Eyed Susans also appeared earlier than usual.
Hurrah for your son and his rescue of this little dog who needs to be loved. I love this story, Kay. He clearly has a big heart.
Stay safe.
Pippa’s looking cute! I like her summer dress. Lucky you with a tree guy who actually shows up. I’ve spent more time on the phone calling up-north tree guys who never show than I can count. And now summer is nearly over and no one will even come look for an estimate. Grrrr! A rainy morning here at Marmelade Gypsy north, as I sometimes call the cottage. I was planning on going home today for a goodbye luncheon for my former boss (now canceled). So, not sure. Still waiting to hear from the doc about what treatment he wants to pursue for this pneumonia — all the more frustrating because I feel pretty good. I wonder if he is overreacting….
Well, always best to be careful with pneumonia, but it is indeed strange that you feel good in spite of it! I hope you’ve heard something from him by now, Jeanie.
Stay safe.
The end of summer is always bittersweet. I love the lingering lazy days and all the memories they hold, but I’m also excited for the fall to begin. It’s always meant new clothes, and new shoes, and school. I was one of those kids who loved school! Buying new clothes must be buried deep in my subconscious, because that’s what I’ve been doing (or trying to, anyway; why is it so hard to find anything?). Endings and beginnings, that’s what this time of year is all about. I intend to savor every moment too, because the holiday rollercoaster is right around the corner, along with that fast slide into the new year. Yep. 2024 will be here before we know it. Whee! Hope you enjoy these last wonderful days of summer.
Yes, fall always brings a clearing of the air and a fresh start. Enjoy, Elizabeth!
Stay safe.