There are bees everywhere right now, especially down near the edge of our property, where there are many wildflowers, including goldenrod, asters, New England asters, etc. They love these flowers. Next year, I need to do a better job of controlling the area in which they bloom, but I’d never get rid of them. They’re beautiful and a such a gift in the fall, when so many other flowers have faded. Mother Nature clearly thought this one out, “These people need a bit of color this late in the season. I know…some late blooming wildflowers!”
There are more and more leaves falling everywhere on the property. The maple and black walnut leaves are always the first to drop. It’s shocking to me how quickly everything has changed around here! Soon, we’ll be raking and cleaning those gutters.
This is the time I pretty much give up. Leaves are covering chunks of the garden beds, as well as the porch floor, the driveway and the funky patio. There’s nothing I can do about it, so I have to let go of what was and embrace what is.
Nothing happening on the dollhouse at the moment. I’m waiting for the bathroom wallpaper to arrive. And I’m not motivated to paint and measure baseboards.
Some of you are squeamish about bugs. I am not. I’m fascinated by them and I routinely rescue spiders and flies and bugs that have somehow got inside our house and need help. Don also does this. I’ve trained him.
This next photo is one of my favorite spiders ever: the yellow garden spider, or orb weaver, They’re quite big and, to me, quite beautiful. They’re also very docile.
I look for them every year at this time, and they’re nearly always in amongst the fall wildflowers. I was particularly interested in this one because I disturbed their web the other day when I was pulling the invasive weeds. Not once, but twice. I felt so badly about that. I wanted to make sure they were alive and well. They can weave a new web very quickly, and sure enough, here it is. The web always has a very distinctive zigzag stitch. You can see it directly above and below the orb weaver.
I check in on them every day.
Okay. Time for more coffee.
Stay safe.
Happy Wednesday.
I love Fall – it is my favorite season. I’m seeing the leaves changing color already and I’m glad the temps are cooling off.
Take care, Claudia.
I love it, too.
Thanks, Ellen!
Stay safe.
feeling the same about some of my tasks. need to give ourselves some rest and time to do other things, knowing we’ll get back to the other stuff again. :)
beautiful photos, claudia (as always).
i am definitely squeamish about bugs (especially the fast ones, the ones with many many many legs, and the jumpers) and don’t want them indoors, especially when they have all outdoors to call home. still, i want to always respect all life, and so try to do this (live as in this poem by rudy francisco):
“she asks me to kill the spider. instead, i get the most peaceful weapons i can find.
i take a cup and a napkin. i catch the spider, put it outside and allow it to walk away.
if i am ever caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, just being alive and not bothering anyone, i hope i am greeted with the same kind of mercy.”
i love that poem (one of my gateways into reading more poetry).
time to run a few errands.
happy, safe wednesday!
kathy
Yes, I’ve read that poem several times. It’s exactly how I feel.
Thank you, Kathy.
Stay safe.
Fantastic photographs!
Thank you, Lynda.
Stay safe.
I got a big kick out of your statement “I’ve trained him.”! You both seem to work very well together. I think my husband Jon and I work together pretty well most of the time. In 3 days we will celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary! Don’t know where the time has gone! Wendy
I think, in this case, my example of rescuing bugs, rubber off on him. I’m so proud of my Don.
Happy Anniversary to you and your husband!!!
Stay safe, Wendy.
Ah, I miss coffee. Gave it up while saving for Summer tax payment. Also found a box of 300!!! Twinings English Breakfast Tea in the cupboard–never opened that expires in Feb 2027. So it’s morning tea instead of coffee for awhile. Spent the money I was tempted to a donation, and raffle tickets for my cat’s vet 20th Anniversary party last Sat. She does a lot of rescue & is a one-woman cat-only practice. So she’s my go-to charity donation. I also miss wildlfowers & a back 40 to explore all seasons. Been in the big city too long.
I see your friend Sally won an Emmy. My cousin’s daughter-in-law was interviewed by Sally after her latest book was published a few years ago. If you’d told me that when I was young & watching her play Gidget, I’d never have believed you.
That movie was extraordinary and Sally’s performance was brilliant. I’ve watched her work and create a character. She is an excellent actress.
Stay safe, Lucinda.
Our household also “rescues” spiders that manage to get into the house. The ones with long thin legs and little bodies are supposedly good for getting rid of ants. Ants can overwhelm most spiders but not those daddy-long-legs. Since our development sits on sand, there are plenty of ants so I save as many daddy-long-legs as I can.
Days are starting very cold and it isn’t warming up as much as it was even two to three weeks ago. We’re acclimating back to our time and weather. Asia was hot, humid and rainy. Perfect weather for my skin…I didn’t need to slather on body cream after a shower or moisturize my face much. Now, my skin is soaking up moisturizers like a sponge. Back to real life.
Our daddy long legs love our bathroom and shower. Many is the time I have started to run the shower and I see one run for safety, so I turn off the shower, get the little plastic cup I keep in the bathroom, and carefully scoop it up. Then I put it somewhere safe.
Thanks, Wendy.
Stay safe.
What a beautiful spider – I enjoy seeing them so much this time of year and so far have not seen ONE. Friday we are heading north for a week and I have high hopes of some sightings.
Ceci
I hope you see some, Ceci!
Stay safe.