Success

The De-construction project has been successful. I have one more project that needs to be done this fall and then I am finished with project work for at least a year. 

I'm pretty much worn out from all that I've gotten done the past 6 months.

This is the part of the ugliness I looked at for so many years. We do have a beautiful place in this hollow. Really, we do!

But when anyone pulled up to the house to visit or make a delivery, this is what they saw just north of our house.

I, of course nagged my husband for years to get the place cleaned up. However, he was never well enough to tackle this overwhelming job.

I hired Patrick from Midwest Excavating to get the job done. This is a shot from my 'security camera' that I captured when Patrick was working. You can see the proximity of the mess to my back door.

I had to look at that mess for 14 years. You've seen this shot before.

The view from my back door became this:

Now 3 weeks later? The grass has filled in around the concrete pad and it looks so much different. Another shot from the top of the machine shed.

I put items in the gravel there for two reasons. The ground under parts of it were still a bit soft and I don't want UPS or any other heavy vehicle leaving ruts. I also need to go over the gravel area a few more times with a magnet to pick up any nails or chunks of metal. 

I worked on revamping the east side garden yesterday. I'm making a mess, but I am moving some of the bulbs that are next to the house to another spot. 

This summer:

After two days of cleaning up the weeds and the dead stuff:

Hey! No messy dilapidated garage in the background!

I pulled out all the border rocks and had to dig out two trees that wanted to grow next to the foundation. I dug out the grasses and cleaned out the flowers. I normally leave all it winter for insects and birds. This year it really needed a clean up. I didn't want to wait for Spring.

I transplanted 20 or so tulip bulbs to another area as they were getting so crowded. I moved 2 Blazing Star bulbs out away from the house. The birds love the seeds from that plant.

I took out Iris plants by the score and still have more to move around. In 10 years they have multiplied like crazy so I'm going to find some a new home. I also trimmed back the spreading phlox and replanted [hopefully] them by an area that is too difficult to mow.

The flowers around the porch are still going like crazy. Zinnias, Cosmos, Borage that has re-grown and re-flowered, and the Nasturtium flowers...wow.

I should just plant those flowers. They are so much fun. They have tried to take over the porch but I cut them and the morning glories back. They are now shining along with the marigolds in this fall weather in yellows and oranges. They are still attracting bees and showing off along with the orange cosmos which are very bold and beautiful too.

By late afternoon, the dogs and I decided to go out to the 'camp' and hang out in the hammock. As the afternoon cooled off, both dogs piled on me and we kept cozy enough to take a nap together.

The view above wasn't too bad either.

When we headed home for supper, these two insisted on riding the 4 Wheeler with me.

I do wish they would be the ones to open up the gates for us to pass through. Oh well, they are cheap help!

I worked hard all day while my little co-workers supervisors looked on.

Sunday.
It looks like a day of rest and relaxation for us. 

More Wet!

 and....

Sunshine is home! 

We got her home just before the rains started. 

Oh and after greetings with her sister, Sunshine settled in as the boss of the tiny herd. I guess the others have been missing her leadership. 

They follow her where ever she goes.

Since it was pouring outside, I thought I'd try something different. I collected some leaves aa few pumpkins and set them on an old mirror I had.

I thought I'd try a reflection-Fall Decoration shot-with reflections.

Not all of the shots turned out, but I did get two that I kept. This was pretty fun to do and I think I could do better but just need to figure that out.

I thought I'd try a Garden Gargoyle with a pumpkin and a red leaf. So I tried two versions.

I made my own 'black box' to try this out also. A light underneath the characters and carboard to keep out the light. Some fallen flower petals from a flower...and...

👇😊

The rain let up and it was a light mist by noon. So I packed up a backpack. I'd been stuck inside for too many days. 

The dogs were not letting me out the door without them, they'd been stuck inside too. So off we went in a drizzle for an adventure.

And we had a good one.

Just as we got to this bluff the rain started coming down hard so I slipped on the poncho which covered my backpack and me all the way to my knees.

We waited out the heavy rain and then ventured out on the bluff.

The view

Here is a shot of the mist coming up out of the woods after the rain. This happens often in our steep valleys and hillsides because of the temperature difference inside the woods vs the air above.

My pals.

We got wet but surprisingly enough we didn't get muddy. We got to see the fall colors in their best light. In my opinion the best light is early morning, late afternoon, or an overcast day. But that is just me.

We got home and dried off. The drizzle kept on off an on. We ended up with about another inch of rain overall. 

This is the new header which replaces the summer view from the bluff.

Today, for the first time in what feels like forever, we have a clear and sunny sky and temps barely in the 40's.

It is wet

Two weeks ago we had up to 7.5 inches of rain. It was so rainy and wet I couldn't mow much of the yard and between the heavy dew point and moisture in the ground, it looks like I'll wait quite a bit again. That is okay, gas saved I guess. I'll stake the pony out in different areas so he can do some trimming and fertilizing.

Last night through tonight we could get dumped on again. 

That means that I'll be doing indoor stuff for the next couple of days. Our last rainy days, I purged and cleaned and moved furniture. I completely emptied an old hutch and cleaned the windows on the doors and pulled out all the drawers and went through them.

I did find a some surprises, but now it is clean inside and out along with cleaning the wood on the wall behind it. 

I pulled out the washer and dryer from their cubbyhole and cleaned the vent that connects to dryer to the outside including the floor under the machines.  I pulled out the frig and did the same. 

My rainy day project was to start going through the kitchen cabinets and start to sort and find new homes for plates and cups I don't need. 

And then there is always photo projects to do to keep me distracted. One of our photo club assignments is to shoot something in the fall or Halloween Spirit.

That means more Still Life and some of it may be a bit Spooky.

Doing some of this photography may be as close to decorating for Halloween. 

This is NOT scary. 

This was from yesterday's hike with the dogs in our forest.

I brought one of the stick houses I made and thought that it was time to bring Tasha the nice witch back out.

Here are some cute warty pumpkins that were 'pasture' grown by accident because I threw the old pumpkins out into the pasture and the mules planted the seeds for me. They are decorating the porch.

It seems the warty ones cross bred with the long ones...

how fun is that?

Hint. I've been doing this for years and have enjoyed the 

strange looking pumpkins I get each year. No two plants are the same from crossbreeding.

Falling into Fall

September seems to be a great month of colors and moods that stretch through October. Fall is a fleeting time filled with shorter daylight hours and changing weather.

If you live in the Midwest I can safely say that most of us admire and 'chase' colors and light or at least do some Leaf Peeping.

When I was in the UP, the colors were already changing. I'd love to make more trips, but the drive is about 6 or more hours for me. 

I am happy with September here around our place. We have so many mornings that are fog filled.

Deep morning fog at the south pasture.

This was morning fog clearing from the east as the sun came over the ridge. I happened to point the camera towards the east and noticed I could get a shot of the leaves lit up by the sun. I moved slightly and got this instead.

The Orb Weavers are still at work in the large eastern meadow. The one small maple tree is there but turning bright colors.

What can I say, more meadow shots with ground fog. Some of the trees in the distance look like they are turning colors, some are and some are dying from the damage done by logging. Still, it is a pretty beautiful sight.

On Saturday before going hiking, I took Hannah to the Farmer's Market to work with her being calm around crowds. At first she was crazy- stupid -happy. Eventually, she sat next to me and watched people go by. On the way home to pick up Charlie, I took a detour down Tainter Hollow Road and was surprised at how different the colors of the trees are just a few miles away.
 

I normally don't go to the Reserve on a brilliant fall Saturday, that's generally when the place is full of people on the paved trail walking dogs and pushing strollers, and riding bicycles. 

In other areas, there is usually large groups of horseback riders so I just picked a trail that is not very popular.

It is rough, rocky, full of roots to trip on and steep.

Oh. And it is quite beautiful.

There are a couple of spots on the ridgetop that give you a view of the Kickapoo River Valley. The colors were simply beautiful.

Charlie was in great form. The temperature was under 70 F and he trotted right along as if he were in charge.

Our goal was Hanson's Rock Lookout. The log is set there for people to enjoy sitting and looking down on the valley. In an area not photographed, there is a highline for people with horses to tie up so they can take a breather and have a picnic or just enjoy the scenery.

The view:

We sat here, well, okay I sat on the log and the dogs explored scents. Below the outlook is a long and winding trail that is well used. We could hear a horse below us in the valley whinny and faintly hear someone saying something. 

It was 'treat' time. I had a granola bar and the dogs had treats and water from their collapsible bowl. Hannah was satisfied to hang out. Charlie started to whine. It is his way of saying, *Let's get moving!*

We explored and stopped often to look at things and they stopped often to sniff interesting scents. I only wish I could smell a portion of what they scent. It tells them so much about the world around them.

Oh yeah, Fall/Autumn is showing off her beauty. I do wish that it would stick around a bit longer than it really does.

Toy Time!

My set up on a craft table in the house. 

The photo of Princess Sara arriving at King John's castle with her entourage of elves.

Poor Princess Sara, I've left her wandering about on her Quest for nearly two years! 

Here she gets ready to meet with King John along with the Little Red Dragon and Stick Horse.

It just dawned on me that this Princess has never been without her Stick Horse. I've decided that Stick Horse must be an integral part of the story. Is Stick Horse an advisor? I bet he is! He never has left her side since her Quest began so long ago!

Who can resist the mysteries with a Princess, a Dragon, a Stick Horse, a King, and Wizards?

It has been a long 'dry' year for all the enjoyment I used to have with my Legos and Toys. Princess Sara, The Odd Brothers, Homeless Joe, and so many others.

Fall seems the best time ever to bring them out and explore some imagination.

I'm looking forward to Fall!