Which of these is different?

(Dang, one of the pics is a dupe. Sorry.)

My house is atop a rise and I can see a loooong way around.  As far as the eye can see there are either evergreen trees or bare branches.

So just WHAT THE HECK is going on with my sweet gum trees?  All the other sweet gums on the street have lost there leaves for 2-3 weeks.  Sandy didn't take mine.  The front last week didn't take them.  Night after night in the 20s is not taking them.

Pretty?  For sure.  But while everyone else is tucked inside, I'm still waiting to clean up this years leaves!  I'd just like to know WHY???    clues?

Meanwhile, the last of the turkey day leftovers have been transformed.  Click [HERE] for details.

Grey Friday

The fridge is full of leftovers (<= click for details), the sink is filled with dishes, and the sky filled with dark grey clouds spitting rain.

But Thanksgiving day itself was bright, sunny and the warmest (near 60) we've seen in 29 years, so we were able to enjoy a nice walk around the gardens after our dinner.

Today I will tackle those dishes and take leftovers to Mom who didn't join us yesterday.

Otherwise I'm staying inside.  I'm not a good shopper even in quiet times let alone the frenzy that the Friday after Thanksgiving has become.  BUY THIS and SAVE.  BUY THAT and SAVE.  BUY before SOMEONE ELSE GETS IT. 

Nope, not for me.  Buy little or less and save MUCH more, as we growing number of frugaleers around the world have learned.    Others can fight the queues, the crowds and the crush for the opportunity to spend.  Me, I'll snuggle on the couch with a good book for a while, then work on some hand made Christmas gifts this weekend.  I'll sip tea, watch old movies and bask in the truly warm glow of fellowship, friends, (and fiscal solvency ;-D).

Hope your Thanksgiving was as warm and wonderful, too!

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Saturday morning weather update:  20s & snow   Brrrrrr
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Frost and fabric

Sunday (the 11th) was very warm (nearly 70) so I spent 9 hours outside on projects.  I emptied rainbarrels, replaced barrel downspout feeds for winter overflows, took down/cleaned/brought in the wall fountains, topped off the current compost pile and made ready for winter kitchen scraps, picked up all the branches blown down during the 5-day storm and *pant* spent 3 hours mowing the lawns.

Cold and frosty this a.m. - (note 20F on thermometer)

Another time consuming chore was re-installing my fabric privacy fence that Sandy (between the front and Sandy 6 days of rain = 5.3") pretty much beat up.    Since everything was down, I replaced the knotted cotton rope (which was rotting) with cable and clamps.  Then I rehung the landscape fabric.

The exposure was really bothering me and was uncomfortable that the inside of the garage, the turnaround, the deck and the sunroom was no longer private.  I'm just going to have to bite the bullet next year and have a solid fence installed along that line.

Tuesday we got soaked with 3/4" of rain then temps tumbled into the 30s/20s. Today, though, starts a string of sunny (if cool) days, so, hopefully, I'll get to the last of the leaves.  Those sweet gums sure take their time shedding.  As you can see in the frost pic, there's still a lot left up on those limbs.

I'll be very glad when clean up is done and I can retreat into the house for the season.   I'm so tired.  And even though today is Thursday, my lower back has yet to recover from my Sunday chores! And that is frustrating (and painful).  At least I've regained my back-of-the-house privacy.  I can now enjoy sitting on the deck with a nice glass of cider during this pleasant spell of weather. :-D

Giving up, giving in

Ravaged crabapple

Hoop nets - trampled and torn & eaten mums

Savaged pines & crabapple

That's it.

I'm done.

The government obviously prefers wild, uncontrolled deer vs property values.

The veg fences and a lot of the poles have been trampled down.

The trees are shredded and broken.

Mums right on the deck are eaten bare (though totally soaked with hot pepper spray).

I'm one older person with limited means and resources.

The idea of a sanctuary had always been a dream and I've worked hard on it for almost 6 years.

Now, with an increasing, uncontrolled deer population, it's become a nightmare.

This is the last time I'm walking the beds this season. 

I'll mow the lawns, mulch the leaves and try not to see the increasing carnage.

My heart is broken and, probably, at this moment, won't even try to continue with plantings.  Why?  I'm angry.  I'm old.  I'm tired.  And I can't afford to. That's why.


Fracking deer.

A brighter today - a better tomorrow?

After 10 straight days of dark, wet, ominously and obviously GRIM weather, today dawns bright and blue.

And COLD.  Only 25F this morning.  Birdbath is frozen and everything is covered in a hard frost.

But I'll take the cold in exchange for the dazzling sunshine because  it's damn hard to keep oneself upbeat when living under a persistent shroud of gloom.  I'm totally Totally TOTALLY done with all that (not only the weather, but with certain family issues)!  At long last, I'm moving on and letting in the light, thanks to the sun and, more importantly, dear friends!

Today is election day.  Even though Ohio has allowed early voting (does that work?), I've reserved my vote for the official day - first Tuesday (after the first Monday) of November.  After a MONTHs of non stop phone spam, after the messiest, dirtiest, UNEVEN (and insanely expensive) political campaigns I've ever witnessed in my lifetime, I'm heading to the polls.

I'd like to say I'm going to vote FOR something/someone.  But supporting something seems to have faded quite a while ago.  Now it seems there is only a chance to vote AGAINST something or DEPOSE someone.  At least we still have that right.  And I'm not going to ignore the opportunity to use it before certain factions make it difficult  for certain Americans TO vote .  So I'm voting -- because EVERY SINGLE VOTE counts!

Please, if you haven't already, VOTE TODAY.

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Back from the polls.  There was a line.  It's heartening to see the turnout!

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12:55 a.m. Wednesday

Yes, early voting DOES make a difference!!!!   :-D