Saturday, November 1, 2014

November? Really? Already?

I know it's been a while since I've posted, but rest assured - REST has had nothing to do with it!

I've been hell-bent-for-leather trying to get the gardens and beds closed down and tucked in for the winter.

Though I've been taking pictures daily, I've been too tired to put anything together in some semblance of order.  But I can hit the highlights.

The close-in beds have been weeded and mulched with shredded leaves.  The swing bed is mostly done, still waiting for more.  Some perennials were transplanted back there: Joe Pye, an hydrangea, huchera, butterfly bush, dwarf Shasta daisy and a holly seedling.  Hopefully they'll make it through the winter.

The zins and marigolds have been pulled.  It was like blowing out a candle - those flaming flowers will be sorely missed as the days grow gray and blustery.  I've been saving seed heads to dry over winter.  The debris pile got huge but Craig came and hauled it away before the weather front blew in with rain and tumbling temps. 

Everything has been pulled off the deck (the bistro set disassembled, fountain shut down) and all items stashed in the shed or lined up against the new section of privacy fence to wait out the winter months.

The trees are still dropping leaves.  (n=neighbor's) The ashes, sassafras, walnut(n), wild cherry(n), pig nut hickories have mostly finished.  Still to come - oak(n), magnolia, dogwood, birch, sweet gum and silver maples.  Blowing in from the street - tulip, beech, linden and red maple.  I go out every couple of days, shred them into rows, let them shrivel up a day or two (or when the weather allows) I bag them up for the beds.

When October ends, I feel the leaves should be done.  That's absurd of course.  This stuff goes on until the end of November or snow calls the game.

I'm tired.  I'm really tired.  And it's not just garden chores, there's been a lot of running around with Mom's continuing dental problems, some house repairs and dealing with the f^cking deer.  Not only are they eating everything, but the bucks have SHREDDED my row of 3-year-old burning bush along the front corner of the property, using them to clean the velvet off of their antlers.  I wish I could wire up each and every shrub to some high-voltage wires!

The house is a mess.  I refuse to use one ounce of energy in here until everything outside is done.  The comfy chair is getting very little use right now, although the last couple of days has been really lousy weather - only in the 30s today, north winds, spittery rain.

Something good to look forward to, though.  Last week, I (after 34 years with Time Warner Cable), invited ATT U-verse into the house and omigosh what a fun winter this will be what with all the features, extra channels and movies galore (included with the U300 package - no premium channels needed).  I got to bundle my phone, internet and TV for what I had been paying piecemeal before, but faster internet, more channels and new phone features.  I also have a 2-year lock on the price.  I won't have to deal with this stuff again until I'm in my next decade!  Yay.

Hopefully, I'll get some posts up on the sidebar blogs soon between mowing/bagging.  And while I've been doing some cooking, I haven't really taken time to enjoy what I was doing - just mainly making sure I had something ready to eat between work binges.

Craig has filled the woodpile; I've drained the gas out of the string trimmer; filled the snowblower and made sure it starts easily (it sprang to life at the 1st pull - YAY). It's that time of year when both the lawnmower and the snowblower live side-by-side for a while with rakes and snow shovels sharing wall space.  The last 2 rainbarrels are drained and stored away.  The garage is cluttered now, but things will sort themselves out by Thanksgiving.

There are some flowers left up for the late bees: the asters, a lone mum, pots of marigold, salvia, lavender and all of the planters in front of the deck (ageratum, geraniums, etc.) and a couple of tall zins.  I have no heart to pull them until they are killed by freeze.

Bottom line, I look forward to finally getting inside, making Mom comfortable dental wise, cleaning house (*woof*), and settling in for the winter. I'll keep you posted further when I stop and come up for air.

Hope you are working ahead of the weather in your neck of the woods these days.  Won't it be great when we can stop?  *heh*

P.S.  Minutes later - I look outside.

It's snowing!  November is gonna be touch - n - go in the gardens.  *sigh*

4 comments:

  1. Wow, you really do have a mountain of leaves to clear up. But they make such magnificent soil conditioner . . .

    Snow already? Sheesh, we too are threatened with the likelihood of frost this week and maybe even a little white stuff on the fell tops.

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    1. I'm getting really tired of leaves.... :-(

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  2. You've been so busy. I feel guilty. I've adopted a new method of dealing with all the fall chores----if it's going to burst or smush--yes--put it away. Anything else-forget it.
    I am enjoying the interior of my house for the first time in many many months. It's heavenly.
    I'm always desperate to get outside in the spring, so that is when I plan on dealing with cleanup in the garden.
    I have a STACK of books and magazines waiting, I've been practising watercolor painting, I picked out a new piece of sheet music to learn on piano for this winter and the stew pot and oven are ready and waiting. Cripes---I adore winter. I'm glad it's here.
    Sure hope you can finish up what needs doing soon and join the fun.
    Have a terrific week, Kris

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    1. Oh how I envy you! I saw your pics of the snowfall you'd gotten and thought how lucky you were - that the game had been called and you could hit the locker room for a while. LOL And look at all your upcoming activities: music, books, cooking, etc. How civilized. I took a couple water color classes between jobs a while ago and loved it! I can't wait to come inside and play, too. Thank gods we don't live where there is no winter!

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