I know it’s been ages since I’ve had a walkabout post. I’d like to say it’s finally happening because I’ve started walking regularly again – but I haven’t. The longest walk I do is to the post office and back a couple times a week. (And if I don’t have a lot of time, I drive).
But when I was picking up the mail the other day, I noticed something post worthy.
Someone had painted up a little rainbow rock and placed it in the window of the township office! How cute!
Then I found another one in the mail room
Adorable!
The back of the the crab rocks advertises a Facebook group called Alvinston Rocks. I’ve joined the group. I don’t know if I’ll paint up any rocks (I’d love to, but I have too many demands on my time right now), but it certainly makes me want to go for more walks to see if I can find some more!
In addition to cleaning the shed and porch, Saturday also saw us take a trip to town. It was originally just to pick up a couple of prescriptions, but Dave realized we were early enough for us to hit our favourite Used store before they closed for the day, so we took a slight detour.
We’ve offered to host the family Christmas this year (our first year ever), and one thing we need is some more (comfortable) seating if we are going to entertain (There will be about 10 people including us). With the two-level living room, we have more than enough room. But the futon on the upper-level is way past it’s usable life, so I’ve been thinking of getting a couple of chairs or a couch to replace it.
We got a good start on that Saturday with this find
There’s some wear on the arms, but otherwise, it’s in great condition. And I can make some nice covers for the arms. It’s a La-Z-boy too, so it reclines. Now that we have this, I’m thinking a nice loveseat will complete the space. We’re still on the look-out for that, but I’m sure the right thing will turn up before Christmas. Dave wants to visit all our favourite used places regularly.
Naturally, as soon as it was brought in the house, it was thoroughly inspected. And Poor Lemmy was ousted in short order. King Burton has claimed it as his throne and new regular evening nap spot.
But the recliner wasn’t the only thing we brought home…
Yep – another throne for Burton. A cute little cat-sized (or child-sized, if you’re into that sort of thing) wicker chair – just perfect for the Sun porch and my collection of rattan and wicker decor out there. I do need to make a cushion for this one – I’ll probably do it when I make the one for his bassinet.
In the meantime, I think he looks rather regal – don’t you?
On Saturday, I spent most of the day on a long-overdue cleanout and reorganization of the shed. It needed to be done so I could move a bunch of stuff off the back porch and get it cleaned because on Sunday, best friend Samantha and her lovely husband were coming for a visit.
And come they did, bringing along their youngest, Ethan, who isn’t so young anymore! He’s in Grade 11 and I can’t believe it. I should believe it, because he’s a year older than Rowan… but I can barely she’s as old as she is!
It was a wonderful visit, as always. Though I didn’t take one single picture! There was a lot of talking and laughing, just as there should be.
I did get some knitting done.
The fishing sock is now at the gusset.
Sam also brought me a wee present… or several wee presents..
They are tiny little plant pots! Aren’t they cute!
I hink this one is my favourite
At first, I thought he was a skunk, but he doesn’t have a big skunk tail. I think he’s actually a badger. Whatever he is, he’s darn cute!
And now I need to get several new wee little plants!
I’ve mentioned that my poor roses have had a bit of a hard year. With sawfly larvae, Japanese Beetles and Aphids.
I’m on my own with the first two, but with the last one I have a little help…
The wonderful Ladybug! I’m always thrilled when I see these guys on my plants. They are such helpful, and cute, little creatures.
This year seemed to be a really good year for them. I didn’t know why until I talked to my neighbour. Apparently he ordered a whole pile in early summer and released them in his veg garden for pest control. But he was a little disappointed in the result, as they didn’t seem to stick around. We had a good laugh when I told him the all came over to party in my yard instead.
And, they must really like it here, because not only did they stick around…
They made babies! Believe it or not, these little creepy looking guys are Ladybug larvae! And they will eat 10 times as many aphids as the ladybugs will!!! This is the first time I’ve ever seen them in my garden, and I’m thrilled.
The trick to having a wonderful fall garden is knowing your plants. Learning when plants bloom, and for how long.
Flowers like Irises, Allium, Bleeding Hearts, and Poppies only bloom for a short while, then they are done for the year. Those are all spring/early summer plants, but the fall has some too.
Like the Toad Lilies. These guys are nothing but leaves until September (and sometimes October, depending on their light conditions). But then bam – those cooler nights hit and they start popping out small speckled blooms all over the place.
These guys are all in the Catio, but they’ve multiplied like crazy. Next spring, I’m going to move half of them to the Woodland garden.
I planted another type of Toad Lily in Willow Grove this spring, but I probably won’t see blooms on it until next year.
The Asters could be lumped in with the other “seasonal bloomers”. Like the Toad Lilies, they don’t start blooming until after the new School year starts.
But where the Toad Lilies will slowly fizzle out, these guys will keep blooming until the frost gets them – which here could be any time in October or November – it’s really unpredicatable.
On the left is my New England Aster – a native plant. The right is a new pink Aster I picked up from the garden centre last week…. because we all know I have a serious plant addition and even autumn won’t stop me from collecting new plants.
But back to plant lesson…
There are of course, the fall standards…
Autumn Joy sedum, which the bees just love
The Black-Eyed Susan and Purple Coneflower. Both of these really get going in August.
But Coneflowers come in a variety of colours and styles, with many blooming both summer AND fall
These are just two of my collection – I also have white, yellow, a couple differing pinks, and even green!
And lets not forget the native coneflowers
Like their cousins, they start flowering mid summer and just keep going.
And the varieties of Susans are always pleasing too.
These ones are called Cherry Brandy and they seeded themselves all over the place last year. I’ve moved quite a few to other gardens, bringing colour to every corner.
Deadheading is another good way to keep some plants flowering through the fall.
Cosmos are a wonderful example. Lop the seedheads off often, and these guys will keep going until the frost takes them down.
And don’t neglect your annuals
Dahlias, Gerberas and Petunia love the cooler nights and warm fall days. I find the Petunias are usually spectacular by September because they’ve had all summer to spread out and grow! (All of these can benefit from deadheading too)
But the fall garden can often bring suprises
Like daisies that decided to rebloom. I can tell you this is the first year I’ve ever had that happen. They are normally an early summer bloomer and then that’s it! I did give them a big chop mid-summer to tidy them up. I do that with the Delphiniums, and that makes them rebloom – so maybe it’s the same for the daisies?
And I always understood that clematis have one bloom season (some are spring, some are fall)
But this purple clematis has been blooming on and off all year since late May!
And this Red (orange) Hot Poker was a nice late-comer
I planted five of these throughout the gardens, and only this one has grown and bloomed.
There’s something wonderful for everyone to enjoy in a fall garden if you plan it, and plant it right!
On the long weekend, Burton and I tackled a long over-due cleanout on the closet.
We sorted through all my clothes and ended up with three garbage bags full, ready for donation.
A few days later, Dave and I dropped them off at Goodwill and then we went into to see what they had for “home goods”. You know we love good vintage finds around here!
Nothing jumped out at me except for this:
A wicker doll bassinet for just $5. (A super steal if you’ve seen what these things can go for on FB marketplace!). I didn’t have a doll to put in it…
But, I do have a Burton!!!! Yes, I totally bought a doll bassinet for my cat! And he LOVES it!
It came with a little pillow and a thin blanket, but I’m going to make a proper soft mattress for it… and a quilt of course!
I was looking back through some photos, and I thought you’d all like to see some before and after of the Edible Alley
That first picture was taken in mid-May. The second just last week. That’s only abut 4.5 months worth of growth! Amazing.
Now that the tomatoes have started ripening…
They aren’t stopping! I bring in a basketful every day. And as many of you predicted – it looks like they are Roma tomatoes. Certainly NOT the grape tomatoes they were supposed to be!
I’ve found quite a few that have been munched on…
But there’s definitely more than enough to share with a few night-time raiders.
I am absolutely thrilled with my first attempt at growing squash vertically.
The ladder has proved to be a fantastic support and I have several squashes in various stages of development.
I picked and ate that smaller one on the right the other night and it was delicious! The other ones need more time, but I’m definitely looking forward to enjoying them!
I continue to enjoy shooting around my yard with the long lens.
The squirrels are in full gathering mode, and there are quite a few walnut trees around us. This is a pretty common site, but it never fails to crack me up.
And these two look like they are sharing secrets.
The cardinals at the townhouse were quite social and easy to get pictures of. But the ones here have been exceedingly elusive! But I finally got both Mr. Cardinal…
and Mrs. Cardinal…
They’ve been doing a lot of singing together lately, and I love seeing them in the yard together.
The bluejays are the easiest to get photos of…
Just fill that peanut ring and they appear!
Dave does not enjoy the noises they make, but I think they are delightful!
And while it’s not the best photo…
I did manage to snap a hummingbird! These guys LOVE to come around when I don’t have the camera handy. And they move so fast, even if I do, it’s near impossible to focus on them before they move again!
It thrills me how good the camera is for getting pictures of tiny creatures.
This pretty little spider was making a web on the flowers of one of the new hostas. He almost looks like he’s made of glass.
From grasshoppers…
To crickets…
To praying mantises…
To tiny butterflies (Checkered Skipper)
To black-bummed Carpenter Bees
The camera lets me see them in a way I never could with the naked eye.
We are already closing in on mid-September, and I’m very consciously aware of the big grey sweater I should be working to finish in time for Dad’s birthday in December…
But in the evenings, I just can’t seem to muster the energy to work on it. Since I didn’t have a new cross-stitch picked out after finishing my “chicken butt”, I’ve decided to delay starting a new project, and try to use the weekend time I’d be cross stitching to get some knitting done.
But I still couldn’t get myself to pick up those needles. I decided what I need was something to rev those knitting engines… something quick, mindless… but fun!
Queue self-striping sock yarn!!!
I’ve got a small stash of Felici in the closet, so I pulled out a colourway I’d bought particularly for my brother. It’s called “Gone Fishin”. As you can see, Lemmy “helped” me get a start on it Saturday night.
Then Sunday, I got a good chunk done while on Monarch watch
I’m almost ready to start on the heel, and so far, I’m loving every stitch of it!
Hopefully this gets the knitting engine nice and warm, and ready to tackle the rest of that sweater!
A neat thing happened last Thursday… I was bringing my big wheelie garbage bin back from the curb after the truck picked up our garbage, and I noticed something swinging just under the handle.
I stopped pulling the bin, set it upright, and took a closer look.
I couldn’t believe it! Another monarch chrysalis!!! And the truly amazing part is that our garbage is picked up and dumped by a big mechanical arm on the truck. It’s not a gentle ride – but that little thread he’s hanging by is super strong!!!
Naturally, I was thrilled to have found another one. The second one on the siding had yet to emerge, so now I had an extra chance to see it happen.
By Friday, the one on the siding had turned dark
It was a work day for me, which wasn’t ideal for butterfly watching, but I checked on it every half an hour throughout the morning. Nothing happened. They usually emerge around mid-morning, but Friday was much cooler (15C/59F), and when the temps are cooler, apparently they wait until afternoon to emerge.
I checked on it as often as I could while still getting work done. Nothing, nothing, nothing, then I came out at 3 pm.
And I’d missed it again!!! By quite a bit this time. Her wings were already fully inflated, and she had moved from hanging on the remains of the cocoon. And see that red smear down the siding behind her? That’s a mix of bodily fluids that they expel, usually about half an hour after they emerge. It looks concerning, but it’s a natural part of the process.
As with the first one, I decided it would be best to move this one away from the catio and the Mighty Monarch Hunter.
About an hour later, she flew away. While happy to have helped another Monarch into the world, I was sad to have missed the event… again! But I still had one more chance with the garbage Monarch!
When Sunday morning came, and I saw that that one had turned dark…
I wasn’t going to miss it again, so I grabbed a chair…
… and I settled in to wait (more on that knitting tomorrow). And wait. And wait.
by noon, I realized this one was going to be another afternooner – even though the day was fairly warm. I set the knitting aside and did some repotting of my house plants, all while keeping a weather eye on the garbage can.
And finally, around 2 pm, it started to happen.
The initial emergence happens quite quickly – probably just a minute or two. Then the monarch just hangs from the chrysalis pumping blood through it’s wings and gaining the strength to fly.
I was so happy to have been able to capture the moment at last. After this, Dave and I popped off to the hardware store to get a few things and grab a bite to eat. It was about 4 pm when we got back, and the Monarch had moved from the chrysalis and was getting ready to take the first flight.
The first flight was a little shaky, and the poor dear ended up inside my open bag of potting soil!
I gave him a hand out of there, and got him settled on the butterfly bush…
…. and continued with my potting. About half an hour later, I went back over to the bush to check on him…. and he flew right to my chest.
He climbed up the strap on my dress….
… and he flittered on my shoulder for about a minute before finally flying off for good – over the fence into the neighbours yard. Perhaps saying goodbye before he left?
It was a magical end to a truly wonderful experience!
Wandering Cat Studio 