Beware The Spider Bite

It's that time of the year. Spiders are everywhere.

One night last week one of those creepy arachnids crept into my bedroom, scuttled onto my bed, lurked on my pillow, and then.....bit my neck! Then it skulked off into a crevice.

I know this because the next morning I awoke with an itchy and stinging welt where my night visitor had left its venom.

I had no serious effects at the time, just a constant irritation as I tried to remember not to scratch the itch. The welt has now subsided.

But there seems to be a more lingering effect, a change in appearance and behavior.

I seem to be attracted to spiders. I find myself drawn to hunting them out in the garden.

I don't seem to mind having them around.

I have taken to calling myself Arachnia, Spider Witch.

Tomorrow I am flying to Colorado. I was planning to go by plane, since it's a long and cold flight by stick. I hope they let me on the plane.

I might have to disguise myself in my old persona.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Have a Ghoulishly Good time.

Garden Touring

Sunday we went touring in three wonderful gardens full of fall color. Here is just a bit of the beauty we beheld.

A Day In the Country, Part II

After enjoying the Puyallup Saturday Market, (see previous post) we walked across the city park to one of our favorite stops, The Central Perk, where we perused the newspaper while we sipped our lattes.

Walking back through the park, we stopped to say Hi to Ezra Meeker, an Oregon Trail pioneer and founder of Puyallup.

This is the site of his original cabin, and the structure behind the statue supports the original ivy planted by his wife in 1862.

Then we were off to Sumner, and another favorite stop, and a mecca for gardeners, Windmill Nursery. We love to look at the plant selection, many of which are now in autumn foliage, and appreciate the masterful and entertaining displays. Don't you just love the color of pumpkins?

Returning home, we took the back roads - no freeways today - to enjoy the color of the countryside.

We passed pumpkin patches, some meant for jack-o-lanterns, and some planted as real crops, destined for the cannery. (I know this is blurry, but along these narrow roads there was no place to stop and take a photo)

We did stop briefly along the Green River for a stretch, and to acknowledge Mt. Rainier, somewhat hidden today in the haze.

Back home, we were welcomed by our own maple, now quickly coming into it's glory.

A Day In the Country

Well, Puyallup and Sumner aren't exactly "in the country", but they are small towns surrounded by rural areas with real farms. When we want to get out of town, these are near by destinations. And today was a perfect time to get away, because everything is aglow with the colors of autumn.

Puyallup has a Saturday market, our first destination. The market is winding down as the growing season comes to an end, but there were still many colorful and tasty items for sale.

The beauty of ornamental trees greeted us in the parking lot.

The roadsides and hills are alive with color.