Some Pumpkins Are Blue

 I never did get back outside to work in the garden this week, and now Friday is almost over. We will go to Irene's soccer match at 6:00. That gives me just enough time to post this blog and work my Woordle.

We got a little rain Wednesday and Thursday, but nothing significant, and now we'll be warming up again for at least a week.

This morning slipped away when we stayed late at breakfast and then Dede, who is 95,  wanted us to stop by and see her new computer. We ended up staying until 1:00 trying to get rid of months of email and set her up with some Favorites so she can find her stuff. Working with a new, unfamiliar computer is frustrating.

On Wednesday when it was drippy outside I did some decorating.

Gourds.

On the mantle are dried gourds from years ago, "Indian" corn, glittery pumpkins, and family heirlooms: old candle sticks, Tom's grandparent's mantle clock, an antic lamp, a beaded picture that Tom's grandfather made when that was an in style craft, and old glass pumpkin candy jars C1915 that belonged to Tom's mother and her sister when they were little. 

A few years ago I bought some glass pumpkins from various sources, in various sizes and colors. 

More Gourds. And my great grandmother's kitchen clock, now in my kitchen. 

New flowers. I don't have many flowers left, but these are appropriate for the season. 

In the powder room I have resorted to drying hydrangeas, and a pumpkin to match.

Not all pumpkins are orange. Some pumpkins are blue. 

Summer Lingers

Hi.

It's sunny and 75 this Tuesday afternoon. I should be getting some more done outside, but I'm too tired. 

We got a lot done Sunday morning. We finished working around the edges and part way into the beds of the whole upper lawn area and part of the lower yard.

We dug out all of the scraggly sedums in this corner and planted new ones that we bought late last spring. Today I filled in with some of the old ones. 

I took Sunday afternoon off to watch football and read the paper. The Seahawks let their victory get away in the last few minutes of the game. 

Monday there was housecleaning and laundry to do, and I started "going orange" in the house. The Autumn tub will come out of the attic Wednesday.

We "rested" Monday afternoon by considering tulips, and then placed our bulb order  with the blub growers in the Skagit Valley. That was an impetus for getting the beds cleaned out.

Monday evening found us on the sidelines of Irene's soccer game. The Mount Rainier HS Lady Rams won a decisive victory and it was a very pleasant evening, if a bit too smokey. 

This past weekend was Homecoming for Irene's high school. We got a report via Facebook.

Looking at these pictures it struck me what her being a senior means. I'm going to have to get more time with her while I can. It's all going too fast. 

Today was my long PT day, and that and the stationary bike about wiped my out. I just got a few little things done outside before quitting for lunch and sedentary activities. 

We have a Sounders game at the stadium at 7:00 this evening. We'll go early to avoid the crush and get some stadium food.

Tomorrow's high should be in the mid-60's, with a bit of rain. It will be a good day to decorate. 

More orange!

A Sunny Saturday

 I spent quite a bit of time this morning getting set up for a new round of physical therapy. After a month and a half I finally had another appointment. I have been diligent at doing my exercises, at least most of the time. I'm not sure if it is helping, but at least it is keeping me moving. 

There were some new exercises, and I spent time remaking my checklists, indicating which I do once every day, which I do three times every day, and which I do three days a week. It always takes longer the first few days until I get my rotations down. Then I just have to remember to do them.  

Then I had to do a turn on the stationary bike, usually 30 to 40 minutes. 

Then I finally got outside to do an hour of yard work. I have begun cleaning up the lawn edges, a little bit at a time. I am not good at working in the sun and it is 73 this afternoon. I'll do some more tomorrow. 

Tom went to garden club without me this morning. He decided to just go to lunch and not the garden visit, but I just wanted to concentrate on my personal tasks.

On Friday after my PT session I had a phone appointment with my neurosurgeon.  Now that my "team" has all checked in I have decided that it is time to get signed up for another hip replacement. I have emailed my orthopedic surgeon and will wait to hear from him. I suspect surgery will be sometime in January of February, which works for me. 

I have a college football game on the TV here on my computer desk. Looks like the Washington State Cougars will beat the University of Oregon Ducks. Obviously it's a big rivalry and the Pullman home crowd is loving it. It ain't over yet, though. Football season is fun. 

Now here's your flower fix.

Summer's Going

 Some are glad, some are sad.

I always have mixed feelings about the last day of summer. I love summer. But by late September summer looks tired. It's too early to start pulling out everything, so we try to enjoy the slightly bedraggled look of the garden and touch up here and there. And we look for those special things that only late summer, early fall bring. 

It's smokey today, not a "special" thing, but certainly a late summer thing here in the PNW, as wild fires continue to burn. We have had no significant rain since sometime in July and that wasn't much.

In our gardens sedums are the stars. 

And hardy fuchsias.

Nasturtiums pop up here and there from last summer's seed. 

Shrub roses are putting on a late flush of color.

Tom's fall blooming hardy cyclamen are popping up here and there too. He keeps spreading the little corms that proliferate and then surprise us with yet another spot of color. 

In his greenhouse the geranium cuttings are looking good.

So are his seedlings of winter pansies and columbine. 

The grass is slowly greening up. A tenth of an inch of rain a few days ago helped. The watering system is still being used. Sunny days mean the heat is still mostly off. Eventually the water bill and the heat bill will trade places.

And the moles are back. 

Tomorrow, Sept. 22, is the Autumnal Equinox. Good bye to summer. 

Sports and Flowers and Trying To Make Myself Move

 It's now just after noon on Sunday morning. We got a late start. Tom is outside puttering in the yard. I just finished my long PT routine and then 33 minutes on the recumbent stationary bike. I'm sitting at my computer for my cool down, hoping to get this post wrapped up before it's time for Seahawks football on the telly. 

Saturday morning we checked in at the girl's soccer booth at the DesMoines Marina Saturday Market.

I got a hug from Irene and talked to Jill, who was the adult in charge for the morning shift. I heard later that they did very well, and my cookies were good sellers. 

We walked around the market a bit, bought some fresh corn, and enjoyed the flowers.

On our way out we bought a couple of goodies from the soccer team and tasted a sample of boiled peanuts. They were right out of the boiling pot so I let them cool a bit, then tasted them in the car. Am I missing something? Warm and mushy, they were not to our liking. 

Next stop was Safeway to do our grocery shopping. Then I had time to pick and arrange flowers before a late lunch.

The flowers are getting scarce as the chilly nights have plants shutting down.

By then I was tired. I'm not sure what I did in the afternoon. There was some blog reading and some book reading and later I sort of watched college football. Our two state university teams did very well. Not so our Sounders. They lost again in their evening game in Vancouver, Canada, and are most likely out of the playoffs for the first time in their history. Oh well, as Jill said, it will save us money. 

Alrighty, I'm cooled down, this blog is about ready for posting, I'll get some team gear on and get ready to see if the Seahawks luck holds against the 49ers in California.