Happy Fall, Y'all!

Last week it was in the 70's & I knew a few days later it was supposed to be a high of 40's... so I thought I'd do some leaf raking {make Kyle happy, make the neighbors happy}. I worked over 5 hours raking & bagging... filled up 8 huge bags... and the next day we were no better off . I know I grew up in the mid-west... but for 8 years Kyle & I lived in Florida & South Texas, where our "Fall" was maybe picking up a palm frond or 2. Plus at the house where I grew up , the trees were pint-size in comparison (& I was so pampered, my Dad did all the yardwork) ... I'm thinking this is just the time of year you just wait 'til the last leaf falls off the tree. It's just not worth it. Although these photos were. :)

Libby helped me during the day while the boys were at school...

then when the boys got home, they grabbed their shovels & helped me bag up the last few piles.



Before we finished, I of course let the kids jump in one of the piles.

The Backyard

I love our backyard. There's times when it's not the most pleasant place to be... too wet, too muddy, too many leaves, too much dog poop, too many mosquitoes. But for the most part, it's a fun place to hang out.

Here's what we love to do: Brett loves playing any & every sport. Libby loves swinging & playing on the platform at the top of the slide. Davis loves playing in the mud & finding bugs. Daisy loves chasing squirrels, chipmunks and bunnies, as well as eating the birdseed I've left out for the birds. Kyle loves playing catch with the boys & having a beer on the patio. I love checking out the status of all my plants, flowers & herbs and tending to their needs.


My thoughts on gardening: As it is with most of my skills, I'm a "trial & error" gardener, so I have to constantly check on things for their progress or lack thereof. In the instance of the transplanted Japanese Maple, I get a unanimous thumbs down; the transplanted Evergreen, looks like it might turn out okay, despite all the yellowing & bald spots (yeah that's it behind Brett); Basil, I have used it twice in cooking, but I'm waiting for the supply to come back; Rosemary, looking good so far; Flowers are all doing great. The red geraniums are my favorite. Every year I am drawn to them because they are just so strikingly beautiful & low maintenance once you get them going.

I think I get some of my gardening skills from my mom. My mom's take on plants is "I'll set you outside & water you when I think of it, but that's about all you're getting." In other words, she believes plants need to pull their own weight & I agree. If it's too high maintenance, it doesn't belong in my garden. I'm not a believer in fertilizer or putting any plant up on a pedestal. I'll prune you when I want to prune you, not when some tag you came with says to do so. Oh & you require a $10 bag of fertilizer, just for yourself? Oh do you now. Thanks for the info, but I have four words for you: Sunshine, Rain, Love & Happiness. Take it or "leave" it. :) I have 3 kids & 1 dog that I have to bathe, feed, water, nurture & give medications & vitamins to. Maybe when I'm an emptynester I'll get you that fertilizer you asked for... that is if you're still around in 17+ years. 'Til then, I'll see you next week when I come around with the hose. :)