As Our Life Goes On

Joy! Merry Christmas! Family, Friends, Fun, Gifts, Love. God's Peace be With You. ~Caroline

It's too cold to effectively clean the windows. There are water spots and a black spot on this one. Snow flakes also are flying around this hungry squirrel.  This is the only time of year that I can get away with that "too cold" excuse for doing the thankless job of cleaning the windows. Black and gray squirrels come to the porch daily for the peanuts which are being put out in small handfuls daily.  I'm hoping to drive down the prices of wild animal feed by not using quite as much of the overpriced commodity. The gray squirrel outside of the window seems quite well fed. I imagine that it is finding food throughout the neighborhood. 

This rue plant persists Though the weather is freezing And making me cold. -Caroline

It was the unseasonably warm day today that prompted me to descend to the bottom of the steep hill behind the house. The ground is very wet and slippery so the fragility of my old bones was kept in mind with each careful step. Rotting vegetation in the wetlands below the hill will soon be surrounded by ice as the weather is also descending into a deep freeze. The gentler slope along the West edge of the yard afforded an easier climb to the top of the hill. There are many deep deer tracks in the soft ground but sightings of these animals have been few. They seem to be traveling through here after dark. The moss that seems to be taking over many of the shady areas of the yard is bright green and lush. A large limb has fallen and is caught in a low crotch of the tree. It is dry dead wood that will be cut up and used in the airtight stove soon. It was over 60 degrees today but single digit temperatures are in the 10 day forecast. 

Few footprints are seen In the white snowy landscape Winter wonderland Walking alone in my thoughts There's a new path to follow -Caroline

The snow that fell on Northeast Ohio last night was not significant for this area. We are in a secondary snow belt and the lake effect snows that arrive from Lake Erie are often much deeper. The fluffy white stuff that outlined branches, wires and tree trunks flew off in large puffs as the wind blew this morning. It is a very clean looking pretty snow. Fortunately a trailer full of wood was brought around to the side of the house yesterday in anticipation of this snowfall. 

The days are now very dark in Northeast Ohio. Clouds that form over Lake Erie cause many of our Fall and Winter days to have no visible sunlight. I can see the bike trail from my house now that the leaves have fallen. It can be seen as the flat area behind the wet areas about midway up in this picture. Fewer people seem willing to walk, ride or run on the dark cold wet days. We have our own trail cut down the hill above that goes all the way around the property. Five circles around would be about a mile. The path above shows the steepest hill which is usually traversed in the downward direction. 

The Christmas season has turned into a season that is so different from the time that I grew up. We did have a real Christmas tree that would be erected less than a week before Christmas. The ornaments were mostly the same each year. They were stored away each year carefully wrapped individually in tissue paper. There were multicolored lights and shiny glass bulbs of different colors. Some hand made pieces that we had created around the dining table from directions found in magazines might be added.  Perhaps a new colorful chain made from construction paper would be wrapped around the tree. Heavy lead tinsel was liberally applied after all other decorations were secured. The tree looked very beautiful.  Years ago the important things of the season were Christmas concerts at the school and Christmas Eve church services. I sung in the choir so this was always a very special evening. The Sears and Roebuck Christmas catalog had carefully folded pages with items circled that we t

Never before have we seen such publicity on local sign-up clinics for veteran's cards. We chose the closest venue which was at a retirement community in Hudson, Ohio. It was actually held on Veteran's Day. This location was a great option compared to going to downtown Akron to get the card.  When we arrived in the main lobby it seemed very obvious that a special program honoring veteran's was going on in a room close by. We turned the corner to find the sign up area. There were at least 20 men and women sitting in chairs ahead of us.  Yes, It was a musical chair type of advancement to the sign-up table in the front. There were at least two very obviously disabled men  in the chairs in front of us. One was in a wheelchair with an attendant accompanying him and one had a very difficult time even standing to move from chair to chair as the line progressed. The ladies in charge of the line were quite lax in watching how the line moved along but seemed bent on keeping th

Sunset has arrived Casting brilliant red colors At the end of day -Caroline

Walking to work along the bike trail is a bit safer than walking along the street. Work is about a mile away so Russ took the camera along with him as he traversed the trail. A very thin crust of ice along the edge of the wetlands area and very still water in the center of this small pond enhances the beauty of the reflected trees. Recent snow flurries give the scene a frosty appearance.  Sheltered areas of the trail retained the light snow cover and the wooded areas are very open looking. The sun alternated with snow flurries today and in exposed areas the white cover melted in the warmth even though the day was quite chilly. 

The wind and rain of last night brought down this medium size dead limb. I don't remember whether the one top iron extension on the fence gate was slightly bent before this happened or not. At least it did not break and the bend is not bad enough to warrant fixing. It just adds a bit more charm to the antique cast iron fence. The leaves are soaked and they will have to dry before more leaf blowing can take place. 

The colors of the bright yellow maple leaves have a muted reflection in the window of the shed that sits close to the hill over the Metroparks hike and bike trail. That little shed needs scraped and painted but sadly that job will have to wait until next year. The plans to clear one of our last piles of "stuff" will also be pushed into the next year. Wood is being transported from the woodpile to the front porch. Cold weather is coming and we are prepared for that. 

An empty bird house Waiting for the wrens return I await that time -Caroline

The high winds last evening and through the night brought down a lot of leaves and small branches. Leaf blowers can be heard throughout the neighborhood. The Japanese red maple in front of the breezeway has turned the color that we await all year. Once this intense red-orange color appears the leaves fall within days. The cement pad in front of the the breezeway will soon be covered with a thick mat of red leaves. This tree is a very messy tree at all times of the year. Blossoms fall in the Spring, Seeds fall later and then it is time for the leaves. The gutters need cleaning very often. The tree was in place when we moved here or we would have never planted it so close to the house. It is very beautiful. 

There are several very tall sugar maple trees on one side of our yard. Some are almost leafless but others are just starting to change color. The leaves turn so many intense colors of red, yellow and orange. The city picks up leaves and a late fall of the leaves means an extended work period for the city workers. If the snow falls before all of the leaves come down it compounds the difficulty of the leaf cleanup. We are due to have a stormy day tomorrow with rain and lots of wind. The trees look so pretty it will be sad to see the change. 

This old faucet would look good somewhere in one of the garden areas in the yard but that is one of the things that will probably remain unfinished until next year. Not sure where we will put the old faucet  but perhaps a season of thinking might bring forth a plan. The half wagon wheel behind it has hoops for hanging plants  placed around the edge. We bought both of these many years ago with plans to use them. It could happen! 

Our granddaughter Kelsey helped her grandpa Russ plant this tree many years ago. The small twig of a tree has grown into a beautiful maple tree. We think of her whenever we pass this tree on a walk to the bottom of the hill on the West side of the yard. 

The old stained and cracked green asphalt tile from the 50s is now gone from our breezeway. A long overdue remodel has been finished. The stained and warped plywood walls were removed as were all of the doors and windows. Only the original bead board ceiling was left in place. Gray textured ceramic tile now covers the floor. We no longer have to prop the old poorly fitted aluminum storm doors open to get a breeze through the breezeway. The new doors close softly and stay shut. The hard to crank and hard to clean jalousie windows in the front and the non-opening windows in the back have been replaced with easy to open windows with screens. It is now a welcoming way to enter our home rather than an eyesore. 

The Fall colors have been extended this year by the warmer than usual weather. The changes have arrived in increments so some trees are completely bare and some are still green with no changes at all. It was worth the bumpy ride on Lake Rockwell Road in Portage County, Ohio to see the giant maples trees in the woods that flank each side of the road. The water reservoir is nearby. There is no trespassing in the woods and there are few people in the area. The road is so rough that travel has to be very slow. I would recommend this route for those who wish to go slow and enjoy the colors.  A bike trip through the area would be a great option. 

It does not seem that this tree was planted that long ago. Our granddaughter Jordan was only 7 or 8 when she helped her grandpa plant this tulip poplar. She is 19 years old now. She wore my boots which were so loose that she had trouble keeping them on her little feet. Unfortunately the first Winter that the tree was in the ground it met a sad fate. The deer girdled the trunk with their antlers and the tree died above the point where they gouged the bark off. The strong tree sprouted a small branch near the bottom edge of the trunk when Spring came and that little sprig has grown into this beautiful pyramidal tree. We refer to this tree as Jordan's tree. 

The local national parks remain closed because of the government closure. This has caused the Metro parks hike and bike trail behind our property to be very busy today. The mild temperatures are in the mid-seventies and we have seen many people wearing shorts and short sleeved shirts. Some walk slowly enjoying the wooded areas and wetlands as they talk to a companion. Some fly by on their expensive bikes shouting out "on your left" or ringing the bells on their bikes. These speedsters are missing a lot by going so fast. 

This warm cloudless day seems more like a Summer day than a day in Fall. The decorative grasses have ripened to a golden brown color. They tower over my head and make me feel tiny as I walk through the meadow areas of the yard.  There was a noise in the tall pine trees on the West side of the house as I walked through them. A large hawk had landed overhead but it quickly flew away as I raised my camera to take a picture.  The above normal temperatures have slowed down the color changes in the trees. We are still laying up firewood in spite of this warm weather.  It is a good time to catch up on the outside work that relies on warmer temperatures. 

Giant Leopard Moth Caterpillar I wonder how I have lived so long and not noticed or found one of these Leopard moth caterpillars. It was at the edge of a field in Western Pennsylvania. I hurried to the camp to fetch my camera so that I could get these pictures. Here is a link to Wikipedia that describes the moth and the caterpillar.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_leopard_moth When we left home on Friday we did not expect to find that the trees in Pennsylvania had changed color so much. The deep reds of the black gum trees contrasted with the beautiful golds and reds of the maples, sumac bushes and ash trees. The hills were emblazoned with color. It made the trip quite enjoyable. 

Thunder rumbled as the storm clouds grew darker this afternoon. The colors in the wetlands area at the bottom of the big hill on the West side of the yard have increased in beauty. The meadows are covered with beautiful leaves from the large sugar maple trees. We need rain so the sound of drops hitting the windows was welcome. The colors and sounds of Fall make me thankful for good eyesight and hearing. 

The changing colors Day by day intensity  changes then it wanes -Caroline

The mornings have been crisp, cool and invigorating. Fall is officially here and the daily changes in the colors of the foliage let us know that the really cold weather of Winter may not be too far away. More and more of the colorful leaves from the huge sugar maples that grow on the West side of the property litter the ground. We have not heard the sound of leaf blowers yet but soon we will have to dig our blower out of the shed and check it over. The cloudless sky today makes a nice contrast to the colors in the trees and underbrush.  Some of our planned projects have not been finished but hopefully there will be more time to get them done. 

Goldenrod has turned the meadow areas in the yard to gold. Tiny white flowers grow closer to the ground. Plumes from the decorative grasses rise high above all the ground vegetation. Purple asters dot the golden fields making a large natural bouquet. Crisp mornings and warm days make the walk around the yard a pleasurable experience. Colorful fallen leaves from the tall sugar maples pave the path on the West side of the property. The buzzards that live next door soar in ever rising circles as they search for food. Fall is my favorite time of year. 

The day started out as an ordinary day. I was preparing to go to work at an antique shop and ready to go out of the door to drive the 12 miles South to the location. My TV was still on when I heard the terrible announcement about a plane hitting one of the towers in New York. I proceeded on my way not knowing exactly what was happening. When I got to work shortly after 9 AM my sister already had the little black and white shop TV on and it was obvious that this was not an accident as another of the twin towers had been hit while I was on the way to my destination. We heard that all commercial and private airplanes were ordered to be grounded.  It was after that announcement that we heard the sound of an airplane. We went out onto the porch of the shop to see what was happening. The large commercial plane which had been headed slightly South made a strong turn and headed toward Pennsylvania. We had thought that it was heading toward the nearby Akron-Canton airport to land but it

The only thing  more beautiful than the flowers above is a large group of the same blooms. These spiked flowers are the last of the perennials that will bloom in my small flower garden this year. 

Violent Sneezing Runny Nose and Eyes Allergy Season -Caroline

 Megacyllene robiniae - Locust Borer There is not always the option of not being seen. If you are lucky enough to stand out in a crowd you should be very happy. It is your chance to be truly amazing. 

There are some outside maintenance projects that have been started that will need to be finished before the cold weather arrives. The garage doors will have to be painted and the interceptor drains will have to be cleared of vegetation. Some gravel may have to be added to the top of the drain which keeps the ground water away from the back of the house. Optional work will include moving of some of the perennials from my flower garden into other areas. There is never a lack of things to do.  The fungal growth above is larger around than a very large dinner plate and about 5 or 6 inches high. The little white spots on the mushrooms are little larva that feast on this growth. They will soon turn the fungus into a slimy brown goo. 

Last Fall I pruned this hydrangea shrub so that it looked like a crooked little stick standing in the garden. I don't know exactly what I was thinking at the time but it seems that the shrub did not do well last year and maybe I secretly did not care whether it grew back this year or not. It was quite a surprise to see the numerous large flowers on the bush. Some branches seem to be on the verge of breaking under the weight of the blooms.  There are some small ash trees near the hill at the back of the property and they have been infested by the Emerald Ash borer. The D shaped exit wounds in the bark are good evidence as to why the small trees are dying. These smaller trees are under the canopy of a huge tall, perhaps 80 feet or so, double trunk ash tree. The tree has a huge girth and two huge trunks extending from the bottom. It imparts a great deal of shade to the yard behind the big barn. It saddens me to see this huge tree dying back bit by bit. The D shaped holes made

As I walked through the paths that are cut through the meadow areas in our yard I could not help but notice that there are a number of fallen leaves. Some are very brightly colored. The maples are just starting to get some colored leaves on the tips of some branches and the wild cherry trees have entire branches of pretty elongated red leaves. Summer is still here but Fall is not far off.