saturated sunday

 

It was not raining yesterday when these pictures were taken.

This year I've become very aware of the aroma of milkweed.

It's lovely, and stops me in my tracks at least twice every day, as I pass the plants growing next to the path to the barn.

Daily trips with the little hay cart have been rerouted to prevent a collision with the one milkweed plant growing in the shorter path.

Spiderwort is providing surprises:

I've now seen four shades of purple on individual plants.

Here are two:

And a single spiderwort plant blooming white. 

The palette of the barn gardens is about to change.

Daylilies on the brink of blooming:

After several years of trying, the precious thornless raspberries I've planted in the terrace garden seem to have come to terms with the tough soil and light conditions here, and are not just surviving, but growing. They are currently doing as well as can be expected in a subtropical rainforest.

(This snap makes my mouth water.)

Wishing you all an excellent week ahead.

And wishing us all a bit of moderate weather.

I don't know anyone who doesn't need it.

~~~~~

rather wordy wednesday

New England asters!

Well, you know what this means...

1) Found the camera!

2) It is now Autumn!

Autumn is not a sad time for me, though I understand why many see it that way.

I feel it more as a beginning than an ending.

There's certainly plenty going on in the plant world.

Some plants are just beginning to blossom for the first time:

Others, like this Queen Anne's Lace,

are already investing most of their energy in the future:

Plants influence my daily activities in many ways. Collecting seeds. Arranging for the goats' food supply. Watching the candy roaster squash grow, and planning where to store them if they make it to storing size.

A new experiment: biting insects arrive before the jewelweed in the Spring, so next year I'm hoping jewelweed in the form of ice cubes will provide similar itch-relief as the fresh plants. Do me a favor? Next Spring, when I mention the blackflies and mosquitoes, please remind me that I did this. It is entirely possible I will forget what those little brown blocks are, tucked away in the freezer.

Speaking of the freezer, early Autumn is also the gastronomically interesting time when I try to identify and eat everything left in the chest freezer - lots of soups and berries this year - prior to defrosting and cleaning.

 All in preparation for...apple season!

I love Autumn.

~~~~~

road trip!

This past weekend was the 27th annual Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival in Tunbridge, Vermont. Friends were competing, and I was invited to ride along for the 2.5-hour trip up and back on Sunday. Being a passenger has always been a treat for me; a driving commuter for decades. And although rain had been predicted for the weekend, it was blue skies and sunshine all the way. Lovely! Sitting back, watching the scenery, and nattering away to the driver who, like me, doesn't ordinarily spend a lot of time socializing because there is always some task or chore that needs doing. Chatting for hours without the nagging feeling that something else should be happening instead is quite a luxury.

I even added a few rows to my latest KAL sock:

As unbelievable as it may sound, this journey was my biggest trip to date of 2015: five hours in a vehicle and 4.5 hours at an event. I won't describe the collection of cushions and props I brought along, but it's a fact that I've spent weeks traveling in other countries with a single backpack containing less than I now apparently need to cross the road.

Oh well. At least I do occasionally cross the road! :)

New England Asters in Vermont!
Much more exotic than in Massachusetts!
Okay, not really. But always a favorite :)

Remember last year, when I went to the same fair - it's also the Cashmere Goat Association show - and brought my camera but no memory chip? And I apologized because I could post no pictures from the fair?

Well, that was not about to happen THIS year! No no no!

This year, I brought the new camera (for it's final Field Test), two fully-charged batteries, and two chips. HA!

We arrived at the fair at noon, and I headed straight for the Integrated Parasite Control & FAMACHA© Training Workshop, which began only moments later. For four years I've been looking for a FAMACHA training class close to home; this was like a gift landing at my feet. The class was taught by Dr Katherine Petersson from the University of Rhode Island and lasted for four hours. Yes, that's right. Four hours of thinking hard about gastrointestinal worms. It was excellent.

The organizers provided snacks on a table at the back of the classroom, and invited participants to help themselves at any time during the presentation. I was grateful for a "polite" excuse to stand up and move around at frequent intervals. I hope the other participants didn't think I was snarfing up snacks every time I got to my feet, but it was a chance I was willing to take.  ;)

Now, if you noticed the timeframe, you will not be surprised to hear that when the workshop ended and I headed out of the cold classroom and into the gorgeous Autumn sunshine, all the fair vendors were packing up their tents.

Yes, I went to a fiber fair and a cashmere goat show, and spent the entire time in a cold, dark classroom. When I headed for the cashmere goat area, exhibitors were sweeping out the now-empty rented stalls. Most goats were already loaded to leave.

So I hastily took the first - and last - goat picture of the day: 

One of my friends' bucks, looking out the truck window. Photographed through the reflection of trees and blue sky.

You can't say I never take you anywhere on this blog.

Can you?

HA.

Shall we try again next year?

:)

~~~~~

everything put together falls apart*

Several things are falling apart at the same time here.
The good news is, they are things.

You already know about my trusty little camera. (Replacement ordered, arrangements made to recycle the one that's retiring.)
You may have heard me muttering about the laptop which has been a daily aggravation for a year. (Planned to replace it this month; now reconsidering.)
I can barely bring myself to type the words, but the Little Green SportsWagon - my faithful draftpony 2000 Elantra Wagon  - may need to be replaced before Winter; definitely by next Spring.
And yesterday, mid-cycle, my washing machine stopped washing.**

Good golly Miss Molly.

Deep breath.

Things. Not people, and thank goodness not animals. Just. Things.

Still, in an effort to bring some balance to my little universe, I'm going to spend this afternoon working on some sort of project I can tackle without spending any money. Fortunately, there are plenty to choose from :)

~ Wishing you a peaceful Sunday ~

~~~

*post title borrowed from Paul Simon

** That dyed jacket? Still soaking wet. There's just no substitute for the spin cycle, is there? ;)

~~~~~