The Calendar Says November, The Flowers Say What???

A few of my perennial plants are getting just a little confused.  Here it is, the day before Thanksgiving, and in just a few more days it will be the start of December.  A few more weeks and Xmas will be here.  But the weather has been un-seasonally warm for this area.  Not hot, just warmer than normal.  Enough to confuse a few of my plants.  We have had several good hard frosts, but not hard enough, obviously.

Here we have a Pincushion plant.  Not only does it have two blossoms fully opened, but as you can see, there are buds that are nearly ready to open up as well.  All around the plant is dead foliage, but this plant remains green and quite "alive."

I planted about 4 Alyssum, and they are looking a bit ragged, but this one is still blooming.  A bit sparsely, but a few blossoms just the same.

I have several Gaillardia plants, and most of them have given up and died back.  All but this one, that must be somewhat sheltered by  being close to the porch foundation.  It is obviously still quite green, alive and blooming.  I love these plants because they are such cheerful looking flowers all summer long.  To have one still blooming so late in the year is a real joy and delight for me.

Last, but not least at all, I can't forget the small, but lovely Johnny Jump-Up plant.  The first to bloom in Spring, and the last to bloom as Winter takes hold.  I've even seen their lovely little flowers poking up through the snow on occasion.  I have never planted any seed for these, but I do maintain 3 large bird feeders on the top of posts, in my flower bed.  So I am sure the seed that spills from the feeders, and not eaten by the ground feeders, have managed to germinate and bring forth these adorable little plants.  At one time I feared they were going to overtake my flower bed.  But that never happened, and so I have been able to continue enjoying them for many years now. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all.  :)

A Week Of Small Critters - All New To My Home

On the window, right beside my computer desk, I keep a Hummingbird feeder during the Summer months.  And a little bird seed feeder during the Winter/Spring Months.  They both attach to the window with a suction cup.

A few days ago, after filling up all my feeders and suet holders, I heard a tapping on the window.  I looked out, and there was a chipmunk stuffing his little cheeks, on my window feeder.  I know there are chipmunks in the neighborhood, but I had never in 22 years seen one anywhere around my home.  But there he was.  Later I discovered there were 2 of them.  One on the bigger feeder out in the flower bed (which I can see from my window) and the other one here at my window.

In the afternoon, I made another surprising discovery.  I once again heard the tapping on the window, so I looked out and there was another small critter at my feeder.  But this little guy was nearly twice the size of the chipmunk, and it had no stripes on it.  It took a few minutes before it finally registered that what I was looking at was a red squirrel.  We've had grey squirrels here for years.  Lew even built me a special feeder just so we could feed the squirrels and watch them frolick in the snow.  We find them amusing and fun to watch.  But again, we have never had red squirrels around our home for as long as we've lived here.  We do now.

I only saw this one, so I hope he keeps the feeders here a secret.  I would not like being overrun with red squirrels.  I have been told they do far more damage than the grey squirrels do.  True or not, I don't want to find out the hard way.  He sure is a cute little bugger though, eh?

Then the piece dé resistance - Last night, just as I was shutting down my computer for the day, there came a tapping on the window.  It was storming outside, and as I looked out the window, I could see the feeder blowing in the wind.  Oh yes, I have replaced the suction feeder with a hanging one.  Why?  Because the chipmunk became very frustrated with me when I didn't refill the feeder quick enough to suit him, and he sat here yanking on the feeder and pounding it against the window.  I had enough of that, and removed the suction feeder and put up a hanging one.  The thought behind that was that maybe, with it dangling out away from the window, the chipmunk might find it a bit harder to raid.  And it's worked so far.  He climbs up to the big feeders in the flower bed, but he has been leaving the smaller one, hanging from my window, alone.  So when I heard this banging last night, I wanted to know what was causing it.

As I watched the feeder sway in the breeze, or so I thought, I also caught flashes of movement as well.  But it was so dark I just couldn't see what it was.  I had to get the flashlight, and when I did, boy was I surprised.  There on my little feeder was a tiny squirrel like animal, but with a very small tail in comparison to the grey squirrels, and he himself was no bigger than a chipmunk.  I had never seen this animal before in my entire life.  I immediately started searching on Google for nocturnal mammals of North America, and for me that was a chore.  I am lousy at doing a search, on Google or anywhere.  But eventually I found my little critter and it was a most wonderful and enjoyable surprise for me.  A North American flying squirrel. 

And not only one of them, but two (2).  You just have to look harder to see the second one.  And if I hadn't seen it climb out of the feeder myself, I probably would not have seen it either.  But it is there.  A big white belly is most of what you see, but the top of his head is sticking out of the top of the feeder too.  He just lifted the roof and climbed right inside the box.  So this photo was taken through 2 panes of glass, with the use of a flashlight to illuminate the critters.  Not perfectly clear, but clear enough.  Other than through TV documentaries, I have never seen a flying squirrel in my entire life.  This was and is a real treat.

Something else that I am happy about, finally having my little porch closed in.  I now have screening all way round, on the inside.  And Plexiglas panels all way round on the outside.  I can remove them in the Summer and have a screened in porch, and put them in for the Winter to keep the snow off the porch and the wind directly away from the door.  And the added bonus is the ramp.  That will make it so much easier for me to bring in my groceries and those heavy bags of sunflower seed and bird seed.  :)

Last, but not least, is the beginning of blooming season for my beautiful Xmas Cacti.  I have several, but this one blooms from Halloween through to Memorial Day or thereabouts.  The only Xmas Cacti I have ever seen to do that.  The first flower opened the day before Halloween.  The buds are covering the plant now and getting bigger every day.  Isn't she lovely?

I awoke this morning to find a light dusting of snow on the ground.  It is bitter cold today, about 36ºF as I type this (11:42 AM), but they are calling for warmer weather starting Sunday and through the week.  Fine with me.  :)

Take care and keep well.

Fall Fell On October 7, 2009

Yesterday was a nasty day! Rain and high winds, and what was once lovely is not ugly. All, that is, but this little Woolly Bear caterpillar. It is the first and only one I've seen this year, and last evening, when I put the dogs out, he was walking across my porch. As you can see, a large part of the center is red/rust, and the tip at each end is black. I have no idea what this means, so if anyone knows how to "read" woolly bears, clue me in, will you? They are supposed to show if we are going to have a lot of snow or what. Some kind of superstition that I never paid much heed to, which is why I don't know what his coat is predicting for us this go-round.
Anyway, that lovely, brightly colored maple that I showed you just 2 days back? Well, this is what it looked like today. It, along with about 80% of the trees in the area, are looking like this now. Or worse. Most don't have any leaves left. They are all on the ground or covering the roads. Branches and limbs are all over the ground too. I was picking up the downfall from my willow tree today.
On Tuesday, this was that area behind the house where there was so much color and loveliness. Now this is what it looks like. You have to admit though, the grass sure is green!!
And my lovely Sunflowers. Many now have no petals at all, just dark centers. The tallest one was blown over completely. This is the view from the front. If I walk around to the back, facing where the sun comes up in the morning, there are still blossoms, just not as many.
This is my one green tree! This maple tree is the one I planted about the second year after we moved here. It was a seedling growing right outside my Father's bedroom window, and they didn't want it there. My BIL dug it up for me, I brought it home, and Lew planted it for me. For some reason it is the last tree around to turn color and lose it's leaves. I don't know if it is sheltered being directly behind the house, or what. But right now it is just now showing the very first signs of changing color here and there, but it has a long way to go before it turns completely. My sweet maple stays green for me, longer than all the rest. I appreciate that. :)

So my prediction that I feared our Fall had peaked when I posted on Tuesday, was correct. At least for this are we are basically done. There are far more bare trees than colorful ones now. Last night the winds were horrible and we even lost power for about an 1½ hours. I sat knitting and reading with a flashlight sitting on my shoulder. Better than sitting in the dark, twiddling my thumbs, eh? :)

Fall In Lake Como, PA

There are still quite a few flowers that are still blooming, and the Gilardia has been blooming since the end of May. I love flowers that bloom all season and beyond. The only thing that will stop them is a killing frost, and although we have had a frost, it didn't hit these pretty flowers.
Johnnie Jump Up - another all-season bloomer, even after a frost sometimes. These are blooming right out in the lawn. They escaped from the flower bed and struck out on their own, and I have been loathe to mow them down, so I mow around them and leave them there to show their lovely faces to the sun and to me each time I walk out the gate. Who could mow over something so lovely? Obviously, not I! :)
The Sunflowers are now in full bloom, from the smaller ones to the tallest of them. I am so glad I took the time to plant them the second time back in July. Now I have this to greet me every morning as I gaze out the kitchen window. And the birds are going to love them too. Right now the bees have been feasting.
Dusty Miller and Purple Petunias. The flower bed is in pretty poor shape right now. Weeds have finally gotten a head start because I have not been able to keep up with them. But still these lovelies are providing a bright spot along with the Gilardia plants, my Mums, and a even a few miniature roses are still blossoming.
This is the Maple tree at the edge of my property. As you can see, a lot of leaves are gone already.
This young Lilac bush was hit by the frost back on September 20th. That is a good 2 weeks earlier than we normally see a frost here. But this bush is proof that it happened.
I took this picture Monday morning. Yes, Canada Geese flying South for the Winter.
About 2 1/2 miles from my house is this bit of scenery. I could probably point my camera in almost any direction and find scenery like this. I am so fortunate to live in this beautiful area. I can't imagine living anywhere else.
I took this picture this morning. This is the view from my Doctor's office. You can literally see for miles and miles and miles.
This is the view from my own back yard, looking down across the fields.
Another photo taken down the road from my Doctor's office.
More of the same vista, but here you can see the beaver's dam.

Oh yes, the Butterfly Garden. It's not much now. Most of the plants have outgrown their best size, and are falling all over each other, but there are still new blossoms daily. I don't know about Butterflies visiting them this late in the year, but I know the bees are still visiting. Once they warm up in the sun, well enough to fly, that is. I am seeing them all over, walking along the ground and staggering. But as soon as the sun warms them, they are off and searching for more nectar. I am still seeing our Garden Snakes out sunning too. That won't be for too much longer. Usually, before the end of October, the snow has begun. I guess they are trying to catch the last of those rays before going in for the long Winter nap. :)

Fall Continues It's Advance

Just a short distance from my home there are 10 Hydrangea Trees. They are nothing to look at most of the year. But come late Summer and Fall, and boy do they shine! They are heavy with flower and it seems they get more pink as the weather cools. I love them!

Right across the road from the Hydrangea trees there is a valley and vista that is beautiful in Spring, Summer and Fall. But I guess Fall is the more showy of the seasons. Spring is my favorite season, but I will not deny that Fall is just as full of beauty.

Along the same expanse of sky and earth, there in the middle is a beaver pond and swamp area. I guess you could say that Fall puts a very lovely face on death. The leaves are falling pretty heavily right now. I really doubt there will be leaves for too much longer, but I guess it could be possible to get another week or two of more brilliant color before it is all gone for this year.

One thing I see that I will have to do in future, is to make sure I have my good camera with me when I go out from now on. The little one I keep in my car to grab those unexpected moments just does not have the picture quality of the other camera, no matter how hard I try. But these were not too bad, so I decided to go ahead and share them.

Have a great weekend. :)

Fall Is Coming Fast

According to our local news/weather station, WNEP out of Scranton, PA, 50 miles southeast of where I live, the fall colors are at about 40% in the higher elevations, of which I am a part. It looks like more than 40% to me, but what do I know.


On Monday, I had driven down to Honesdale to do some grocery shopping. I was way overdue and it was a lovely day, so I got it done. On the way home, at the top of this little hill, about 100 or so yards from my home, I was coming back , so driving toward you here, and just the other side of that road sign you can see, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, and out comes running, not 1, not 2, but 3 BOBCATS!! The first two were her baby kittens, and she came last, taking the rear position to protect them. Now I knew there were Bobcats in the area. Not only Bobcats, but several people, including my BFF Kate, have seen Cougars as well. Once Kate saw a full grown Cougar coming from behind my barn. I have never seen one, but that is no guarantee they are not here. And the PA Game commission will outright deny they are to be found in the state of PA completely. But before Monday I had never seen a Bobcat in the wild either, even though I knew they were reportedly found in the area, and known to be around the area by the Game commission. So because you never see something doesn't make it so. I've never in my entire life seen a rattle snake in the wild either, and yet I know they are around. I have just been lucky enough to never run into one, thank goodness.

Anyway, Fall is definitely well on the way and the trees are showing it quite clearly these days. I don't know when we will peak, but I have a feeling it might be just a bit more than a week from now. I doubt we will go much farther. The leaves are falling quite heavily already. All we need is one good storm with a lot of wind and rain, and that will advance Fall quite a bit!

Hope you have a great day. Thanks for visiting. :)

Late Bloomers and Forever Bloomers

This is the lone Red Poppy in that sea of Orange Poppies from my Butterfly Garden. All of the Orange Poppies were about half this size too. I wish there had been more of these big Poppies, but it was just not meant to be. Maybe the seed from this plant will survive the Winter to produce more of them next years. It really is a gorgeous lone Poppy.
As you can see, the Sunflowers have continued to bloom more and more daily. I can't wait for those really tall ones to blossom. I'm sure it won't be long now. I was sure I planted some of the huge headed ones, but I don't see any so far.
A dwarf Gillardia. I had no idea that they seed themselves. Just that they are a lovely bright and cheerful perennial plant that blooms the entire Spring and Summer, right into Fall. This is one such seedling. It was so small when I planted it here in July, I really didn't know if it would survive at all, let alone blossom this year. And yet here it is giving everything it has to bloom. I love this plant!! I now have about 5 of them, and would not mind 5 more.
This is my double lavender Rose of Sharon. I don't know why, but this shrub never blooms when all the other Rose of Sharon bushes are blooming. It has just begun to blossom and it is full of buds. So unless the deer eat them all off, it should get lovelier each day.
My Morning Glories are trying to play tricks on me. One day they blossom Pink, and the next they are definitely Blue. Today they are Blue, but yesterday they were positively Pink. See for yourself! Both of these pictures are of the very same vines, just one day apart. I wonder what they will be tomorrow? Blue or Pink? Another thing, usually by late afternoon the flowers are closed tight, but that is another oddity. Both of these pictures were taken in the late afternoon, around 4 PM or later, with the Sun beginning to go down.

This is a Zina Princess Lily. My BFF Kate gave it to me last Spring. No, it is not a perennial where I live, but we both dug them up and took them inside for the Winter. Her's was huge and stayed that way, and it started blooming even before she placed it back outside for this Summer. Mine, on the other hand, has just begun blooming since last week. So I have hesitated in taking it up for a time, but it will have to be done soon or the shock may be too much for it.
I think my Butterfly Garden grew so fast, that it crowded my Rudbeckia well enough that they didn't have much room for expansion. This group has stayed quite low to the ground.
This is the center plant of 3 that I planted. The two end plants have stayed short and compact, but this one did gain a bit of height. I'm sure that next year they will probably be quite high before the Butterfly Garden is even planted. But maybe I won't have to plant it next year. If enough of the plants drop good seed, it just might plant it's self. That would sure save me some work. LOL Like the Gillardia, the Rudbeckia bloom the Summer long. Always a bright face in any garden. :)