Little sunflower

Oh little sunflower
who did this to you?
You name the
wind and short days, cold rain
and autumn's ways
And soon the goldfinch
will pick your children clean
But I will remember
your beauty in my being
through the cold
dark nights of winter
and so you will live on

Oh she's just about gone Lady Summer..her skirt trailing off in the distant horizon
which today was billowy with clouds with a few breaks in them teasing us with a shot of blue
It was cool today and my walk in the garden was really an inspection
What needs to be done
before winter sets in...yes winter
This autumn guy is way too slick and if you don't watch yourself
you'll be fooled into thinking you have time...much time to get your chores finished
not this year....I'm older and wiser
and besides it takes me a whole lot longer to get things put away
I sound like a grumpy old wench don't I
Tomorrow, tomorrow I'll feel better.....I'll look for beauty and joy

A morning walk in the garden

Oh dear...to think these pitiful things

 looked like these

not too long ago,but I walked on

and while walking in the garden this morning after last night's gusty storm, I noticed one tiny leaf in the center of this tabletop....ohhh! I said in happiness... hoping the garden fairy heard me....I love it!

But I was humbled most by the stepping stones

that had gathered things in the night

hoping I would pause and see

what beauty still

is there for me

if I only look

I wish I could take better photos because I would have shown you the tiny damsel fly...a red one

that flitted about the goldenrod and the Thrush I spotted fleeing the red twig dogwoods as got near

but I guess I moved like a dinosaur or a rhino through the fallen leaves 

and they were gone. I'm am settling myself in to take in the entering of this new season

I know I love him, but I guess it is so easy for us humans to mourn what we had... instead of seeing what we have..... 

So I put on my "Moment" spectacles and really took a look today

..now to go marinate some chicken for tomorrow

..oh...I see that label still on that lemon....oh dear



Inside looking outside

My good friend Mary called last night for me to go out and see the harvest moon.
Nice having good friends like that..that know you so well. I would have missed its rising beauty if she hadn't called. I am almost back to normal...nasty cold bug thingy !
I went out early this morning and walked around the garden filling the yard waste bin with dried leaves and old faded flowers and of course weeds. Today it is supposed to be 90! I guess Lady Summer has checked out of the Hotel but has returned for her forgotten hat......her smile does warm the day
I have set my mind into letting go....it's time....autumn time
I embrace him knowing that he too will romance me with his ways.
I am already getting excited about pumpkins and the foolishness of Halloween
Reformation when I was growing up!
bah humbug....it's fun....it's seasonal....it's laughter and the glee of children
So with a cup of coffee (decaff now since my accident...blood pressure up)\
I sat and looked out my kitchen window...plants sorted and presented in front of my door for full appreciation...don't want to miss one bloom

have a look

Autumnal Equinox

yep,tonight

it begins

around 9pm

autumnal equinox

And tomorrow the days

will be hasty, waning into winter

as Autumn tries to deceive us

with wonder

hoping we will not notice

that our fair Lady,Summer,

has stolen away

in the night

leaving us with surrendering leaves

and gasping flowers...having one last word to say,

leaving their last will and testament behind

for their heirs.

But she must have looked back,one last time before she

wept goodbye....and threw us a splash of color to remember her by

until next year......for she had to go

others wait for her arrival

weary of Old man Winter

and his inward ways

      so farewell grand Lady

Godspeed

Oxalis

Oxalis
a cute little flower...often sold as shamrocks
This one is growing in a pot on my deck
and as I sat there just taking in the warm...almost hot, last days of summer
I felt a kinship with this plant
Just coming out of my gloom after my accident and now suffering some sort of virus
I needed the sun to shine on me
to feel its warmth on my skin
to open again
but part of me is still in a sort of darkness
and my leaves are folded shut like the Oxalis
sort of prayerlike
Both looking upward
petals seeking sun
leaves closing in darkness
both of us aware of the shortening of days

Oh let it come
can't stop it anyway
raining of leaves everywhere
showering me with
the message:
enjoy every minute...'cause I'm going
to those who need me more
but I'll be back..so take a walk
enjoy my show....it's glorious

September 11

I remember today the terrorist act
against my beloved country september 11, 2001
The sight of the plane hitting the second building
will forever be burnt into my eyes and heart
I will never forget
God Bless America
Land that I love

Robins and berries

This afternoon I saw a robin! He was poking his beak around the berries of the Mountain Ash tree.
I was thrilled that a robin had returned to my garden,
I was beginning to think that they had mysteriously slipped away in the night without as much as a goodbye.
But I guess my neighbors had tastier treats. I also saw them on the ground eating up the elderberries that have fallen there very overripe and staining my grass a mushy purple.
This mountain ash is a volunteer. It is growing better than the one we planted and producing more berries.
We are headed to Galena tomorrow and I hope to take some photos of our house and land there for you to see.
I can't wait to see what is going on in the woods there.

I'm not feeling very poetic lately so please excuse my prosey writing......it's not very Open Bar-ish
It's this autumn thing that is blowing in....it's got me down a bit (despite the glorious blue skies and cooler weather)....and I hate that...but I see ..I know
that it is the season changing as it should.
I'm all ready mourning the lack of new flowers to suprise and delight me. Only a blush here and there....or out and out fade away plants. And the trees have been trying to tell me for weeks that they are getting ready to hunker down.....I don't want them to go!!!!!!!!!
But the time will come when I will submit

Buzzy bees

See the bee inside the flower?

Gertie garden is looking her age lately
It's a good thing the bees love her obedient flowers
Walking in the garden this morning the flowers were abuzz with bees
of all kinds....sticking their noses into the flowers with such abandon
a sensuous thing to bee-hold
gatherers of pollen
pollinating my garden
as part of the glorious plan
A joy to sit and just watch
these marvelous insects hard
at work
making music this early morn
buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

September asters

The wild aster
what a beauty she is
tall and stately,
with lots of blooms
that come when everything else is waning
She jumps in and steals the show
away from the goldenrod and zinnias
their chorus line girls now
Aster has top billing
in the Open Bar of Joy

Sweet Autumn Clematis

Sweet Autumn Clematis

picture from wemoss.org check him out

Anyway, this is what I hoped to have growing on my trellis, Sweet Autumn Clematis... but due to the most unfortunate of accidents, I hope I will see it next year.

I first saw it growing on my daughter's fence in her new house..which is a very old four square house in the city. It was stunning. And at the time, a hard clematis to find at the nursery. But find one I did in Galena. I planted it two years ago. First year nice growth...got it climbing on the tellis, this year..climbing and sending out flower buds. So when I cut it by mistake while getting rid of grape vine...I cried.
Really, I cried.
I have watched it die slowly over the last day or two. Hoping over hope that maybe somwhere it was connected to the ground...no.  It's gone. I appreciate all your words of comfort and empathy...you've all been there one way or anothe,r I know.
Now to man up and get back out there in the garden and find some joy. Bar Open.

Snippers and a gasp

This is a rare thing for me
in my Open Bar of Joy...
No it's not raining
See that woodbine and grape mixture
climbing up my chimney
It's gone now, but that's not what's wrong
Oh dear, must I tell you that I got a bit
intoxicated with joy today happily removing
this overgrown monster off of my house
and in my euphoria I mistakenly snipped...
and I knew the minute I did it...I think the plant cried out! I do!
I snipped my second year Sweet Autumn Clematis vine!
It was just about to burst open in bloom...last year there were no blooms,
but this year...it was loaded...and now I have to close the Open Bar of Joy
for a funeral........

Late summer rain

There is beauty in a late summer rain
quiet and constant
pinging down upon petals and leaves
until the weak ones release...drop
in all their turning colors to the ground

Autumn is coming

autumn is coming
the days are getting shorter
the robins haven't been seen
and the leaves are yielding
as I know
I will
have to
...soon