Rain

It rained most of the night and on til about 9 AM. My gauge said 2 1/2 inches. I walked in the drizzle using my rain gear. My internet was out til 11:00. 

Lots of leaves are changing colors. This one is a Black Gum leaf. They’re  my favorite fall tree.

Laura’s school didn’t have electricity for she got an extra day off. 

I think today is the first day of fall. This year is 3/4 over.

 

Goldenrod

Fleta headed to Coin early! She brought rain with her—3/4 an inch! We collaborated on our usual—a dna genealogy mystery! Each evening we picked a Netflix movie! I’m hoping Helen will come soon.💙

I bought frozen Walmart biscuits for breakfast and told Fleta I’d tell Helen I made them but she wouldn’t fall for it.

Goldenrod is blooming! Goldenrod is filling my neighbors pastures! Logan and Astrid have bush hogged our meadow so they aren’t growing there. Running eyes and sneezing are blamed on these plants but its pollen is large and sticky, not small and wind-borne like that of ragweed, the true culprit. Goldenrod flowers are a magnet for flies, beetles, wasps and butterflies. Goldfinches and sparrows love goldenrod seeds. Cattle and horses aren’t fond of it. Goldenrod contains latex. Pioneers used it as a yellow dye. 

During World War I the price of rubber soared and Henry Ford asked   his friend Thomas Edison to see if any native plants could be used as a source of rubber. Of the plants Edison tested, he found several goldenrod species contained latex compounds. One species had over 6 percent in the leaves. But synthetic rubber was produced in the lab and both Ford and Edison passed during World War II, so nothing ever came of making rubber from goldenrod.

 

Salad

Ada has many imaginary friends she plays and converses with. She’s feeding them a healthy salad. She reads with her Mother daily. Last week after reading an hour she said—tomorrow’s my day off.

 

Filet of Hearts

I finished another baby blanket. It’s blue for a boy and darker than the picture appears.

 I’m heading to yoga this morning. I think of it as stretching.

Fleta is on her way😊

Mowed

Fleta is coming tomorrow so I mowed. I’m can’t get close to things like Pop did and have to weed eat! I hit the stake and knocked my glass bird to the ground!  I was lucky it didn’t shatter. My white and pink crepe myrtles have blooms. They’re  two planted side by side and were given to Laura as gifts when Pop passed. After planting it can take 5 years for one to bloom. They can live 50 to 100 years. Some are actually trees. Mine are bushes. They’re a native to China and Japan and known as the lilac of South! 

Most people clean house when they have guests coming. I clean outside and have the house dark so dirt isn’t easy to see. I’m cooking. Poor Flet. One night pork cutlets, baked potato and steamed broccoli. One night iron skillet burgers and fried potatoes. I’m a pretty bad cook but I decided to cook. I’ll make cookies for dessert. I can make those! 

I hope Fleta brings OLD shoes so we can walk through the grassy meadow. My path is mowed but I can’t let her walk in her good shoes. I have a thing about taking care of shoes. I grew up having one pair until those wore out. I wear old clothes but love good shoes. 👞 I have lots! Embarrassing to me.

 

Shower

I have heard the saying — ducks in a row. I thought, well, here are corgis in a row. 

It’s hot again but soon chill will come then  cool and finally cold so I will just be happy. Yesterday in the afternoon heat a shower arrived. We received half an inch. I’ll be mowing soon as the grass has really gotten tall. 

Sister Fleta is coming Friday so I’ll have weekend company. I’m thankful for a visitor. Helen declined the opportunity. 

This Old House

The advantages of walking at dawn is beholding the sun coming up and enjoying the cool morning air! Don’t forget the little hummingbirds as they are still looking for nourishment!

 Well, as fall arrives the mice invade my house. It’s old and holey not holy. This morning I discovered a dead mouse. I have to keep mouse poison out. It’s still working. I also lost a chicken yesterday. She was 4 years old and their life span is short. I held no funerals. I saw a big coyote on my walk. He’s probably looking for a way to get into my chicken pen!

False Foxglove

False Foxglove is blooming in my neighbor’s pasture. It’s so pretty pink blooms dot the entire field. The blooms resemble Foxglove, but the False one is not Digitalis.

I thought my Cock’s Comb was pretty, but then my friend shared this one her husband grew and entered in our County Fair. I see why he got a blue ribbon. 

 

Balloons over Harrison

Balloons over Harrison happened this weekend. It’s happened here in the River Valley before and we enjoyed sitting out by the Meadow and watching them pass over. Ada lives on a hill overlooking south Harrison where they lifted off. She was amazed at the sight of them.

At school on the 11th, they spoke of the tragedy. This was Ada’s first time to hear of the events that day. She said—it breaks my heart. 

The Arkansas State Hot Air Balloon Festival will host 31 hot air balloon pilots the weekend of Sept. 13-14. A detailed schedule of events is posted on Facebook at Explore Harrison. Admission to the festival activities is free. Harrison has hosted this event for 30 years, and organizers are excited about the positive response and having a waiting list of pilots.

Weed Man

I still see a few booms when I walk each morning. They are getting smaller and fewer. The County Agent said my problem in my pond was Primrose and Cattail. He took pictures and the state’s aquatic expert will advise me.  There’s hope. I showed him all my fire ant hills. The stuff from Walmart isn’t great. He showed me what to but. It’s $75 for a few pounds. I may still use hot water, Dawn and a little bleach on these by my house. It works. 

I saw this horse scarf pattern. I’m thinking—would Astrid wear it?

 

Turn about is fair

Continuous granny square for Amanda

Helen stitched baby guilts for my grandchildren, even one for Ada! Turn about is fair. I made baby blankets for her three grand girls to use one day. I not be around when the time arrives.

Unique yellow for Lexi

Baby boy blue for Kenzie

 

Mowed

I mowed yesterday afternoon. We’re warming up to the 90’s again so I thought I’d go ahead. It may be my last time to mow this year. Might have to one more time. For sure I’ll have to mow the 🍂! It did not take as long. Astrid mowed my Lake path and I had push mowed the area near my house. Only took an hour and half. 

County Extension Agent is coming tomorrow to check my pond and see what I can do. One thing I know I need to do is buy 6 gold fish each fall and add to the pond because the egrets catch them. They won’t entice the egrets until they’re large so if I add some each year maybe that will help. I’m hoping I can add a chemical that won’t kill the fish. Pop loved his pond and I don’t want to let it go fallow.

Yesterday morning when I walked Manchi indicated he was tired of having me photograph him!🤭🤭