Still Fall

I feel compelled to produce evidence that it is indeed fall here and not the dead of winter yet.

Yes, the days are shorter and we tend to experience snow "sprinkles" rather than rain - but it's fall. Taking walks this time of the year tends to be interesting for wildlife spotting. It's easy to spot deer and squirrels in the trees without the cover of leaves to hide them. Surprisingly I haven't really spotted rabbits near the house this fall.

In the morning any little bit of water tends to be frozen, but the river is still flowing.


Just a few leaves left in the yard. We did get a great day over the weekend to clean up most of the ones that fell in the front yard. The back tends to stay fairly leaf free on its own.


This brings up one question I have been pondering lately - do I need to clean up my leaves? I have vaguely heard somewhere that if you have a fine type of grass that too many leaves will damage it over the winter. I wonder how much is too much...which begs the question, if grass really isn't suited to where it is (under trees) what is better...

Highs: near 32 F

What is Quiet?

That's the question that came to me the other night as walked outside and noted how quiet everything was. It might have been the late hour - everyone was home from work and the sun was set. It might have been the rain - every sound seems to become dampened in the wet. Finally I knew what it was....there was no wind!

I had become so used to the blowing and rattling of leaves and branches that it was so different for things to be very still and calm.

As timing and luck would have it I am making a post with snow again - get used to it because it will become more common from now 'til spring. The snow we had before did disappear - really.


We are on the lucky side of things...no blizzard with 50 inches here. Just rain and now a small amount of snow.


There are some awards for plants that have stayed around longest through the frosts...raspberries (can't wait 'til next year when we get to harvest them).


Curly parsley has proven fairly hardy as well.


The swiss chard near the house has also survived.


Thanks for stopping by and let me know...how to you know when it is really quiet?