Autumn 2011 ...all the tasks that couldn't be done...

Those are lovely pictures - including speedy in the yellow light! The asters are so pretty, a meadow sounds a wonderful idea to me.

It doesnt seem but weeks ago you were waiting for summer Lori, and now winter is approaching! Your meadow is a wow! And the woodland is straight out of an Elizabeth Gouge fairytale! Lovely. Hope your bulbs stay intact, hopefully those wicked little squirrels will find enough easy food and let them alone..but squirrels will do what squirrels want to do!! Obviously at high speed lol!

He looks like a baby elephant Lori...are you sure it's a squirrel? lol....imagine having all those wild flowers in your 'grounds'...how beautiful! I can't believe it's almost winter already...you'll be under snow before we know it....sigh :)

Where does the time go Lori! I remember you finishing the greenhouse, and I haven't caught up with your blogs after that. The flowers in the meadow are beautifully ethereal, a soft haze of colour, wonderful... You've done so much in such a short time, Lori, you put me to shame!

I let our lawn grow naturally one year simply mowing a serpentine path through it. It was fantastic to see grass-hoppers in amongst the different plants that grew, never see them ever when the lawns are kept as lawns. So good to see your photos Lori from over the pond.

Hey Bampy..I found 2 grasshoppers in my garden the other day..and I DONT have any grass!!

The squirrels are so busy these days. Tomorrow is supposed to be 18 C. and sunny so I will be photographing them and taking some pics of the lower stream where I've been working to widen it ..and the rocks I've unearthed with digging the fish pond in the back of the house are going to be used to reinforce the banks. Heavy digging and my hands are giving me what-for! Have the deck seat at a crucial point and for some reason just can't get into it...in all fairness it's been raining almost steadily for days...so will get to that right away tomorrow morning. *Thanks for all the positive reinforcement, goY friends!* More blogs to follow now that I have something to write about. Winter seems to be halted for the moment and the many tasks are calling ...fell three trees that were dead and entwined with a small hemlock.. took down a dead ironwood and it's so dry that it's making wonderful kindling for the airtight stove. Pulled down and cut up the fallen branches of the ash and the walnut...and weeded out all the small poplar trees that were starting to encroach on the meadow....and the steam is finally flowing again.

Lol! I would have run out of "steam" a long time ago Lori..future generations should love you..I just hope it gets appreciated! It just shows how the determination of one couple (person?) can regenerate an area. I do hope Im around in 10 years time to see the changes mature.

LOL...me too, Tet!

yet again i am amazed to find asters thriving in the wilds around you Lori. They are in flower down on the beach here which had led me to believe they didnt like the frosts...lol

your land is amazing and its great to see the trees so tall.:-)

Thanks Sandra... I've developed a new love and respect for these asters...always just looked at them as field weeds! We have had two killing frosts over the last two nights but the days have been warm (18 C) all is dying down in the meadow and I'm starting to mow it, bit by bit because it's a task! I love the tall trees too...we lived for a number of years in the north, just at the tree line, and although the trees were ancient they were never very tall...now I have to worry about them falling on my head! It's a joy to walk under the tall trees and now they are making a carpet of leaves.

We have a few trees around us but most are young, hopefully one day they will be as tall as yours....i love these few weeks before the winter sets in. i feel i get some control over things. no frosts here yet and after a lovely week last week its turned cold and windy. perfect weather for working outside in.:-)

Yes, isn't it lovely to work in the coolness? I think the heat is what kept me from getting all the digging done this summer...I just could not work for very long in the heat...it defeated me. but in the past week or so I've managed to dig over the beds I started, and prepare two more areas for planting tulip and daff bulbs. but the bad news is a disintegrating culvert under the driveway which must be shored up for the coming cold weather and the melt next spring...an expensive and labourious task which I very much dread. I have, at least, got a start on the lower stream area where I would like to have a duck pond...I'm digging it over myself...so it will be a work in progress for a year or so. Hope it will help keep me fit.

digging is so satisfying on a cool day...i am working through my allotment beds...
bad news about the drive..but it has to be done....
we have to get stuck into some maintenance projects now...we have to dig up the shower room floor and relay it as its too slippery for my mam....

We have had to hire a carpenter to repair the floor in our bathroom...was toying with the idea of laying a ceramic tile floor...but the more I thought about it... lol. Been there, done that... just want something warm and easy to keep. How large is your allotment? find that I feel whacked after tackling something so physical...but after a nice shower, I take an hour to read. Then back to work and I feel great and get a lot more done than if I'd slogged through without the break.

catching up lori sorry, i keep forgetting about the new page oops, lovely and time has gone so fast and now your getting ready for winter :o)

Hello San... you're looking pretty in pink! Yes we're into November...bbbberrrrr..... lol. The deer have started coming down to graze in the meadow! it's so beautiful...Terry saw them first, he called me and the deer took flight..so I didn't see the first visit...the second time i was standing at the sink looking out at a lovely doe pruning my miniroses for me! Our front "meadow" is a story with deer tracks crossing and crisscrossing...they have found the hosta I planted near the stream and pruned the mallow almost to the stocks...have to get out there and harvest more seed before they are lunch for Bambi.

Lori i find the secret to digging is only do it for a short while...my allotment is about 10m * 10m....i dig for about twenty mins then go and do something else....this way i return two or three times in an afternoon....its nearly done now then i'll cover it for winter to keep the weeds at bay.....how amazing to see the deer..but im not sure if id like them eating my veggies....

This season I had so few plants to really worry about and the deer can't do too much damage but I'm sure I'll be singing a different song next season when I have my herbs in and a veggie garden as well. my dad used to say...plant for all eventualities ...plant for late frosts, crows, rodents, deer, and of course for the larder.
Like your digging routine, Sandra. I evolved one very like it and there always are other tasks to provide variety in your work schedule!