On the positive side, I will be able to keep biking outdoors longer. I’ve been biking to work and everyone keeps asking me how long I will keep at it. Until it snows! I say. With the way the weather has been it could be well into November and possibly even December before that happens. Which means riding in the dark to work and coming home in the almost dark. But I have a well lit bike! Front light, back light, a blinking light on my ankle and now I have purple lights on my wheels that spin with the wheel and look pretty.
The Dashwoods do not like the heat. If a soaking wet chicken is a pathetic sight, a hot and panting one is even worse. They get ice cubes in their water and today they got a snack of some cold grapes. They are much more sensible when it comes to the heat than they are about rain. I went out to check on them this afternoon and they were all in the shade of a tree burrowed down into the cool dirt. Good girls!
The dried beans are almost all picked. Not knowing exactly what was what due to a failure of marking the plantings in spring — oh I’ll remember where everything is! Ha! — Bookman and I shelled everything into one bowl to sort out later. They all look so pretty! I love the look of dried beans, they are so beautiful. All the plants and flowers look much the same, they keep their surprises hidden for later.
It is officially aster season! All the asters are bursting into bloom and the bees and butterflies are happy for the late season food. New England asters are popular because of the purple flowers and I have them in the garden. But I have several other varieties too that I have lost track of what they are. Plus, they are one of those plants that easily seeds itself around the garden and they pop up in the oddest places. I like them very much and am sad when they end up crowding out other plants and I have to thin them, or they plant themselves in an inconvenient location. They have all begun blooming this week and I look forward to three weeks or so of their flowers. They are the last flowers of the season. When their blooms fade it is time to put the garden to bed. Wow, this season went by fast!
We had a high of 86 Fahrenheit here on Long Island on both Saturday and Sunday. I was at the beach swimming. Though I am enjoying this, it seems to bode very badly for the planet.
I love beans of all kinds. That is a neat picture.
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Brian Joseph, I could enjoy mid-80s but low 90s was just too much! You are right though, it doesn’t bode well for the planet. Glad you like the bean picture!
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We went to Canada to see a play at the Shaw festival this weekend, and it was hot there (88). We stopped to see Niagara Falls–because it’s a wonder of the world and you should always stop–and the spray was quite refreshing, plus there were rainbows. It’s a beautiful time of year to take a drive–the trees still have their leaves but beginning to turn, and the goldenrod and ironweed blooming with asters and Queen Anne’s lace setting them off on the sides of the road.
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Jeanne, even hot in Canada? I bet the spray from the falls felt so good! I would not have wanted to leave. It is a beautiful time of year to be out and about. I love the fall colors. Sounds like you had a really nice trip. I hope that means your knee is better after the surgery!
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Yes! The knee is much better, as we thought it would be by this time. I walked almost a mile, but very slowly, with a cane.
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Does your bike have lights on it? I’m amazed at all the safety features on cycles these days plus the arm protectors etc yet the bikes get sold without lights
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Wait, how far down can chickens burrow? Do you have a picture of them hunkered down in the dirt? I’m picturing them, like, halfway submerged but that can’t be right, right? Chickens can’t burrow that much!
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The heat needs to GOOOOOO! I can understand and empathize with the plight of the Dashwoods!
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Oh, Stefanie! Please show us a picture of your bike lit in the dark. I so want to see Astrid glowing. Purple lights sound dashing. 🙂
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Here’s me–so not a gardener…. I never thought about at which point beans get picked. Do they dry on the vine? I always assumed you picked them when ripe and then left them in the sun to dry. Poor Dashwoods–what an image to keep in mind–panting chickens! I hope you are also finally getting some cool relief. The last day or so have been very autumn-like here. Finally!
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