My Everything Corner

Anyone who knows me, even a little, knows how much I love Fall. And it's finally time to truly dive into the season, harvest what the garden has produced and then sit back and enjoy. Okay, so these aren't from the garden, they're crochet and I'm working on adding more. We've been watching "Blown Away" on Netflix and never have I had a better appreciation for my blown glass pumpkins! I grew and dried these last year. I've been asked why I don't rake the leaves off my lawn. Because they're beautiful, that's why.

It is warm here. Unseasonably warm, and I am loving it.  We had a major frost, that has killed everything - it looks like winter without the snow and it feels a bit surreal, but I can't complain about a warm breeze this late in the season. The snow can stay away for as long as it wants. Although that carpet of dazzling white is beautiful, it makes life more difficult, and who needs that?   I have been spending my time getting my yard winter-ready and decorating for Halloween. Harvest will be done today barring any major disasters with the machinery. Things will slow down, and I am feeling so very grateful. It has been a good year. These Pumpkin Peppers or Pumpkin-On-A-Stick were fun to grow and even more fun to decorate with. But be warned, the thorns on their stems and leaves are very mean.  Yes Sooty, the jack o' lantern print is why I crowded your favourite chair with a cushion., and yes, I am aware that the black cat and pumpkin thing has been done....

I have truly been enjoying my yard this year, especially now when the garden is paying me back in full.  I'm sure you all must think that all I grow are various types of squash, but cucumbers, corn, potatoes, corn, carrots, beans, peas and lettuce have all been plentiful this year and enjoyed by everyone.   It makes all kinds of sense to grow your own food if you can, but why do I spend so much energy on pumpkins and gourds? I have been asked this question many times, and have even been accused of being off my rocker. I'm not sure that I can articulate a clear answer here and I don't really think there is a need to, but I'll give it a go.   With the gourds and pumpkins that I adorn my yard with, it is about making our ordinary fall, extraordinary. To add colour and texture and of course with anything that grows, there is that element of magic. How all of these seeds that pretty much look identical can produce so many various types of squash is fascinating. ...

Yesterday, I noticed the leaves on the pumpkin vines wilting.  I really thought I was done watering this year, and if frost looked to be imminent, I would be.  But instead, it looks like we're in for a heat wave. This is very good news for the underdeveloped pumpkins.   Actually, I didn't think there was all that much on those vines.  But the wilted leaves revealed that there is plenty of treasure to be had.  So I was watering last night and early this morning and I'll be out there again this evening giving everyone a good dose. Those leaves perked up almost immediately!   During the hot parts of the day though, there is time for some crafting and decorating.  The fabric pumpkins below are especially dear to me.  They are made from a worn loved one's sweater.  The stems are dried from last year's pumpkin crop and I just love the acorn dangle. The other is just a bit of décor.  I have so much fun decorating this hutch for every s...

It's my favourite time of year again! I have been going into my patch daily and enjoying my "pumpkin hunts." It is so much fun digging around, looking for treasure and decorating the yard.   This is it, what it's all been for - the planting, the weeding, the watering. At times I wondered if I might be crazy doing all that work. I was ready to sell my acreage and move into a condo on some of those hot days when I couldn't put the work off any longer.   I don't think it will as bountiful a year as 2016, but I'm still having so much fun.  Here are a few pictures of what's going on in my yard.

Having had a rain yesterday, (and it is raining now) the colors of autumn are at their richest.  Before it started pouring this morning, I had a chance to get out with my camera and take Bear for a nice long walk around our yard.  I know the rain is not a welcome thing in the middle of harvest, but it is so very nice to have the dust out of the air for a little while.  A lot of leaves came down with the rain yesterday.  I love walking in this area of my yard when the maples give themselves a shake. I've brought a few pumpkins and gourds from the garden to adorn my porch, but there must be several hundred left to clean off.  I love those colors! My garden sheds have also received the pumpkin treatment.   The  marigolds are still going strong. It looks like the middle of summer in this part of the yard.  There is still a lot of transformation to look forward to. An upside down reflection of my world. ...

I am completely in love with my yard right now.  This is my 6th autumn here with a large garden(s), and so far, my most successful.  The pumpkin patch is amazing!!!  Even with the threat of yet another early frost coming on Monday, I am still happy with how many pumpkins, gourds and squash I have. My fall and Halloween displays should be nearing impressive for sure.  It is difficult to show in pictures how crazy these pumpkin vines have went, but when I am standing in among them, I feel like I am in an ocean of sorts. I won't know exactly how many I have until after the frost, when I can walk freely through the patch. I'm talking a lot about pumpkins here, but what I'm really featuring in these photos is a sweet little visitor that showed up back in June.  We call him Sam, and he is the friendliest kitty you've ever met. We're certain someone dropped him off near our home, and we've been loving him and looking for a home ever since.  I've become so fon...