The other part of autumn around here is rain. I used to hate rain. It’s wet and most of the time it’s cold. But it can do lovely things to the world. It makes everything green and shiny. And it plays lovely tricks on your eyes.
Water Color Trees
Some of the trees are so beautiful around here. I’ve been so busy that I really haven’t taken the time to walk down the streets strewn with red and yellow and oranges leaves. Yesterday hoping to get a moment, I put my camera in my purse and tried to pay attention and find little snapshots of beauty. I was partly successful, though I didn’t get the perfect fall shot.
I took a couple others that I thought showed the little beauty that us Pacific Coasters may not notice on a daily basis. The first one was taken on the way to Rick’s office. It’s gorgeous in fall. It’s also raining and looking through a blurry window in the car or at home is what is true for me. It is beautiful, all the colors blur together like a watercolor painting.
Orange green and brown
What is more indicative of this season, autumn – fall – or the third season of the year? What ever you call it. The answer is pumpkins! Rick and I went with friends and nephew to pick out pumpkins to carve. This is the first year in I have no idea how many years since I’ve picked out a pumpkin. I vaguely remember something orange on our porch in Oak Harbor some three or four years ago. I don’t remember carving.
This year is different. We are not strapped for cash too much, which is odd considering the present “issues” with the economy. I’ve had a lot of energy to do things that I never cared for which to put forth effort. Yeah, it’s been nice.
So I have lovely pictures taken by myself, and hubby Rick on our outing today with friends to Craven farms in Snohomish County. Blast of a time! Got the perfect pumpkin and some fun gourds!
Autumn leaves
As the sun was going down out of view of our apartment complex I had minutes to take quick snapshots. I’m been carrying around my camera hoping to catch the perfect fall picture to highlight the beautiful northwest. Well, I spent most of my time this week running around doing errands and then waiting in a hospital for my newest nephew to be born.
I still plan to run to the beach someday soon to get more pictures. But the few I got today will have to do. Until them these will have to do.
Apartment Gardening
It’s fall now so of course now I want a garden. Must be contrary. Well, I told Rick about wanting to go to pick up a couple of plants. He pointed out that I’ve been having trouble keeping my plants alive recently. The cactus that I’ve had since I was a teen has died. It had been knocked out of its pot by my cat too many times to count. My coleus has died back and once again I’m not sure why. It’s almost died on me before, it does each time we move, but we haven’t moved in almost a year so what give? Milo my kitty has knocked of its branches. My peace lily is still alive though, though Milo likes to chew on it. And now my jade plant is acting weird, it’s not standing tall like normal; it’s spreading out and then growing up.
Basically my apartment garden is acting strange. This summer I had a hell of a time keeping everything watered and happy. My memory has been horrible, plus I think I was really burned out, had trouble caring about regular things. Things around me sadly suffered.
Well, I’m back, the old Missy, the one that organizes everything to the last degree of ridiculousness. I was however swayed by Rick; I’m not buying a plant any time soon. I want to keep the ones I have alive and well for a while. So I’m researching what I should focus on for an apartment. I think when I get more plants either already in plant form or seeds I’ll have a better idea as to what to get. I’ll say that I’m having trouble with something. This apartment does never have direct sun, but what about when we move? My coleus was so healthy in the old apartment; it had plenty of sun there.
I have a section of wall that I may reorganize and get grow lights to place on the lowered ceiling. It’s just a mass of clutter now. If we can afford it I want to get a shelving unit or a table of some sort. Fine plan, sounds good to me. I figure that if I plan everything to death it will help with my missing plants. Logics get in my way. I want instant gratification and cute little green plant. Patience sucks.
I have some gardening supplies, fresh soil, lots of pots and I mean lots of pots all nicely stacked. The little ones are so cute. I have a broom; every porch or apartment gardener needs one. And a trowel that is too big for some of the pots but perfect for my huge pots.
List of Gardening Needs & Wants
1. A table of shelf
2. Smaller trowel
3. Little planter tray tiny, so I can plant seeds and transplant them out into something bigger.
4. Seeds possibly organic
5. Grow lamp
So far that’s all I can think of, if anyone has anymore ideas let me know. If I come up with something else I’ll add it.
The last of my porch garden
I’ve salvaged the rest of my garden. My apple mint went to seed nearly a month ago. Rick’s peppermint has also gone to seed, but as it was a little shoot came up and grew. It is going to seed again. My lavender dried out and started to die back. It’s growing back now though. It’s over two years old. I started it just before a winter at our old apartment. It made it through two cold winters and snows. By its self mind you, I didn’t help it.
Gold panning
I went up to my parent’s house to hang out and pick up my mom’s sewing machine and surger (sorry not sure how to spell it). It was pretty relaxing. Nice day, very sunny, I had cute clothes and watched my dad pick apples. I tried to help, but I am horribly afraid of spiders. I used to be able to pick apples pretty well. I’d inspect the apples, palm and twist and hope for now huge spider. Though usually there is a web. It seemed like when I was out there with him that there were more spiders than I ever remembered. They were huge. I forgot how huge spiders got out on a farm. And the assholes blend so well with their surroundings, making my life more difficult. Really I don’t think I picked more than maybe three, two of which I knocked off the tree with my finger.
I was thinking. I miss the open air, the clean air, but am I really ready to go back to it? I’m not happy where I am now. I want open space, but I forgot about the little things, small details of everyday life at my family’s home. Like spiders.
No, I think it will be worth it. The Asian pears from the store are not as sweet as those off a tree in a huge backyard. They don’t have the same bright yellow glow. They might be smaller but what they lack in size they more than make up for in flavor and juices. “Chin dripplers” that is what my dad calls them.
Dad has a recent new hobby. He’s been talking for years about starting it. He’d get that bright smile and childish squirminess when he’d talk about it, like he does with all his hobbies. Gold panning. What? You must be kidding; old grey haired men with beards did that in the 1800’s. People killed each other over gold in the Gold Rush. Yes that’s true. It is also true that my dad has always had a taste for the strange, out of general hobbies. And he happens to be one of those grey haired older dudes with a beard, though his is much more trim and when he works he wears a tye, untied but he wears it anyway. Said that no tying it was his way of rebelling. I heard, “It’s my way of not growing up or giving into the man.” That’s my dad the rebel.
Anyway, he set up a “gold panning station” in their yard by the old ’66 Ford truck, the one I love. It’s really very beautiful, yellow, though now covered in some strange green stuff, can’t remember what it’s called.
He has extraordinary patience for it. I watched for a few minutes as he moved sand water and tiny flecks of gold around in a plastic gold pan. Yes, modern days have given gold panners plastic things to use, must warmer than a metal pan. I was bored in less than two minutes. Of course I’m not a panner, and have no desire to be. But it was important to my daddy so I watched. I don’t get to spend a lot of time with him, so when I do get to see him I try really hard to pay attention even if it is a subject that I really don’t care about. Now, I certainly wouldn’t mind going with him to whatever river he visits for his black sand, I’d get great pictures and totally relax, read if I wanted. Yes, I’ll have to tag along one time if our schedules align.
Anyway, he did find a garnet or ruby, tiny little thing, which I thought was awesome. I never considered that one would find gems in a river.
Though I have no desire and was bored watching water spin around in a glorified plastic lid I could see how the simple delicate movements and watching closely for the gold to separate from the sand would be relaxing. And challenging. I had an idea, thought the black sand was beautiful, might as him for it when he’s done sifting through everything for an art project.
That’s how I spent a week day afternoon. Taking pictures of everything I found beautiful to capture images in time so that I have an image to stimulate a memory or creativity. Spent it with my parents, realized how far I’ve come from that silly little 18 year old that left home determined to live away from everything she knew. I did, tried so hard to get away. I’m done running away. See it differently now, see the simple or even complex beauty in an open bare field or a rusty can or a grey haired man panning for gold with a turquoise gold pan.
