Abundance

Mother, Father, God, Universal Power

Remind us daily of the sanctity of all life.

Touch our hearts wit the glories oneness

of all creation,

As we strive to respect all the living beings

on this plant.

Penetrate our souls with the beauty of this

earth,

As we attune ourselves to the rhythm and

flow of the seasons.

Awaken our minds with the knowledge to

achieve a world in perfect harmony

  And grant us the wisdom to realize that we

can have heaven on earth.

JO POORE

Seems that the hummingbirds are migrating as their two feeders need replenishing almost daily.  Usually these feeders are washed and new "nectar" added twice a week.

This is the feeder hanging
from the kitchen window
where the hummingbirds
are visible from the kitchen table.

And this feeder hangs
in the backyard.

The hummingbirds were flying about waiting for the refill of their nectar as I went to hang both of these. I believe that the hummingbirds are migrating so they "tank up" so to speak where they can. I also observe some hummers visiting the tubular flowers of the three Penstemon eatonii that are planted in the front yard.

Penstemon eatonii
('Firecracker' beardtongue)

Another magnet for flying insects, in this case bees, are the two garlic chives plants also in the front yard. Occasionally hummers have been seen on these flowers as well.

Allium tuberosum

(Garlic chives or Chinese chives)

If one searches the bees are visible. These particular chives are grown for their stronger garlicky flavor tasting rather like a super spicy garlic. 

The weather here in the mornings is definitely not to my liking. I am reminded of the reason Santa Fe, New Mexico, was. There, where the elevation is higher, I recall fog was a rare occasion. 

Below you can observe Shasta enjoying the sunshine. As I note her proclivity for sleeping more thought-out the day, the realization that she is considered an elderly dog occurs to me. Her records show she was born on February 25, 2012. I do so treasure each day with her. AND she is just so ready for our morning walk ... trotting along at a quick pace which in no way matches our pace of a few years ago. Growing old is not for the faint of heart a very wise person once said.

If you look closely at the grape vines (Vita californica [Roger's red grape]) on either side of her, you can see the ripe grapes. 

For reasons I thought were my inadequacy I was unable to write this post. However, speaking with a computer savvy person told me it was that the iMac was not operating as it should. I just quit blogger.com. Yeah, today the posting was easy peasy as the saying goes. And I had a good

Waiting

I am waiting the arrival of a truckload of wood chips. The entire yard will then be "refreshed" as the owner of the company that prunes the tall hedge along my East fence in the back said when he was here.

My friend Pete loaned me a very large tarp that I spread out in the area where I wish the company to empty a truckload of chips. I can hardly wait, waiting is not my strong suit, to begin loading the chips into my wheelbarrow to spread over the entire yard.

I thought this Roger Red grape leaf stunningly beautiful. The Fall color is primarily the reason I planted two of these plants on either side of the trellis that Dwight built specifically for these two grape plants. 

The actual grapes are quite small and not really to my taste. However the birds certainly do enjoy eating them.

On this gorgeous Fall day, now that the thick fog has burned off, the clothes are drying on the clothesline. And my feeling is that all is "right with the world" so I have a

Chill

            "One leaf on a branch

            and not a sound of sadness

            or despair. One leaf left

            on a branch and no unhappiness.

            One leaf left all by itself

            in the air and it does not speak

            of loneliness or death.

            One leaf and it spends itself

            in swaying mildly in a breeze."

                             DAVID IGNATOW

There is definitely chill in the air when Shasta and I go out for our morning walk. Humans we pass comment on the descending of fall as well as the chill in the air. Yet so many leaves on the trees and shrubs retain their summer foliage.

Cox Orange Pippin apple tree
leaves are turning a beautiful yellow
then brown at which time 
they fall onto to the wood chips
covering the ground.

Here at PageRefuge two Vitis californica ('Roger's Red' grape) are planted on either side of the trellis Dwight built. I primarily plant these for their stunning fall color. As you can see both vines are beginning their transformation. I do not find the fruit particularly delicious but I do observe some birds pecking at the small dark grapes. In our previously owned Santa Fe home the present owners and their son seem to find the grapes tasty as they have shared pictures with me of them doing so.

 I found this piece of art
Dwight created in a cardboard
box filled with all sorts of
sculpture tools and such. 
In the upper right corner
there is another on resting
on one of the legs of
the cement birdbath.

Fall garden chores are being undertaken with a few completed.

The two Rubus (subgenus Rubus Watson) ‘Black Satin’ Thornless Blackberry bushes have been drastically pruned. I find new growth provide more tasty blackberries and in more abundance. 

Grindelia hirsutata 

( Hairy gumplant, Hairy gumweed)

is the yellow flowering plant.

The three flowering grasses

closest to the road

are 

Muhlenbergia rigen (Deergrass)

Achnatherum hymmenoides (Indian ricegrass)

I was introduced to this grass while living in New Mexico. Once I was familiar with the grass I noticed it grew in the Eastern Sierras as well. I think this a stunning grass. I have six plants along with two Grindelia in the area that use to be my compost pile.

The Hopi Black Dye Sunflowers have removed. The flower heads have been cut from the stocks and deposited into a green bin for pick up. The seeds are waiting to be added to dwindling bag of purchased sunflower seeds. I am finding this process to be very, very, very slow as the seeds are tight in these heads. It is as tho' they are "hanging on for dear life" as the saying goes.

These will eventually be deposited in the tray for the birds to eat. The birds do not seem to be inclined to harvest the seeds themselves. It seems I have created their laziness since I provide sunflowers seeds in several devices hanging in my backyard.

In the West most raised bed there is only two remaining tomato plants. The closet one is a black cherry and the one to the West is Blue "Boar" berries also a cherry tomato. With this summer's cooler than usual temperatures the tomato plants fruit just has not ripened as readily as in previous seasons.

The string bean plants are essentially
done producing edible beans to eat.
Above is pictured
one of the Fortex bean pods 
with seeds developing to be 
saved for next years planting.

Steven Severin and Leigh Sims
enjoying an outing to wharf
in Seattle. They share that getting
out into the sunshine is a superb 
way to spend a Sunday
which is the day this was sent to me.

On this Saturday as I look out the window first there is blue sky then gathering clouds as well as a few rain drops then back to sunshine. The plants in the garden are all saying "bring on the rain!" 

On this fall day may each and everyone of us enjoy a hardy and deep belly