Fall, 2024

This picture was taken 
Saturday when Shasta and I took
our morning walk.

Twice a year, in March and again in September, Earth reaches a point in "her" orbit that the sun shines directly on the Equator. Thus, the Spring and Fall equinoxes occur as a "result of Earth's spinning on an axis that is tilted 23.5 degrees from the plane of its orbit." Day light dwindles . . . have you noticed? Since Shasta and I are early risers, we are certainly aware that day light comes later than a short month ago.

The yellow leaf Japanese maple
in the front yard.

Visitors have commented on the changing color of the leaves as they walk through the front garden. These will soon make their way to the ground where they will remain and feed what grows in the area.

This Fushsia flower gooseberry
(Ribes specious) is stunning
no matter the season.

Roger's red grape
(Vita californica)
is so beautiful as the leaves 
turn their usual bright red
at this time of the year.

Recently a ladder allowed me to remove all the clusters of grapes. Since more than two of these vines are unwanted, about this time of the year the clusters are cut and deposited into the green bin which is then emptied by the local pick up company on Mondays. As Shasta ages it is a reminder to each and every one of us that with each passing day we grow older.

As Shasta ages it is a reminder to each and every one of us that with each passing day we grow older. 

Each and every afternoon she loves to play ball . . . in the house this ball is thrown into the air and she catches it. She is NOT interested in retrieving the ball if one throws it across the room as her Auntie T has done.

Perhaps, as we grapple with our aging,  each and every day the remedy is to have a frequent 

Turning: Day 246 of 366, 2024

Dwight constructed this
structure on which two
vines could climb; also
providing a "gateway" to 
the backyard.

The air is crisp, the sky is clear and the Roger's red grape (Vita californica) vines holds a plethora of clusters of fruit.

These grapes are not to my taste, but I might add that the people who bought our home in Santa Fe, New Mexico ate them with relish.

A stunningly tall sunflower, Hopi Black Dye sunflower (Helianthus annus or Hopi name: Tceq' Qu' Is), to which my introduction came while living in New Mexico. The seeds are saved from year to year to plant as soon as the soil is warmed.

Between the very short wooden fence and the three Deergrass (Muhlenbergi rigens) the sunflowers seeds are planted in four circle of potting soil. Sunflowers do not seem to need enriched soil so the same circles of soil are planted with eight to twelve seeds. The puniest plants are pulled out.

Clearly all of the seeds are not saved for planting the following year. They are fed to birds. There is in the tray hanging in the back yard. Shasta is very adroit at keeping the squirrels from consuming the seeds. 

The Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia) is one of my favorite. It's "common" name is red sunflower. It is native to Mexico and Central America and typically grows 4 to 6 feet tall in on season. Indeed they grew to that height in Santa Fe, New Mexico. However, here in Northern California it usually is 2 to 3 feet.

This one is planted just east of the driveway in the garage and seems to be the most ideal spot since it is nearly two feet tall.The remaining four, planted to the west of the walkway to the front door, are merely a foot tall with nary a flower bud.

One of my favorite shrubs is Coffeeberry (Rhamnus californica 'Eve Case'). There are two planted along the backyard east most fence in 2021. 

For the very first time here at PageRefuge a "berry" has appeared on the larger of the two bushes. Excited just cannot nearly describe the feeling when it was first noticed.

As I was sitting in the living room a couple walked along the pavement near the ditch, the male noted that he considered the house attractive (or some such word . . . my memory is NOT what it use to be!). I said "thank you" then had a delightful