Actual

Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy)

Today, September 22, 2024, is the actual day that begins Fall, aka Autumn. Below is what I read early this morning in Earth Prayers from around the World: 365 Prayers, Poems, and Invocations for the Honoring the Earth, edited by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon.

O sacred season of Autumn, be my teacher,

for I wish to learn the virtue of contentment.

As I gaze upon your full-colored beauty,

I sense all about you

an at-homeness with your amber riches.

You are the season of retirement,

of full barns and harvested fields.

At the cycle of growth has ceased,

and the busy work of giving life

is now completed.

I sense in you no regrets:

you’ve lived a full life.

I live in a society that if ever-restless,

always eager for more mountains to climb,

seeing happiness through more and more possessions.

As a child of my culture,

I am seldom truly at peace with what I have.

Teach me to take stock of what I have given and received,

may I now that it’s enough,

that my striving can cease

in the abundance of God’s grace.

May I know the contentment

that allows the totality of my energies

to come to full flower.

May I know that like you I am rich beyond measure.

As you, O Autumn, take pleasure in your great bounty,

let me also take delight

in the abundance of the simple things in life

which are the true source of joy.

With the golden glow of peaceful contentment

may I truly appreciate this autumn day.

EDWARD HAYS

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 

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

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

More . . . More . . .

I have come to terms with the future. From this day onward I will walk easy on the earth. Plant trees. Kill no living things. Live in harmony with all creatures. I will restore the earth where I am. Use no more of its resources than I need. And listen, listen to what it is telling me.

                                                                                      M.J.Hooey

With adjusting to a new iMac my focus has not been on writing a blog post. And yesterday when I completed this post with the same title, it "disappeared" . . . eek! So another attempt at "More . . . More . . ."

Last season, as the Santa Rosa plum tree would have set fruit, there was a late, very hard frost. This season however an abundance of fruit appeared.

Since the birds peck on the fruit, the fruit sort of rots. Thus picking the "More . . . More . .." plums then laying them out on a counter to fully ripen. Once the plums reach their maximum tastiness, they were canned in quart jars for consumption during the winter months.

Some of the fruit as an alternate choice was into jam. This jam I find delish with almond butter to make a sandwich. Anyone care to join me?

Now changing focuses . . . to creatures who visit PageRefuge.

Blue wildrye grass (Elymus glaucous)

Not long ago I was outside in the front watering plants. While do so I looked about and noticed this green insect in one of the large grass. if my recollection serves me there was an identical insect crawling up the side of our Santa Fe house. This is the first one I have seen here in Cotati. Perhaps it is a type of "bush cricket" (katydid)?

Since all of the irrigation from the entire property has been removed, I now hand water with a hose and controllable nozzle. While doing so I have notice this butterfly in the above picture. Using Common Butterflies of California by Bob Stewart to identify this butterfly: Anise swallowtail. The book also lists "Host Plants" so I purchased 4 Yampah (Perideridia Kellogg) from California Flora Nursery. During the payment process I was cautioned that this plant goes dormant. Soon after they were planted in the ground I noticed this to be true. In this area there is also an abundance of Fennel growing wild which is also a host plant.

Nectaring on an Echinacea purpurea 
(Purple coneflower)

Epiphyte (Orchid cactus) flower
Rather late but certainly fabulous to see!

In Seattle Steven and Leigh
Don't they look happy?

Since this is the third or so version of the blog post, I surely hope that I am able to post it! As it is "Published" I will keep my fingers crossed and

Plethora

Mostly green plums

The Santa Rosa plum tree that was in the backyard when we bought our Cotati house, has soooooooooooo many fruits this year. Last year there was a late freeze so nada.

Since the birds peck on the ripening fruit, I pick the plum even before they are totally ripe. Then I lay them out on the counter in the washer/dryer room to fully ripen.  So far 10 quarts of plum have been canned for enjoyment during the winter months when fresh fruit (other than citrus) is hard to come by.

My idea is to make plum jam with the plums that are now ripening. Jam is so delish. I have been known to make a jelly roll with plum jam. Great treat for when visitors drop by for an afternoon chat.

Leigh

My stepdaughter, Leigh, who lives in Seattle, went with friends for a little R&R and fun. She sent the pictures above and below.

Steven (her hubby) and Leigh

Friends who joined the "get away"

Shasta adding greens to her dietary intake.
These small plants planted in the holes
of the cement blocks bordering
the west most bed are zinnias.
The seeds were purchased from 
Wild Garden Seed.

So on this rather gloomy, with an overcast sky, I rejoice in having my new iMAC up and functioning. And in celebration partake in a hardy belly

Splendor

Magnificent is my all time favorite tree that I transplanted from a gallon container purchased from California Flora Nursery. It is growing on the west side of my house near the air conditioning unit. As it flourishes with each passing year it is the epitome of splendor.

Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis)

I was introduced to this tree while traveling in the interior of California with a friend who had previously lived where this tree thrived. While living in New Mexico there was a plethora of these trees, both available for purchased and flourishing in various yards, gardens, museums and places to purchase art. In fact I planted one in our back yard in Santa Fe, New Mexico. 

Many bushes, plants and herbs are blooming at PageRefuge.

Comfrey
which seems to have
a wide range of colors:
(pink to deep purple)
for its flower.

Bees of a wide variety seemingly love the nectar gathered from the flowers no matter the color. When this picture was taken there was a very dark colored bee . . . to my naked eye the bee was black.

It seems there was a nest built by Black-capped Chickadee parents in the tall hedge located along the east side of the backyard.  There is presently a plethora of these birds eating from the seed cylinder. What an absolute splendor to watch all of these birds scarfing up the seeds and nuts as fast as they can.

In the arena of food growing for humans here, the two raised beds are beginning to come to life with the possibility of foods in the not to distant future. In the east most bed carrots and lettuces are now recognizable. In the west most bed corn is evident as is radishes; however the melon and mini pumpkin seeds have yet to germinate. Often I admonish myself that one cannot hurry along the nature process of seed germination.

Several friends from the neighborhood in Santa Fe, New Mexico, have recently sent pictures of the front and side yards that I planted with natives. Oh my gosh, I said to myself, the result is filled with splendor.

We have been experiencing some hotter than normal temperatures of late here in Northern California. To cool off after basking in the sunshine outside Shasta often seeks the room with the coolest floor.

Now the temperatures seemed to have returned to more seasonally correct temperatures. The weather person to whom I listen in the evenings predicts they will remain so.

As the laundry dries on the retractable clothesline and I complete this  post of "Splendor", I

And may each and every one of you who read this post do so also.