Sunday, November 28, 2010

Morning Frost


As November is coming to an end, winter is starting to claim the garden. This morning, on this first Sunday of Advent, our garden was covered in heavy frost. The sun illuminating the ice crystals, bringing them to brilliant life.
While pruning my Flutterbye Rose a week or so ago, I inadvertently cut a bud. I tucked it into my little fountain. She's been sitting there unchanged for days and days now. But this morning frost coated her heavily and froze the water beneath her. The Hawthorne tree, with most leaves long gone was rimmed in frost as well, with the sun melting some of it, adding glittering dew drops.
Though it was very brisk, a wonderful morning to walk through the garden enjoying the wintery scene.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Giving Thanks!!

The thanks we have to give for our many blessings are as numerous as the remaining leaves on our Liquid Amber Tree. Though it's often easy to grumble about the things we do not have, how many actual blessing we have in our lives that we often take for granted.
The roof over our head, be it ever so humble. The plentiful food on our table. Our health, which might not always be 100%, but we're enjoying our lives and are able to do so. Our group of furry family members who are faithfully by our side, day in and day out. Our wonderful, natural surroundings. A reliable vehicle. Things that many are doing without this holiday season.
So we're feeling deeply thankful for the blessings we do have.
And of course for friends and family, both near and far.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Plumbago



Though most of the garden is in vivid ,technicolor fall foliage, here and there late summer still hides. But tonight we're to drop into the 20's or possible teens. So these last hold- outs of a season long gone will succumb at last.
The Plumbago has been blooming tirelessly for months. And still it blooms. But no doubt this image I captured late yesterday will be the last of the season. So thought I would share it.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Mikesh


Thought it was time I shared another of our dear furries with you. This is our boy Mikesh. He's been ill recently, slowly recovering. He'll be 15 this coming year. Not bad for a country boy.
He is a sweet boy and took his medicine for a month without much of a fuss. Though of course he wasn't thrilled about it all. Here he is, sitting on top of the old doghouse, sunning himself. In the background is a wonderful shrub. It was supposed to be a Persian Witch Hazel. But don't think it is as it's never bloomed like witch hazels do in the winter. But the fall colors are stunning. I'll include a closeup of some of the leaves as well. Mikesh looks very handsome indeed with those glowing colors in the background.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Tehama Skies

Though I am somewhat limited by my little Exilim camera, still thought this November Sunset bears sharing . The tall Italian Cypresses in the background delineate our property line. We face the Western Coastal Range and often have wonderful sunsets. As I saw the sun making it's way behind the Yolla Bolla mountains, suddenly the low hanging clouds lit up, giving the appearance of a forest fire blazing in the distance. Just had to capture and share it, imperfect as it might be.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Yin Yang Bees

While wandering through the late fall garden yesterday found a delicate rose blossom . It must have just opened that afternoon in the warm sun, still full of delicious pollen. I watched two bees fight over the riches inside and all of the sudden they made things work by each taking a side . Thus being able to share the pollen and in doing so forming the Yin Yang Symbol. Balance at work.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Pomegranate Bird Diner

Yesterday we paid a visit to our Pomegranate Tree. It's a huge shrub really. Though it doesn't have quite as many fruit as last year, the ones it does have are very large.
While checking to see if they are ready, spied this one, way up in the tree. A bird's delight. Any of the Pomegranates we leave on the tree are a feast for our many wild birds. And of course we do share. We always leave the highest ones, or those already wide open, for our feathered friends.
As our last remaining little hen lives in the orchard, she loves the company of the wild birds and they live happily side by side, sharing any of the bounty which falls to the ground.
Though of course these high fruit are out of reach of the little hen. So while we're out there snacking on our fruit, we make sure to leave some treats on the ground for her.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Kwan Yin

Thought I would share a picture of the wonderful little abode my dear husband Richard build for my little statue of Kwan Yin.
It will be installed on a post in front of the little Zen House we're working on at the moment.
A place to be quiet and reflect. A place to practice Tai Chi And Qigong (without the help of the dogs).
It's at the back of our property, nestled next to the little library.
A very serene and peaceful setting, so this female Buddha, the Goddess of Compassion, will be a wonderful addition.
Though we are far away from family and friends, how lucky we are to have found such a nice piece of land which lets us create our own little "paradise".
Hard to find in these difficult and challenging times. Once again, mostly recycled materials are used to create this newest addition to our little "village".
We are deeply thankful ,both for being fortunate enough to have this humble, little place we call home, and for our continuing ability to work on these projects. Though of course not at the speed that was once ours. :) But it gets done. Despite achy bones, especially my dear Richard's. He's worked so hard all of these years, using his body to the fullest. I admire him for getting out of bed every morning, stretching out the aches and pains that plague him, and then moving forward. Often frustrated with hands that no longer want to do the job all the time. But doing regardless, just taking a little extra time. I assist as best as I can and together we manage.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Autumn Color


As our nights are getting cooler, the trees are slowly changing colors. So this morning I wandered through the property to capture a few before they fall. The first picture is of our Fuyu Persimmon Tree. The second our young Hawthorne. This year we've got more berries then last, so it's slowly settling in, finding spaces in our heavy clay soil to spread his roots. It is a Paul's Scarlet Hawthorne, which blooms a nice red, however for some reason, this last spring it bloomed white. Very strange, could've sworn the first years flowers were red. But maybe not. We'll see what happens next year. It is a lovely, little tree and I am looking forward to watching it grow, shading our front porch. And with flowers in the spring, wonderful color in the fall and those luscious, shiny berries in the winter for the birds can't go wrong. And of course our persimmon tree, though fruitless this year for some reason, does have very nice flowers as well, followed by those richly colored leaves in autumn and delicious orange fruit in November. Hope it resumes it's fruit production next year.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Burgundy Mums

Love the color of these Mums, they pop up faithly each year in front of my little library. In previous years the deer have munched off the buds, but this year they survived. So decided to take a picture of them before they are discovered. After the recent storm the blossoms still had lots of raindrops captured in their petals. Like silvery pearls.
So many wonderful things to discover, even this late in the season.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Cheeky the Squirrel

Thought I would share a picture of our very own furry visitor, Cheeky the Squirrel. He started coming to visit a couple of months ago and is now a daily diner. Rather then have him trash the birdfeeder, we modified an old out of service feeder and keep sunflowers seeds in there for him. Yesterday he brought a date. :)
The first week of November and the winter storms are slowing making their way in. Making the feeders get even more feathered and furred traffic. So better head out into the rain and top everything off.