Embracing the season

 

 

We never had a hard freeze in Seattle last winter, and some of the geraniums actually survived. I lined up this summer's hardworking pots like soldiers to take their chances. Freeze or not, they will be a sorry sight come spring and likely wind up in the compost bin. I just didn't have the heart to throw them away yet. 

"Embracing the season" is a stretch for me this time of year. Of course fall is beautiful, but of all the seasonal shifts, the November transition to winter feels like the most profound period of change, especially how the afternoon darkness suddenly draws in when we go off daylight savings time. 

Our northern neighbor, British Columbia, officially ended the twice yearly clock change and moved to permanent daylight savings time. Good for them. 

 

Here's a view of the Carlton orchard this week, from above. Amanda and Tom can access the Golden Doe Wildlife area from this point, and they often take the dogs on long hikes. The preserve will be closed again this winter to protect mule deer habitat, so they're getting in some last walks.

Yoko is a tough little cookie, and follows right behind Nica on vigorous hikes. From that direct gaze, I sense a touch of tenacious terrier in there, along with the Chihuahua.

 

A peaceful view of happy chickens pecking in the backyard. The fun will be over when this is covered with snow.

Another masterpiece cake creation from chef Maya, this one to celebrate Tom's birthday.  She told me it was “carrot cake from scratch, cream cheese frosting and raspberry goo.” Nice having an enthusiastic dessert baker in the family. We'll put her in charge of Thanksgiving. 

A sweet picture of Nova, now well into her senior year of high school. She went on an organized outing to check out several colleges in eastern Washington, including WSU at Pullman. 

I think she expected some podunk little place, but came away impressed with the size and friendly, safe atmosphere of the campus, including the giant library and stadium. (Cougar football is a big deal.) Nova is interested in large animal health, and this is one of the best veterinary colleges in the country. Who knows what path she ultimately takes, but we know she will be successful. 

 

Halloween weekend

 

I like walking around the neighborhood checking out the decorations. Some families really go all out for Halloween, and skeletons are big this year.

These people covered their entire front yard with funny little skeletons. Cute!

 

And John spotted this West Seattle insider humor. Get it?

I have a Costco size bag of gummy bears, hopefully enough. There's a Buckeye game on Saturday night, so I'll probably be the one upstairs handing out candy. I'm always surprised how many kids show up at the door, almost all with their watchful parents waiting on the sidewalk. We used to let Amanda and her friends loose in the neighborhood, but those were different times in West Seattle. 

Halloween in small town Twisp is much more relaxed and young and old get into it, with a dedicated trick-or-treat zone for kids on Burgar Street, a traditional costume party for adults at the Twisp River Tap House, and a haunted house at the Community Center, among other things. I know Maya and her gang of girlfriends will be haunting the haunted house. Nova probably has more grown up plans with her senior friends. 

Enjoy your weekend. Remember we have that nonsense clock changing thing again on Sunday. This is a rough one for those of us who tend to wake up too early and get hungry for dinner at 5 pm. 

 

Way back when

 

 Our new television...

Exactly 20 years ago, October 2006, we bought what was then a state-of-the art Samsung digital TV. It was new technology at the time and a big iffy purchase, but that TV eventually exceeded our expectations. We got our money's worth. 

Since then, we've worn out and replaced most of the appliances in this house, some two or three times, but that good old TV just kept humming along. Well, until recently, when it finally started showing signs of old age.

Costco online delivery to the rescue. A strong young fellow carried a 55 inch TV box right down to the basement yesterday. This saved us from pushing a giant carton through the warehouse and across a rainy parking lot, then trying to wedge it in the Honda. Not mention, coming home and probably finding no parking spot on the street in front of the house. 

We got it safely out of the box together then John spent the entire afternoon hooking everything up to his liking. He's very good at keeping our little raft of technology afloat, thank goodness, otherwise I'd be dead in the water here.

We are of the generation who remembers fuzzy black and white pictures with rabbit ear antennas sitting on top of the TV. Interesting, that we still watch the network channels though antenna, but the apparatus lives up in the attic crawl space. (We watch our movies etc. with an AppleTV streaming device, so don't bother with a cable service.) 

You know how you walk in Costco, and see that display of blindingly bright new televisions? The picture on the old TV was good, but this new dynamic is an eye-popping improvement. The screen is also slightly larger and we sat there last night, marveling at the incredibly fine details of the world series, broadcast LIVE all the way from Florida. Ten times better than the most expensive seats there. It is a marvelous world in so many ways.

We don't really follow baseball through the regular season, but always enjoy the World Series. The ultimate escapist TV, and we could all use some of that these days. 

  

The fig eaters

 

The starlings and squirrels aren't the only ones who like a fig treat in the fall. This mama racoon and her baby came through this weekend and helped themselves to the fallen bounty. She looked at me like I was trespassing on their picnic. And in many ways, I was. 

"Let us live out our days with grace and humility, then let the wild things inherit the earth." 

 From "The High House," by Jessie Greengrass. 

 

Aw. Check out at these not-so-wild best friends. Animals possess this wonderful quality of always being in the present moment, and they help us spent time there.

Fall finally decided to show up here, with daily rain in the forecast for the foreseeable future. 

The final mow

 

We've been busy around the old homestead. John did the last mow of the year, and doesn't that look neat and tidy. Frankly, I'm ready to batten down the hatches and head indoors.

 Have a good weekend. 

 

 

A hack job

 

 

This amazing stretch of October weather goes on. It really feels more like September. 

 

I went nuclear option on that flower bed yesterday, using the weed eater to whack off the tops of invasive violets and Creeping jenny. I haven't kept up on the weeding lately, so that was a visually satisfying quick fix. Of course the roots grow back, but that's a problem for another season.  

 

 

It's been warm and still, so lots of stuff needs to fall down and make a mess, including the pecked figs left from the starling feeding frenzy. The squirrels are busy, busy, busy in the yard. Our resident window spider, Charlotte, gets fatter and fatter. They know something is up. This weather can’t last forever. 

 

Today is National Nut Day. BTW, walnuts are the oldest cultivated tree food, dating back to around 10,000 BC. 

 

Our grandmother made a good, heavy black walnut cake, a Pennsylvania Dutch specialty. I should try this recipe, something you can't make from a box, so Maya approved. Walnuts have a complex and memorable flavor profile. 

 

John had a wonderful slice of walnut cake once at the Tate Museum Cafe, and you can bet he never forgot  it. That may have been the highlight of our London trip for him, certainly in regard to food, most of which was memorable in another way.