Birds and book, days 262 - 267 maybe (of 2012)
I renewed my LJ account a week or two back and now I'm sort of wondering why. It's such an effort to post lately. I'm tired; I'm busy; I post nothing of interest even to me. It occurs to me that my relationship with LJ is some sort of marriage; you sort to stick with it (though god knows I haven't) because you figure that eventually it will be something you're glad to have around. Or something. I donno. It's sort of dog-days lately.
Though, in fact, the weather has taken a definite turn for the autumnal. The guy who works the Olson Potatoes stand at the West Seattle farmers market observed that it was "cardigan weather" since Eli and I were both wearing sweaters today. During the true Dog Days he had noted that we sensibly wore white shirts. Were it not for him, I wouldn't be aware that there was/is anything similar in the clothing Eli and I wear on occasion. Anyway, Mr. Potato also declared this to be his favorite sort of weather and it's hard to argue: sunny and crisp without being cold. The tomatoes continue to ripen and it's not too hot to spend an afternoon ripping dead things out of the garden beds.
Which is what I did yesterday and today my legs ache. But the big garden bed looks better; as Eli observes there aren't actually more blossoms but it looks like there are because there's less brown stuff. Every year I swear I'll be better about garden maintenance in late summer but, thus far at least, it hasn't happened.
Birds
Anna's hummingbirds
Steller's jays
northern flickers
crows
gulls
starlings
American goldfinches
house finches
house sparrows
white-crowned sparrows
golden-crowned sparrows
white-capped chickadess
great blue herons
Canada geese
pigeons
Today, while watching the goldfinches land near the bright yellow sunflower, we realized that the finches have switched over to their winter plumage. They're lovely birds year-round but I realize that it makes me a little sad to have the bright gold birds gone for the next six to nine months. It's sort of a tristey time of the year.
Book
The Enchanted April page 272
Yesterday's basil and tomato harvest
Harvested today, from the West Seattle Antique Mall, a set of Syracuse dishes. It's most of a complete setting for six though it's one dinner plate short. Happily, it seems like it's not too difficult to find online. It feels like the sort of stuff one might have eaten off of on a train in the 1930s. I'm good with that.
Though, in fact, the weather has taken a definite turn for the autumnal. The guy who works the Olson Potatoes stand at the West Seattle farmers market observed that it was "cardigan weather" since Eli and I were both wearing sweaters today. During the true Dog Days he had noted that we sensibly wore white shirts. Were it not for him, I wouldn't be aware that there was/is anything similar in the clothing Eli and I wear on occasion. Anyway, Mr. Potato also declared this to be his favorite sort of weather and it's hard to argue: sunny and crisp without being cold. The tomatoes continue to ripen and it's not too hot to spend an afternoon ripping dead things out of the garden beds.
Which is what I did yesterday and today my legs ache. But the big garden bed looks better; as Eli observes there aren't actually more blossoms but it looks like there are because there's less brown stuff. Every year I swear I'll be better about garden maintenance in late summer but, thus far at least, it hasn't happened.
Birds
Anna's hummingbirds
Steller's jays
northern flickers
crows
gulls
starlings
American goldfinches
house finches
house sparrows
white-crowned sparrows
golden-crowned sparrows
white-capped chickadess
great blue herons
Canada geese
pigeons
Today, while watching the goldfinches land near the bright yellow sunflower, we realized that the finches have switched over to their winter plumage. They're lovely birds year-round but I realize that it makes me a little sad to have the bright gold birds gone for the next six to nine months. It's sort of a tristey time of the year.
Book
The Enchanted April page 272
Yesterday's basil and tomato harvest
Harvested today, from the West Seattle Antique Mall, a set of Syracuse dishes. It's most of a complete setting for six though it's one dinner plate short. Happily, it seems like it's not too difficult to find online. It feels like the sort of stuff one might have eaten off of on a train in the 1930s. I'm good with that.