My Kind Of Chicken Farming

These guys ask for so little and give so much

Stragglers

In Ontario, we're closing in on October and most plants are having their last hurrah, with a couple of exceptions.

This clematis hasn't heard the word so its blooming all by itself



This is the only Hollyhock to sprout this year and it took its sweet time.The Coneflowers are saying bye bye but the Hollyhock will chill out for a while. Literally.



I am knocked out by the machinations of the autumn Crocus (okay I looked it up--Colchium). Lovely green leaves pop up for the month of June, then seem to sink away into the earth until fall, when these blooms show up for a while.

Mother Nature does it again.

Hold Still For Your Close-up

Okay Bee, hold still for your close-up--



closer---




closer---



Maybe too close---



Good boy!

Fall Beauties

Dahlias are the only bulbs I save from year to year and they repay the bother one hundred-fold.



The yellow raspberries were a gift from a neighbor and they have flourished. They produce well into the fall.



Each year I'm besotted with the sunflowers with their hundred different personalities.

Stick around guys--winter is much too long.

Winners and Losers

The weather vane has been with me since the century house in downtown Toronto but I couldn't find a suitable rooftop space for it here. Then the shed was installed and number five son devised this spot for it to tend to business.





The roses were timid this year with all the rain, but they're having their last hurrah with assistance from the background mirror.

Ah, the poor pumpkin patch. A sad display. too much rain and one or two gnawing rodents finished this little guy. May the rodents develop indigestion.



Still, it was a great summer. already I'm missing the warmth, long days, abundance of soggy plants and that kick-back euphoria that comes with it.

Salutation to the sun

Actually, they hunkered down while the remnants of Hurricane Ike blew over.

I'm the Boss, Not You

This is where I bring my tea and book first thing in the morning.
It's my spot.
Hear that Max? My spot.



At least Harry knows his place.

And there's my tea cooling quickly while I think this over.

Dog Days of Summer

My Special Needs Magnolia

My magnolia tree is confused.

I think it's because I moved it three times at my last place, trying to find a location where it would be happy and trust me on this, it wasn't happy.

It was still sulking when I carefully dug it up and moved it to my present home.

I placed it so carefully and made sure the soil was just right but still, it doesn't quite have the hang of blooming in the spring so here it is, a late bloomer.

I thought about relegating it to the compost pile but that tree and I have been through a lot together so we'll just soldier on, apparently out of sync with the rest of nature.