Ahh, fall!

Ahh... finally regaining momentum after a major (computer) meltdown. Never doubt that computers need to be warded. The transistors on my motherboard were oozing and bubbling! Two hundred and eleven dollars later we're all better, thank you, except I lost some software in the process that I have to repurchase if I want to still have it, unless I can find the disc somewhere... grr.... but, at least I didn't lose my files. Four years' worth of photos... glad I didn't have to deal with that!

The season of my greatest joy hath returned! I love fall, I love fall, I just get positively silly and goofy over fall!
Today I gave myself bangs, on a complete whim. I love it all-- cheesy decorations and everything. My mom brought me a bouquet of painted metal sunflowers and a painted metal pumpkin for my front porch. I love them! Now I just need a metal cutout of a black cat with its back arched to put in my flowerbed...

Speaking of my flowerbed, it is consummately unruly now, and I love that too. The sunflowers are drying up, their stalks going every which way, and the zinnias are growing all over the sidewalk, forcing us off into the grass as we make our way to the back door. Already I am getting excited about winter yard work, the time when we can build our raised beds and do some of the hardscaping I've envisioned, planning for the next growing season. It is also time to plant cold-weather crops here. On the family farm my brother-in-law did some replanting this weekend of collards and broccoli raab (evidently some of it got too much of something-- rain? heat? drought?-- and died). It's time for us to build some beds so we can grow lettuce, collards, kale, and arugula (my favorite!). The compost is doing nicely; we've switched to the second pile so the first can rest. And, I've begun collecting the rocks I will use to build a labyrinth over by the trees. Can you feel my burst of renewed vigor?! Woohoo! I LOVE FALL!