You Capture - Fall

Beth's You Capture subject this week is Fall!  It's perfect because right now Fall is everywhere.

Unfortunately it's in the koi pond adding unsolicited color that will have to be unpleasantly removed as we get deeper into the season.
  
It's rampant at the feed and seed store where we buy our koi food.
 
  

And it's everywhere we drive whether we're looking for it or not.

This colorful little tree is almost lost in the deep and vibrant hues that surround it.

And this Fall picture is a portent of what's to come - dreary skies and barren trees but for now, in the Fall, she holds on to as much color as she can.

For more Fall pictures without the grim reminder of what's to follow, visit Beth's I Should Be Folding Laundry.

You Capture - Autumn

I know it's late but I worked too hard on this week's You Capture subject of Autumn to just skip the challenge altogether.

So I'll grab a couple of photos that I think were among the best I took last week and submit them.

Since I walked over thirty miles last week, all my photos originated at or very near Striebel Pond.

For more Autumn pictures, visit Beth at Ishouldbefoldinglaundry.

This Is Amazing

I got home this morning after having breakfast with my sister and saw what looked like a large truck for hauling leaves at the end of our block. I had no idea it was that time of year already. I honestly believed that the trees in our front yard were dropping their leaves incredibly fast and early. And I thought this early leaf drop was precipitated by record-breaking cold temperatures, wind, and lots and lots of rain.

So within just a few days the front yard was about knee deep in wet leaves.

Normally, I prefer to mow rake. In other words, use a mulching blade on our lawn mower to make the leaves virtually disappear, while enriching the soil at the same time; but with leaves about a foot deep and wet, mow raking (I think I invented that term. lol) was an impossibility. I had raked and bagged two large garbage cans and 3 huge, tightly stuffed bags of leaves and hadn't even made a dent.

Therefore, when I saw that truck at the end of the block, I panicked. I reasoned that if I could just get a few bushels of leaves out to the street, it would be that many that I wouldn't have to bag or leave laying in the street alongside the lawn for another week or more, since the city picks up leaves by area. If we were the first area, we might not get another pick up until some time in November.

So I'd rake a few strokes, gather an enormous armload of leaves between the large rake head and my other arm and dash it out to the street. I had a fairly respectable pile for a short period of work when two people got out of a pickup truck that was part of the leaf pick up crew. They were carrying big, POWERFUL leaf blowers and they walked into my yard, up to my house, and started blowing leaves out to the street.

The leaves were so deep that they'd kick them along in places because there were too many to blow so I kept carrying loads out to the street. In about twenty minutes, these two angelic city employees and I had our front yard clear of leaves - no small feat when there were so many! Then the rest of the crew helped blow them into the front loader so they could be dumped into their truck. Here they are just finishing up:




And I was the most grateful citizen in town.

I gave them all the pop and water I had in the refrigerator, a box of Ritz Crackers, and the big bag of really good Halloween candy that had been earmarked for beggar's night. I just needed to find a way to tangibly show my appreciation.

Unfortunately, I couldn't take a picture until they were virtually finished because it might not have seemed right to stand around taking pictures while they did all the work; and that's a shame because it's hard to adequately describe the mountain of leaves that they moved in a short period of time. And a picture would have astounded everyone almost as much as this story.

These people didn't have to help me but I suspect that my neighbors, with two leaf blowers were trying to get their lawn done and the city employees wanted to give them a chance to finish so while they were waiting, they helped me.

I'm speechless with gratitude and impressed beyond measure. What wonderful people!

It's Getting Cold Out

Our You Capture assignment the other day was The Feeling Of Fall. I think I made it quite clear in my submission how I felt about Fall. Overall, I'm not a fan. I used to think it was just because for the last fourteen years it meant that I was getting real close to spending some miserable days and hours outside but now I'm pretty sure it's not all about that because I'm not working and I still dread winter and I'm not enjoying Fall.

I just cleaned the filters in the ponds and that water was cold. I looked at my big koi and didn't feed them because once it gets really cold, they can only be fed once a day and I fed them earlier. It wasn't that much fun to feed them either. They kind of drifted to the top and ate but it wasn't voracious, enthusiastic eating with splashing and assertiveness. It was picking and partaking but not really enjoying. They're definitely losing their appetites.

And then there are all the baby koi in the goldfish pond. I didn't feel great about putting them in there when I did it but now I feel even more uneasy. In fact, I've captured seven of them so far to put in the aquarium in the house. I just don't have confidence that they'll get through the long cold winter out there.

I have a hard time going outside for anything now. I like to be in. I like to nest. And I like to be warm. I'm pretty sure I was meant to live somewhere else.

You Capture - The Feeling Of Fall

It seems like everybody loves Fall.....except me. I do love the crispness and coolness of the weather. That feeling I like. But the following photos illustrate the feeling of Fall that leaves me cold (forgive me).

The lonely bloom amongst all the seed heads waiting to be buried.

The tomatoes that aren't exciting anymore:

The grasses forming seed heads of their own:

The lonely, empty nest that just a few short months ago held so much promise:

And, the koi languishing in the bottom of the pond almost as if they're practicing hibernation. (By the way, Amber, Erin and Nancy, can you spot Alabaster, Fu Manchu and Cubbie?)

But, there's beauty too and lots of it. Otherwise how could we ever bear the closing down of warmth and sunshine to start the dark, cold season of winter.

For more and much much better photos depicting the feeling of fall, visit Beth at Ishouldbefoldinglaundry.