Morning Geese and Scotch Pines

I've always loved the honking of geese.  Even in the place we lived right before moving to Wellington, where I was unhappy, I remember a wintry morning huddled in bed, trying to keep warm.  I could hear the honking through the thin aluminum-framed window, wet with condensation (I know the object is lost in this sentence, but you can apply it to me or the window - it doesn't matter which.).  Outside was icy and grey.  The flock of geese flew low, in and out of clouds.  It was beautiful.

But today!  It's barely cool.  The sun is shining.  I'm living in WELLINGTON.  I was on my front porch admiring my Halloween decorations and taking pictures to show The Little Boy who's still at sleep-away school.  I heard the geese, as I often do.  We are a waterfront community, after all.  I snapped a pic just as they were leaving.

This poor little Christmas tree.  What Christmas tree, you ask?  It's hidden in this pot.  I've written before about the flock that covered it last Christmas.  How it has been trying for almost a year to slough off that flock.  Here he is, almost ready for his season, and this MUM that was only a snippet from my neighbor-friend's garden is positively DWARFING. him.  It's trying to steal the spotlight!  How did it get so huge?  It's a mum, for crying out loud.  If it wasn't about to bloom I would cut off its head.  But it better get around to it soon because Christmas is right around the corner and I'm not letting any old mum steal my poor little scotch pine's glory.

$7 Magnolia and Arbor Walk Update 4

Loyal readers of The Blog will remember this magnolia we bought for $7 this summer because it only had four leaves and needed us.  Look at it now!  It's positively blooming!

And this is what the Arbor Walk looks like now.  I just love this peaceful area any time of day.

The guara that my Master Gardener friend said we would regret planting is looking beautiful.  It was salvaged from what little landscape was in the front under the waist-high crab grass when we moved in.  We just couldn't throw it away.  I figure if it gets out of hand we can always dig it up later.  It's not brain surgery.

Speaking of things that aren't brain surgery, many of you will recall the Hibiscus Quest when the new turtle came to live at Wellington.  A nice new friend across town let me clip off a long stalk of her hibiscus so that we could get that poor little turtle to eat something.  She never did (don't worry, she's alive but we sent her back to the breeder who treated her ailments and sent us a healthy turtle who's name is Pica because she won't STOP eating).  But that hibiscus twig started to root in its glass of water, so I shoved it in this little pot.  Actually, he just got planted today.  I'll keep you posted.

Andy's Nut

Outide my office window I have a perfect view of this telephone wire that serves as a highway for a little squirrel called Andy.  Every autumn (this is our second autumn at Wellington!) he spends the entire day shuffling along this wire.  He heads toward the right nutless,

and comes back nutfull!  There is a large walnut tree two doors up, and I'm inclined to think that is where he harvests his yearly stash.  He's very cute!  Sometimes there are two Andys on the same wire, which is very confusing.  Also for the squirrels.