Monday Miscellany

After all that long, monotonous period of dry, heat and dirt, we're back to ever-changing days with the colors and the flowers.  

Thanks to the rain and cooler weather, my pansies have rebounded with big and pretty blooms again.  

Some maple leaves on the two trees in the yard are hanging on to both their summer color and to their limbs, while others are turning into shades of fall colors and dropping to the ground.

The grass is green again, so there's a nice contrast whenever a crisp, red maple leaf hits the ground, pretty much completing its life cycle.  

I noticed yesterday during one of my endless picking sessions that the plums don't need a lot of urging to separate from their limbs.  In fact, if I'm not careful, more land on the ground than get placed in the bucket.  

Still, I have plenty of plums and another batch of juice ready to process into beautiful red and tasty jelly. 

Another ongoing project for the next few days involves the cart and a shovel.  The gophers have done a number on the area around our house, especially the north lawn where mound after mound of fine dirt continue to appear. 

I've looked at those mounds and have figured that the gophers have done me a favor through whatever means they use to grind up that dirt to such a clod-free state.  

So, I've been loading it up and dumping it into the north planters which definitely need some new dirt. 

This project with the shovel will eliminate huge clouds of dust sure to envelop me in the weeks ahead as I take those final rounds with the lawnmower and its leaf bag.

Thank you, gophers!  

Yesterday also provided another lovely day for saddling up.  

This time Lefty got the nod. I've been taking turns with the two horses and have managed to enjoy relaxing rides four times in the past week around our pastures and through our woods. 

Nothing better than sunny Sunday afternoons in September and October for a horseback ride. Like so many aspects of living in the country, it's definitely good for the soul. 

Another busy week ahead, and the weather is looking favorable for a few more horseback rides and, of course plum picking. 

Happy Monday. 

This is a leftover photo from our trip to Ronan on Saturday.  It's one of the many beautiful views seen while strolling around Ravenwood Arabians:  lovely white swans and gorgeous Arabian horses. 

These two photos were taken east of Plains.  Most anyone who travels that highway has seen the mountain sheep in fields or even along the road.  Saturday, they were taking a well-used pathway along the rock wall above Highway 200.

   We turned around, came back to their spot, parked and snapped some photos and some video. Some big rocks crashing to the ground below as they planned their route added to the drama.

Never before have I seen the sheep looking this good.  I guess I usually come through in the winter when they're in their ragtag condition. So, Saturday's viewing of them looking so healthy was a real treat.