Still September

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Today was nifty weather. Not rainy, not too windy, Perfect for hanging around the deck a bit. Mischief got to stay out n lounge. (We played with a fur-mousey on a bouncy string too). Notice the tiny, wild New York Asters that grew in the moss on the edge of the roof this year under the deck rails.
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With all this warmth it's tough to believe it's aleady the end of September! The deck plants are still producing new blooms. Here's one front corner. Usually it's much colder here by now. The weather report has torrential rains moving up the coast to be here for the next several days, so these may soon get washed out. I'll be trying not to dead head n pick them all so I'll have some seeds to use next year.
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The vines in the trees across the road from the deck are just beginning to turn color. They're always first here. The trees aren't ready until ten days after the first frost, n it's warmer near the ocean than inland, so usually peak tree color is in November.
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Here's a closer pic of some Asters. They're all over the place this week.
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Almost time to pick some potted turnips on the deck. The chicken wire n hardware wire covers have kept the critters from getting the goods.
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Down by the D-bridge, the vines are getting more colorful. The month has gone by quickly.

Back to work, n more wet, cooler weather-

(Oh joy- Blogger won't save or publish! This may get posted later-)

Have a good one...

Phenomena

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Odd observations made after returning home from a long work-week:

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Being greeted by a huge, very long- legged, skinny spider in the bathroom sink- I went to grab an empty jar, n momentarily lost sight of it, but soon spied her hanging on a web off the side of the commode tank n slipped the jar right under her, perfectly catching her unharmed to release outdoors.

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While putting dirty work clothes on the laundry pile noticing alot of quickly crawling, tiny sugar ants swarming under them! Well, my workclothes do get covered with all kinds of sugar, (glaze, frosting, powder, ect), n it is located above the downstairs kitchen wall, which may explain a second story ant work detail. So before showering I had to dig out some ant traps (I had for the deck), n put the sugary clothing in a large bucket of hot water, out of ant detection. Luckily, later no more ants were observed in the area (n without the use of spray!)

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Tropical humid air, n hot temperatures, in the fourth week of September in the NorthEast for Day Off, altho intermittently raining n windy, the windows are open, no shoes or sleeves required!

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Alot of early evening traffic was out there for a Tuesday. I waited a long time for each stop to turn while driving around town for errands. It was not my normal, low-key run.

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My fave market across town moved all my weekly items- (I hate that!- Takes longer). Strange, empty shelf spaces were seen there. An unbelievable amount of food items were on sale, (even my organic cookies), many for only a dollar! I spent very little n loaded up. (I don't get it- What's going on?)

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I drove all the way down the store-front lane at the plaza near my village, noting almost every store has closed or moved! TJ Max, Fashion Bug, Fayva, Sears, all gone! The only ad for an incoming business was for a "Dollar Store." The survivors include Stop n Shop, Walmart, Auto Zone, n the Laundry Mat. All are trying to move to a new plaza on the west-end of town. We may soon have nothing left here...

(If only I were a billionaire who could find viable businesses for all these vacant buildings, I could make more billions).

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The stores I went to were all packed with folks on a Tuesday (not payday), very unusual! Long checkout lines grew fast, n few open registers were available.

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I've been looking for a replacement for my old comforter. Today I scored one for the unbelievable amount of eleven bux! When's the last time I saw a price like that? (The old one cost twenty a decade ago-). Maybe the bedbugs on the news is the reason. Given my recent fun with insects, It'll go to the laundrymat before using.

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I don't know why, but today was different- Wonder what'll happen tomorrow...

Moored

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A yellow faced, pointy-eared, chocolate mouthed boy's head with black hair wearing a green beanie stops to check out a special flower bud in the water garden...

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Before that, a painterly, bright landscape of fields n low hills is dotted with large, red n blue catepillars crawling parallel to a babbling brook...

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Back in reality, on a quiet afternoon last week at the M-cove, vessels remained on their moorings due to small craft warnings, strong winds, n off-shore storms effects.

(just another strange altered picture post-)

Time Marked

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Autumnal Equinox

Equal parts dark n light

Time marked in thought

Day, night, death, life

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Rewards seen

Knowledge gleaned

Harvest near

People dear

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Gifts formed

Ideas born

Hard felt knocks

Neighbors talk

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Rest some more

Feel restored

Getting less

Wanting more

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Time marked in thought

Day, night, death, life

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........................ poem by SnaggleTooth today

Pretty Vines

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They are looking lovely this week, those first turners to red in the neighbor- hood. Next to the M-cove by the side of the road, the easily identified three-leafed variety of climbing itchy plant.
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The color yells out "Look here!" to all autumn seekers. "This is where I've been hiding all summer- Ha!"
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Then I made it more colorful after applying texture effects, n applied the rotating mirror again- currently my fave Paint trick. Rather looks clown-esk doesn't it? (Orange face, green hair-) There is just no end to the fun n games for me here.
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I'm kind of feeling carried away with posting these altered versions so often this year on ESR. I suppose I'll evolve out of this phase, but perhaps there is no turning back...
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A bright, pretty vine winds up a tree trunk in search of better light. The Poison Ivy won't plague anyone up there, at least. Fall arrives today, n here's the premiere color dancer.
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.Then I found a Doggy (orange), Kitty (orange), n Mystery Head (green n brown) totem pole with arms to make me ponder the wonders of the universe...
(How have I managed to avoid getting nailed by this beach-side cluster...?)

Misunderstood

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That far away look

Piercing green eyes

Silent but steady

Strange kind of disguise

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So much pressure

Crossing the bridge

Move on moment

Over the edge

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Anger is danger

Knife be a blade

Get over the pain

Mistakes have been made

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................................. Poem by SnaggleTooth Today

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(Yes, it is this Photo up there!)

Trumpet

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Across the Boulevarde from the M-cove beach is a fence choc full of these Orange Trumpet Vine flowers (Campsis radicans). A couple weeks ago I went down to take pics of them, but couldn't get very close due to the hundreds of bees of all kinds enjoying the plentiful nectar. I'm always challenged trying to show the strange shape of the 3.5 inch long blooms in pics. I think they're a really cool looking late summer flower, which I look forward to seeing each year. Sometimes you can see the hummingbirds making rounds for them.

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In the sideyard there are a few of these vines which were flowering also, but when I went down there recently, I discovered that the kids from down stairs had used all the blooms for batting practice, n left the battered blossoms n a metal pole from the fence as evidence laying in the yard.

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(I hid the pole). I'd planted one of the baby vines in a bucket with the periwinkles out on the deck about a decade ago which has yet to bloom trumpets.

(This spring I finally got Periwinkles for the first time).

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That late afternoon when I went to take these pics I noticed BBM n the troops were at the beach a few hundred feet away hunting minnows n crabs, so I got in a short Little Ones visit too. Sometimes we seem to have a gift for synchronisity like we're following each other around. Funny how timing can work out so well sometimes.

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No visiting for me this weeks Days Off tho- I've been sinus infection sickly for a week now, n still hacking away. Wouldn't want anyone to miss school on my account... So I'm keeping a low profile in the village this week. Didn't go walking, taking pics, or go see a water sunset. Just sticking around home doing laundry, n odds n ends.

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Tonight is expected to get down to the 40 F range, so I brought the Impatiens in, n put down some storm windows. Wow- I hate closing windows! They've been open since May. Only September, n a week left of the season, yet it's feeling like orange n brown time already!

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Have a good last week of Summer folks!

Fine Vine

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Recently off the side of the D-bridge abuttment, I spied this lovely vine in autumn turning, berry mode. Then I played with color controls again...

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The original color version- If you look closely you can see a ton of berries. I'm not sure what the name of it is. Of course, it instantly made me think of Fall leaf colors soon to be on the way...

Towering

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Again it's "911," the day that will cause a tower of grief in my mind forevermore. (But not for Jannie).

Even 9 years later the memories of that day in '01 loom large in the rearview mirror.

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In the five years I've been posting on ESR, I actually skipped writing about it two years, '05, n '08.

In 911-2006 I posted an image I'd made in 2001. In 2007 I posted questions n answers in regard to what I was doing that day. Last year I posted flowers.

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Today this backlit towering cloud pic brings to mind the many explosions n calamities born of terrorism. The enormity of loss, n overwhelming grief for so many lives lost. Otherwise, it may seem like a normal day as I get ready n go to work again. 911 may not have directly taken anyone away from me, but yet I feel the loss, n importance of the event- n bet I always will.

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I'll light a candle n pray for the lost souls. I'll get home from work n watch my rememberance 911 videos, n I'll remember how steep the price has been to be an American.

All Things

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Must come to an end...

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Last Day of vaca, n I'm having a low-key day, thanks to my sniffly cold which appeared as I awoke. *Drats*

So most of the planned errands got post-poned n I hung out by myself with my nasty sinuses.

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When I went to go sit outside to read, the thick, dark, puffy clouds rolled over head, n it rained a bit.

Then finally, right at sunset the clouds moved enough to let some color thru. I went down to the D-bridge just in time to see it, the best part of my day.

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Back to the grind, somewhat easier now...

Part Green, Part Machine

This could be a new other-worldly superhero with halo-fingers, Leafy arms, n a gleaming chrome-armored torso... Techno-Tree! Wonder if he pinches like a Praying Mantis? He looks very dangerous, indeed.
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Here we have another insectile character, his droid side-kick, complete with large, fluffy green eyes n leafy apendages to match- Full of sensors n antenae, G-2-M-o.






The arch-enemy, evil red-Googley-Eyed Gobbly hides in a corner, waiting to enact some mischief on the unsuspecting passerby,



As the orginal, unmutated sunflower next to a coffee shop uptown bemoans her identity being stolen n manipulated!

Happy Labor Day

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No pics of destruction to report today.
All went well overnight while I was up watching out the open windows while sheets of heavy rain n some wind came thru in waves until about 5 am.
The storm exited n degraded to tropical storm level after getting hit with the Westerly wind currents aloft, according to the Channel 5 weather guy.
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Several summer neighbors next door came down to salvage the rest of the long week-end, n the place is hopping with BBQs once again.
Some of the local beaches have been closed in the aftermath due to rip tide currents n bacterial conditions due to storm run off.
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Now that all that storm readiness prep has been done, any subsequent hurricane threats will only need a minimum of work next time. I do plan to move the numerous deck plants back around where they were tho-
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Back to Labor Day week-end activities n visiting with folks. Got in lots of energetic n yummy times already today. Downstairs are still out somewhere, so I get to sleep too.
(Pic n altered pic are from earlier this week.)
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Labor Day
... ... Summer ran with the ball
... ... To herald Autumn's fall.
... ... Remind Winter to chill out
... ... Before Spring sprouts back to life.
- by SnaggleTooth
(jotted down with pen on paper, September 10, 2007, Labor Day )

Earl-y Day

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Walking around the village you can't tell it's the Friday of Labor Day week-end.

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I even encountered a squirrel sitting in the middle of a road, wondering where all the folks were! Down on the M-cove, the water is still calm, n just a little higher than normal.
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Parking is plentiful, n out side of a little foot-traffic, getting ready, the place seems very deserted.

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I finally remembered to shovel out the grown-over with bamboo drain across from my place.

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The college kids have been moving in downstairs again this week. Their idea of storm prep is to leave bottles, cans, cleaning chemicals, (armor all, bleach), n all kinds of stuff all over outdoors, (like a small trailer, tv, n bike), then leave! I picked up the porch bottles so they don't fly into my truck- but the furniture n glass stuff left loose on the porch I'm not up to doing- When I was on the porch taking pics of this stuff, I discovered they broke the downstairs doorknob, left laying on the floor- n stormdoor handle also. I re-attached the knob.

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If I need to leave it would be nice to get out the main door instead of the upstairs outside door in the wind... All that stuff may be in the way of getting out later- not swift! (Grrh kids!)

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Most of you realize I took this work week off. I've got way too much free time today (as everyone's just waiting around for the storm), to contemplate the wasted time this week. on the long list I made of things that need to get done while I have time this week, like rugs n curtain washing, - nothing has gotten done yet! I've just wasted over half my week doing prep for this storm... n off I go to pack more emergency stuff so it's handy.

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MB has moved her visit back a day to avoid the worst of it, n they're saying the week-end weather will be good. Hopefully my vaca time gets back on track soon.
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Today tho- I'm feeling very unmotovated for cleaning, art, or anything but watching reports n waiting...

note: all these pics were taken today-

I heard there was a large scale earthquake near ChristChurch in NZ- Hope CJ is doing ok!.
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The storms down to cat 1, n will move off to the East from here far enough so the worst will miss us here. We just need to watch out for tree-wind damages n surge water flooding. It won't happen during high tide, which is good. I'm more worried about BBM's place than mine, n she gets home from work later tonight. I'll be up all night, anyhow- but may have no power for a bit, so never fear if you don't here from me awhile. Looks like this won't be as severe as Hurricane Bob at any rate.

Happy Earl Day!

So far it's been very boring...

Names

Current sat pic.

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Earl may hurl himself upon the Eastern USA coast this week. .

Everytime I hear the name Earl, I think of my daughters previous cat, Hurl. ("My Girl, Hurl...") A kitten she hand fed for it to survive. Hurl was adopted out, n is no longer living.

I had a hand-fed kitten once too, named Blob. I hope it's a coincidence that Blob sounds alot like Bob. I remember When Huricane Bob hit Cape Cod dead on as a Cat-3 storm. (category 3 on a scale from 1 to 5)

When I realized Bob was heading straight here, while still at cat-5 on the news, I had that "Uh-oh alarm" ring a bell in my head. I packed up the kids n sent them to the west side of town. I was going to stay here, but had second thoughts when the wind picked up. Trees began swaying n bending all around the house, n I got really paraniod. I left n also spent the night about eight miles away.

It was a tough drive around tree debris back home after the storm. According to the seaweed line, the water was up to the steps next door at the "R"s. Seaweed was also plastered to the siding of my house where the wind had thrown it.

All kinds of boats had broken moorings and were all over the beaches in piles, on the rocks,n on the seaside boulevards. One of the piers at the marina recently shown on ESR had broken loose n was ripped in pieces all over the coves.

I also remember seeing folks down the hill shoveling sand out of their front doorways!

My home was without power for five days. I received emergency food vouchers from the government for the tossed freezer n frig goods lost with no way to cook.

The aftermath was an emotional experience. That was the summer after my father had died. It was vacation break n I was a college student as a single parent. I remember a very tough week. But the house was ok, the kids were ok, n most folks were able to fix the damage. There's a house which was rebuilt up on stilts, (pilings), down at the end of m-cove after that storm.

Earl, Hurl...

Bob, Blob...

hmmm how paraniod am I? They're only names, right?

Color Moment

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Glorious wonders of sky n ocean

Refreshing waters, peace of mind

Cares part waves ripple away

Golden moments the greatest prize

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Soul searching peace, solitude

Life waters tugging at my soul

No where to go only be here

Other things you won't know

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Time given back to me

Loves lost returned

Food for staying sweet

Becoming whole, complete

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If color lasted a lifetime

Eyes would always see

Hearts would feel the beat

Rhythm could extend eternity.

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Behold the gifts given

We miss what we don't have

I'm allowed a tiny grain of life

Humbled in the moment, glad

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............................................Poem by SnaggleTooth today