There’s nothing better than canine kisses from our best friends. Unable to join us on our trip to a National Park, our fur babies enjoyed puppy camp. The excitement that overtakes them when they hear the name “Michele” is crazy. She’s the camp counselor they so dearly love. We’re lucky to have a safe place to leave them while traveling.
Yesterday was a typical first day back home. Dogs are so much like children. For the first half of the day, they raced around greeting us with happiness at every turn. Around 1 PM, they began to crash into afternoon nap time while HHH and I worked to catch up on gardening.
Today we’re expecting three consecutive freezes with highs in the 50s. Winter is just around the corner, and with that comes many chores. The biggest is turning off the irrigation water system.
When I moved to Winterpast, the water system was a huge mystery. There were the normal leaks that could throw me into tears. More than that, two electronic boxes controlling 8 stations watering twice daily took time and patience to learn. Drip irrigation is wonderful when it’s working and frustrating when it’s not.
These days, working with HHH, the water system is no longer a mystery. Winterizing the irrigation system is a systematic process that makes perfect sense. Turn off the main valve, and drain the system in for winter. In the spring, do the opposite.
The roses are giving us the last show of the season. With each passing day, there are more dying blooms. They’ve had the last feeding for the season and will soon fall into dormancy until spring. This year, we doubled the number of bushes in our yard. Next year will be even better.
Every day, more of the yard art and empty pots are washed and put away for next year. By mid-November, we’ll be ready to dig out the Christmas lighting and begin preparing for the holidays.
If you live in an area with severe winters, remember to empty fountains and store away your pots and tools. Make a list of tools needed for next year. Christmas is just around the corner. Gardening implements and decorations make great gifts. I’m already preparing my list for Santa.
Ollie and Wookie plan to warm themselves in the last of the autumn sunshine. Their coats are growing thicker, even though they wouldn’t know what to do if forced to sleep outside. So spoiled, they are back with their pack and ready to snuggle with us in the autumn chill.
Whatever you do today, take a few minutes to make of list of your autumn chores. Fall cleaning is always a great place to start. Take time to enjoy autumn’s night sky. If you’re lucky, you might just see the comet.
More tomorrow.