Friday, October 28, 2011

recycling run

Here's an illustration of how little packaging a frugal single woman consumes:


That bundle of newspapers is one-third (you can see the edges of the other two-thirds) of ten months of my weekly local paper, plus the advertising with front page that the weekly papers of two next door counties distribute. I don't really use as much bleach as that, because I save up bleach bottles and take them in a big batch, so that's probably two years' worth. Under the bleach bottles is the single plastic grocery bag of cans. (Our county recycling doesn't accept glass anymore, or there'd be a lot of pasta sauce jars.) Yes, I do drink that much cider in ten months, and even more, because some of the cider jugs are made of a different plastic and are still sitting in the basement awaiting more companions.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

fading leaves

There are more leaves hanging on than I expected after the high winds, and some of them are still green, but fall is in full swing.






Friday, October 21, 2011

snake indoors

Look what  I found about three feet from the front door one of the many times I walked from the kitchen to the living room and back during supper. He wasn’t very big; I persuaded him onto a magazine and tossed him out the door. Avoiding hibernation is bad for your health!





Monday, October 17, 2011

Friday, October 14, 2011

less green


More yellow.


And orange.


And red.


Wednesday, October 12, 2011

hints of color

Most of my surroundings are still green, but the colors are beginning to stick their toes in the water.






Sunday, October 9, 2011

heat

I'm not ready for winter yet, but I'm closer than I was.


That's nearly a cord. Now I need at least another one.


Thursday, October 6, 2011

yard art

I didn't get nearly enough good shots of this amazing collection.



But I knew I had to cross the street.


Do enlarge at least this one to see the detail.


Tuesday, October 4, 2011

we haven't changed a bit

My fortieth high school reunion was this weekend, and I managed to go to several small gatherings. The people I spent the most time with in high school have all led interesting lives and seem intent on continuing to do so. I recognized people I haven't seen for twenty years instantly.


On the last day we had brunch at a nice café,


and after more than an hour, we spilled out to block the sidewalk for another hour or more.


The balloons had nothing to do with us, actually.


It was well worth a trip to the city.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

last fall flowers

The last fall flowers I can bring indoors. There's plenty of goldenrod still, but I'm allergic to it. There may be more Queen Anne's lace, but it isn't colorful. So I'm celebrating the start of fall with these that I cut down by the pond.


From the yellow of daffodils to these is half a year.