preparing for winter

I spent nearly half an hour picking up pine cones out of the front yard. Then I mowed the grass the next day and was hitting cones every few feet. The leaves are still green on the deciduous trees, but the pine has decided it's time to fatten up the squirrels.

I sorted all these into "pretty" and "broken" and took about three gallons of "pretty" ones to someone at work to deliver to her son's preschool for crafts. I have nearly five gallons of broken ones in the basement waiting to become kindling in a month or so.

I've got plenty left to pick up. I've filled those two buckets again, and every time I walk through the front yard I pick up a few more.

In some ways cones are more trouble than leaves. Let's wait and see if I still think so at the end of October.

the benefits of escape

Here's a follow up on my surprise marigolds. (another hitchhiker)

The one that stayed in its pot:

You can see that the two plants that escaped into the ground are having a much better summer:

cardinal vine

I finally caught the flowers open at a time when the light wasn't bad and I had time to take the camera out.  I can see this part of it from the kitchen window, though from a different angle.

I really enjoyed this plant when I first had some from a neighbor back in North Carolina in 1998.

It's taking advantage of the deck railing with very little encouragement. I sit out near it as much as I can.

And I think the compost pile is going to be full of seedlings next year. (Looking down at last year's compost from above.)