Juxtaposition

 

It is that time of year when autumn colors and plants sit next to summer hangovers. I will have to take my geraniums into the garage next week overnight Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday if the forecast for frost is right. The fothergilla has peaked in color this week.

Autumn colors have been somewhat muted or missing this fall. My backyard maple mostly turned brown with leaves dropping. The maple next to my neighbor's condo is fairly bright though.

Down below the sumac is a single daisy.

In the newsfeed on my Galaxy tablet there is rarely current events. I guess because I searched and touched on stories about decluttering and best buys at stores like Costco, Trader Joe's, Aldi's, I get that sort of thing in the feed. I read a story about Aldi's fall chicken salad which is an upgrade from the regular chicken salad. It has nuts and cranberries. I bought some yesterday which we ate on a croissant. It is very good. Supposedly it will disappear from the store shelf after the holiday season. 

As the weather heads for cold temperatures, critters are starting to look for warmth. I don't know what this bug is, but I was careful not to let it in my house. I saw one like it in the garage a few weeks ago where I had the geraniums sheltering one night. Then a few days ago when I took something next door to my neighbors, I saw one sitting on their porch chair.

I bought a puzzle at the Friends of the Library book sale at North Webster Thursday morning. I am going to start working on it this weekend. It is a 1000-piecer though when I prefer doing smaller puzzles.

I washed my duster/robe today, and I hung my winter bathrobe in my closet. I wore a short-sleeved top today so I could get my flu shot at Walgreen's, but this afternoon I have on a sweater. I need to think about bringing in the cushions from the porch rocking chairs. I cling to the hope that we might have a sneak Indian summer day yet in our autumn, but most likely my porch sitting days are over.

Autumn colors, pottery, loons

 Today we drove to Columbia City which still has a Richards Restaurant similar to the one we liked in Warsaw that shut down. We took Old 30 (Lincoln Highway) until we came to a section shut down by road work. South to Highway 30, but then at Indiana 5 we turned north toward Old 30 again. We wanted to enjoy the fall foliage. Actually Indiana 5 had one of the nicest stretches of colorful trees right off of Highway 30. 

When we arrived home, we noticed that we have some nice color right in our neighborhood. The fothergilla bush has turned yellow just as I predicted last week.

It is 75 degrees and sunny. When I finish this post, I am going to sit on our front porch and read a book. It is windy, but the porch is somewhat sheltered. 

As I looked down at my feet while taking the photo of the above tree, I saw one of the bright red leaves that had fallen from our backyard maple. The wind yesterday and today and probably tomorrow is going to knock more leaves from the limbs.

I moseyed down the west side of our house and was surprised to find a hydrangea bloom and some other colorful leaves with blooms. Since I hardly ever enjoy those plants because I don't walk around out there, I snipped them for a vase inside.

I cut down the Veronica (speedwell) and pulled up the last of the moss roses yesterday. Now the cheddar pinks are all that remain in our patio plot.

One of my neighbors is going from a conventional brick house owned by Grace Village to one of its apartments. She had a moving sale this weekend. I bought a piece of pottery and a book. She has lots of big furniture to get rid of (two dining tables, a stand-alone fireplace, side tables). 

Monterey Jade pottery was made in the Carmel Valley and sold in gift shops in Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea mostly from the 1940's to the 1960's. Since it incorporates my favorite color (blue), I paid the $2 and brought it home. I don't know what I am going to do with it. I have some places it could be displayed, but right now I have fall decor out. It does look especially lovely with light coming through the window of the sunporch bringing out its iridescence. 

The other item I bought at the sale was a book about loons. I have never seen nor heard a loon in nature; I have just seen them in movies, etc. This goes through the whole life cycle. I think it will be fun to learn about these intriguing birds.