The Last Days of September

 

For better or worse, they're here.

We are on the precipice of what is, for many of us, our favorite time of year (even though loathing what follows).

Others (no names mentioned) would more likely prefer to burn the book above.

The days here have been temperate and mild; the nights cool and moonlit.

I don't want to betray October, but Septembers like this just might win my affections.

The skies are that September kind of blue that other months can't quite mimic.

...and there is a different sound to them as well.

The full harvest moon promises light in the dark nights to come...

...as well as a hint of the mystery and magic of the season ahead.

{I don't think the time stamp will show in the photo, but this photo was taken at 1:26 a.m. (don't ask) with no filters, editing, or other alteration.}

The gardens, while tired from the summer's labors, are still lush and enticing in the moonlight's forgiving light.

The last days of September have been busy here and will continue to be full for the next several weeks.

While I've neither hooked nor stitched much (any?) of late, I thought, my wayward mojo might be located at one of Cathy's (Red Barn Rugs) workshops and wrangled home.

Despite the amazingly talented hookers there and inspiring projects, I can't say that my mojo was anywhere to be found, but the hunt will continue.

So as not to leave my hooker friends out there completely disappointed, here a few photos. (Sorry, I wasn't good at actually taking photos of the rugs being worked on. I guess I was too busy scouring nooks and crannies for my mojo.)

{Cathy's living room}

{Hallway in the upstairs studio}

{One of the rugs in the upstairs hallway of Cathy's studio}

{Cathy's rug/design}

{Cathy's design/rug}

{Rug hooked by Lisa P}

{Cathy's rug/design}

{Maria B's rug}

{Cathy's design/rug}

{Rug being worked on by Lisa P}

{Maria B started this rug at the workshop and made amazing progress.  The design is by Robin Leuschen. Pay no attention to that horse in the background LOL}

The week ahead is a busy one with many appointments and, at its end, I will be heading to the lake for a few short days of hooking with Cathy and a few friends.

And, no, I don't expect to find my mojo up there either. 

I've already checked.

Enjoy your last days of September.

Short on Words...

{Wisteria on the cornzebo}

...so I've been of late.

Other than identifying descriptions, this post will, likewise, be short on words...but long on photos.

Some photos are over a month old - my apologies. It seems this summer came and went without telling me it was even here.

{A fuchsia with the largest blooms I've ever seen}

{Coneflowers...a/k/a echinacea}

{Roses and wisteria on cornzebo}

{Thistle...yes, intentionally grown}

{Butterfly on coneflower...Sedum in the background}

{Coneflowers and foxglove "digitalis"...A bumper crop of both this year}

{Black-eyed Susans...a/k/a rudbeckia}

{The first hibiscus of the season}

{Foxglove}

{My back stoop}

{Million bells (calibrachoa)}

{False sunflower (heliopsis)}

{Morning glories...they've taken over my old twig patio bench and repurposed it as a trellis}

{Butterfly on hydrangea}

{More hibiscus}

{More million bells and more foxglove}

{Patio planter with volunteer petunias and baby's breath/gypsophila}

{False sunflower and bee}

{Balancing crow whirligig}

This past week I was also in charge of keeping the "hooker-down-the-lane"'s garden alive.

The trust of some people.

{The lane down which the hooker-down-the-lane lives}

{A glimpse of the hooker's garden}

{A second glimpse 😉)

So pretty it hurts.

There you have it. 

The 'happier' side of my past month (or so).

I'll be back when I find my words.

{Sunset in Nod}

 

A Quick Check-in...

Little Crow is getting married this weekend and things have been crazier than normal.  

If my penchant for procrastination and late-onset anxiety weren't enough to deal with right now,  a rogue storm rolled through Sunday morning leaving me without power for over 4 hours and doing a great deal of damage - including, but not limited to, decimating my back-up generator, my pool pump/robot cleaning system, garage lights, wireless remote light switches, and my pc hard drive.

Why me? Why now???

UGH.

Anyways, it may be a while before I catch my breath and things return to the low hum of my old "normal," so I wanted to do a quick check-in to let you know I'm still here even if I won't manage to keep up with checking in on blogs, etc.

Since my photos (and most of the rest of my life) are on my defunct pc, you get some random, unedited (i.e., no attempt to remove blur), photos from my camera roll..and posted from my Ipad which is always a bit of a challenge.

{Love the way the sunshine reflects off my favorite crow's wings...}

{The hibiscus is putting on their final summer show....}

{The moon has been so spectacularly orange it reminds me of those jelly orange slice candies some nights...}

{I tried to disguise a black-and-blue toe (fall down the patio stairs) with a pedicure.  I wasn't entirely successful....}

{A little dark stitching - "Jack's Bash" by Plum Street Samplers....}

{Rajah Roo...pretty much summing up how I feel at the end of each day...and, truth be told, at the start of many as well....}

I have the honor of walking Miss Mia down the aisle.

  Wish me luck.

She's too little to hold me up.