AUTUMNS FURY

When I went to bed, I did expect to see a mess in the morning.  Winds were about 50 miles an hour and it sounded like the house was being ripped apart little by little, even our dog tucker looked at me a few times as to say I'm scared and left his pillow in the hallway to go lay next to the bed, he never sleeps there.  I could hear things thumping against the house which was either large branches from our big maple trees or neighbors lawn furniture.  Sleep was long coming!

Large and small branches littered the ground and the dogs were in heaven!  They didn't no what stick to eat first. and the fighting over who got what stick was my cue to take all sticks and dispose of them.  I  pulled sticks out of dogs mouths and threw them over the fence only to return to pull more sticks out of dogs mouths. Whats the significance of eating a stick, I guess Id have to be a dog :)

The handmade pond net had done its job also, it was covered with the leaves that had been violently ripped from the trees.  We checked for a regular pond net to cover our large pond which would of been hundreds of dollars and couldn't force myself to fork out that kind of cash for something that is only used a few weeks a year.  Of course it got my wheels turning and I thought,  " there has to be something cheaper", and "I'm sure there is something laying around here to use, there always is".   We had just purchased a roll of heavy duty window screen to re screen the patio door that one of the dogs had shredded and I looked at the leftovers and thought it would make a fine net for my pond.  It was narrow but could be cut to lengths I needed and sewed together with fishing line.  Brilliant thinking, I gave myself a pat on the back,  Ya gotta do that sometimes!

Guess Ill just stay in until the winds are gone and do the rest of the clean up tomorrow.  Maybe if I'm lucky the dogs will just eat all the sticks..........

                                                                                                                                  

  I wonder how I ever got everything I needed to get done, done when I worked outside the home.  Don't let anyone tell you that working from home is not a job, cause I beg to differ! The only thing different is instead of 5 children it is 6 dogs that keep us running. They squabble, need to be feed and get into mischief just like children.  I went out to finish my yard work this morning and as I put things away my Blenheim cavalier Rudy kept digging in the flower pots I had put away. I didn't realize that it was him taking them out and moving them to the middle of the shed until after about the fifth time I found them there and thought I was losing my mind..I finally caught him doing it. Darn kids!

  The marketing and research has to be done for the other web sites we maintain, auctions have to done for our eBay site, supplies have to be ordered and items need to be packed and shipped.  Then theres the everyday tasks like vacuuming, sweeping, dusting and cleaning furniture which must be done daily when you have 6 dogs. laundry  (which isn't so bad anymore since the dogs don't wear cloth)and cooking.  There are days I look up and say where did the time go!

  so as I finish writing this I am being circled by six hungry dogs who no when its time to eat and remind me I'm running behind again.  I am woman....but this woman's tired! 

      

So the saying "waste not, want not" also applies to gardening. at least in my life.  It is now time to start cleaning up the garden and throw away all the beautiful plants that made my garden that special place from may thru september.  I have a hard time letting go especially when the plants still look so nice!  I take cuttings of what I can to save for next year.  This works well for coleus, rex begonia and my pink double impatience that was a show stopper in my garden this year.  I dig out my spikes from the flower pots and the ones I plant around my pond and store them in a bucket of water in the basement.  The geraniums are dug out of the pots, cut off and stored in paper bags in the basement.   Works great to keep them and all you have to do is soak them in water once a month for a few hours. I also collect seeds from what I cant take cuttings from and divide what needs to be divided.  Might seem like alot of work to some but to me its a way to not waste resources that are right in front of you and I normally want for nothing when it comes to my gardens, it all right there in front of me. I lovingly put all the excess plant material that just couldnt be saved in the compost box and get a good feeling knowing that it will become a nutrient rich black gold for my gardens next year.  So as I ponder on what my gardens will look like next year I take great pride in knowing I didnt waste much!