its this hot in September?

I can't believe how warm it is for September 21st.. 82 degrees at noon. and today, how windy. poor plants, they are really suffering today.

I took Gretchen on a walk today (small token on my runagogo goal) and despite temps you can tell that the trees, bushes, grasses and wildlife are responding to the less daylight hours and that the Autumnal equinox is almost here.

we have plenty left to do before we call it "fall" in our yard so I'm grateful for these temps that keep the soil temp up! mainly moving some hostas from one area to another, that is the one plant goal I have for this weekend.

on the knitting front, I am sending out a package today to my SP11 secret pal. I sure hope she likes it as I tried to send her a package for her. additionally, I'm working on my hogwart's pal socks, I cannot believe some are done already! and I'm totally in love with the scarf for the red scarf project.

and, I've already fallen in love with the tilted duster, due to Ravelry.

and you thought you'd never hear from me again....

Yahoo

I received my invitation to Ravelry today...

and while I've only spent like 5 minutes there....

you may never ever hear from me again.

ok. just kidding, but its wonderful. but I'll try not to rave too much for those that aren't on yet.

and now I must get my camera rolling... after I get done looking at all the other gorgeous bits of inspiration there!

What's blooming in our neck of the woods?

Despite the near freezing temps the other night our gardens are still growing strong. This was the first of seven predicted polar blasts this winter, per our ISU extension specialist. I'll have to keep track to see if they come true, and frankly, I'll take all seven if they are as mild as the other night! Our vegetable garden is still going, although it is in the last of its final push on peppers and tomatoes. yet again, no watermelon this year. I'm not sure what we're doing wrong but I'll try again in a different spot next year. We have several sedums throughout the yard putting on their final shade of colors. We also have purple (native and non native), pink, black lady and white asters blooming, and blue lobelia. Helenium was also blooming, I don't know if the cold spell will have knocked them back. Red nasturiums are blooming again in the herb garden. Zinnias and cosmos are still going, although the cosmos look a little worse for wear due to the cold. Scabiosas are blooming as well as some hostas and some heucharas. I still am harvesting rasberries everyday. Verbenias, petunias... native and some in baskets. Morning glories are awesome. And I have some hardy mums that just can't say no to this weather. I hope to pick up some of that beautiful kale this weekend as an accent, it sure looks pretty against frost--altho the weather man says we'll have warmer than normal temps now--good thing, we still have plenty to do outside.

On the needles? well, this september and my virgo urgings have stirred up the desire for new projects in me. I've adopted the red scarf project and picked the pattern from knitting daily. I got some galway yarn from my friend Amber's shop, MISKNITs in Kansas City yesterday and got started right, I'm hooked already! Plus, as usual, a couple of pairs of socks. and I'm definitely moving my sites to fall and winter projects regardless of temperatures.

My allergies are AWFUL this year... they are really keeping me in the house. it is too bad as this is one of my favorite times of the year.

And, its been awhile...

Carl, has this awesome idea for a reading challenge, RIP II, and since my third favorite thing to do, is read! I'm all for it. I haven't decided which peril I will undertake, but I plan to do that before the end of the week. Gothic horror isn't my usual genre, but it could be this fall!

We recently scored big on plants--150 free ones to be exact so this last week has been busy with planting a few plants at a time. My fall allergies have been extreme so I can only be outside moments before I rush back in and wash off pollen and rest for awhile. We also added more plants to the cul-de-sac planting out front. We still have some to go, esp in the new patio garden we are putting in out back.. but we are taking today off literally. Altho I did have to go water some new plants we put in yesterday at one of my rain gardens in town.

On the knitting front, sad to say, but I died... my beautiful socks from Scotland arrived in my socks of death game. I sent my SIP's back to her. I couldn't get into that pattern, I found it boring and just well, very uninspiring.

I'm working on my HP pals socks and looking toward fall patterns.