The Third Act

sweet

Autumn light is so sweet and sentimental.  

 

 

persimmons

Persimmons are the embodiment of autumn, to me.  Sure, there are apples, but you can get those any time of year.  Apples can be in cold storage, or they might be shipped in from out of the country.  Persimmons, however, are fleeting.  Even the varieties that can be eaten hard will eventually go soft to the point of spoilage.  As far as I know, I've also never seen this fruit come from out of the U.S.  Granted, I'm on the east coast and most of the persimmons in the stores come from California.  But these can be grown in Virginia and in fact, there are native varieties in the eastern part of the country.

My two little persimmon trees are only a couple years old.  They got a bit bigger this year, but are still establishing themselves.  There probably won't be any fruit on these trees for a couple more years.  In the mean time I need to do all I can to nourish and encourage strong, healthy growth.  And...I need to be patient.

I found these persimmons in the grocery store the other day.  They're still a bit pricey, but they are the kind of indulgence I allow myself.  One day my trees will produce and won't that be grand??

 

 

 

 

It's been a day...

The saga of the furnace, which has turned into the saga of all the HVAC, has been occurring since yesterday.  Throw in a water heater to replace (which is ancient and I'm trying to be preemptive) and it turns out to be a very expensive day.

Having strangers in my house ALL day long has done a number on my nervous system.  Don't get me wrong, they've all been great and kept their noses to the grindstone and I appreciate their efforts.  I just have a hard time feeling not quite comfortable in my own space, over a span of many hours.  Any other plans I had for the today were curtailed.  Thankfully I have a nice cozy room to hang out in and plenty of firewood.  Just this afternoon I felt my nervous energy had to go somewhere so I pulled out a couple of cyanotypes and started fiddling with metallic watercolor paint on them.  More fiddling to be done.

I hope your day was better than mine...but all in all, I really shouldn't complain.

 

 

 

 

 

warmth

Well, the first really cool days are arriving.  Apparently today and tomorrow will have record low highs.  Not freezing by any stretch, but with the continuing gray skies the house stays cool.

So, of course I go to turn on the gas furnace for the first time in months.  Last night it seemed to function fine.  This morning, however, something isn't quite working.  I've got the repairman here now.  And...thank goodness for the little wood stove.  Man, I love this thing!  I also had the foresight to bring in some firewood the other day.  Consequently, it's quite snug downstairs (even if it does stink a bit from dust burning off).  

I can't say I'm sad about the coolness.  I'm quite delighted, as a matter of fact!  Autumn is one of my favorite seasons, and the chill makes it feel like the change from summer is really happening.  Yeah, it'll warm up by the end of the week, but in the mean time I'm enjoying what is.

 

 

 

 

Sunday

Just as Avery and I were taking a wander around the yard, the rain came in again.  It's gentle, but moderate, if that makes any sense.  Honestly, it's perfect for more soaking in to the previously dry soil.

I spent a bit of time yesterday propping plants up and removing others.  It's truly fun to see the places where the soil is getting enriched.  A process, to be sure.  I've been gardening here for about eight years now, gradually expanding the planting space.  Every year I see where there can be improvements or even more expansion.  My relationship with the garden is probably one of my most intimate at this point in time.  If I have no other partner, there's always the garden.

It's very cozy inside.  I'm holding back from lighting a fire in the wood stove since the temperature isn't that cold.  The day is gray, though.  In lieu of a wood fire, I've lit some candles...that will suffice.

 

 

 

 

Friday

It's been a good day to stay indoors.  I finally got some cleaning done (in a room I've been avoiding...mainly my work area).  Hopefully having tidy surroundings will motivate me to be more creative.  

So far, these remnants of hurricane Ian haven't been overwhelming.  The winds are really picking up now, so the intense gusts do get disconcerting.  The rain, though, has been steady but relatively light.  It might get heavier as the evening progresses.  

For now, I'm just enjoying the coziness of indoors...it feels like fall.

 

 

 

 

ready for the rain

I spent today procuring supplies for the garden (compost and manure) and working with said supplies.  There were a number of plants I wanted to give a boost before the cold sets in, as well as finish topping off the emptied beds and sowing them with buckwheat.  A flat of pansies also went in on the edges of the front garden.  I doubted I was going to complete cutting back the perennials, but I did (go me?).  

I didn't get around to any photography until just this evening, as I was going out to retrieve the mail (nothing interesting...just junk).  The sky looked amazing, even though I could only see it through the trees.  It was kind of cool how the color of the sunset mirrored the orange light on the porch.

We'll see what the remnants of hurricane Ian bring us tomorrow.  It could end up being an inside sort of day.

 

 

 

 

autumn

It's a nice time of year to do more cooking.  Tonight...black bean and veggie chili.

 

 

 

 

 

autumn light

Is there a more lovely thing than autumn light?  The tone, the angle, the soft glow?  It's a bit melancholy, but not in a bad way...it holds a nostalgia and warmth of pleasant memories.  

It has finally been feeling like fall here in central Virginia.  The nights are getting cooler, the insect sounds quieter and sweeter.  Pumpkins are collecting on my front porch (I wonder how that happens?!).  Apples and pears now fill the fruit bowl, the peaches and plums having exited the building.  I'm inspired to cook more...soups, stews, baked things.  I'm simultaneously looking forward to and apprehensive about the coming darker months.  They'll pass by in a flash, though, as they always do.  In the mean time, this is a wonderful season right here, right now.

 

 

 

 

 

Virginia State Fair

I went with a friend to the state fair yesterday.  While I had a good time, it was tempered by the fact I developed a migraine right before we left.  My vision had returned to normal, but an annoying headache did develop and just sort of slowed me down.  Consequently the intention I had set out with, to take lots of photos, didn't quite pan out.  I finished up a roll of color film in the Zero and used nearly an entire roll of monochrome film in the Holga, so that's something.  I was grateful to find this one pack of Instax mini film in a bag, because I wasn't going to lug around the camera I use for the Instax wide.  

Normally I would have come home to scan and post these right away, but I was just kind of laid low the rest of the day yesterday.  So here I am, Monday morning, still lingering with not feeling quite right, but at least moving forward.  I'm feeling...melancholy.  I won't go into the details, but it'll most likely pass as the day progresses.  It's a beautiful September morning and that's something to appreciate.