GOOD MORNING!

The pond in back is quite filled up now.  There was fog last night as colder weather moved in.  My dad always used to say that the seasons did not change until the ponds and streams filled up.  So right!  The entire flock of geese was feeding under the bird feeder this morning.  They are assembling to migrate soon.

I'm back!

Torrential downpour last night filled up the wetland.  All the migrating birds are back there.  Will get a smart phone and post videos soon.

MUMS!

The fall mums are in the flower boxes!  Where did summer go?

Kim, this one is for you.

My mom raised about 15 chickens.  We had eggs and they sometimes had young.  We had a big sunny chicken yard where they free roamed!  They spent time in the sun.  It was a tar-paper chicken coop but my mom planted pink roses on the eastern side.  They climbed the trellis and were very beautiful.  She was such an artist in her own way.

Goldfinch babies

This is Goldfinch nesting time.  Keep an eye out for finchie babies!

ALMOST TIME TO PLANT SPRING BULBS!

Still working on the woodland.  Right now a lot of woody vines there.  Takes a lot of time.
We are having 2 very large trees cut down on Sept. 9th.  Will try to upload short video.

SEASONS ARE ABOUT TO CHANGE

The garden is coming to an end!  It has been a cool summer in Okemos.  Today the weather is perfect sunny but no humidity!
Trimmed out the peony leaves and tossed them into the leaf compost area.  These can't be used as regular compost because they will transmit disease to peonies next year.
The geese are amassing in the wetland to migrate at some point.  It's somewhat dry back there now and the pond is receding so the geese are rather muddy looking.

FAWNS

Fawns stay with their mom for at least 1 year. 
They are very dependent.

Pitch Fork

Went out to the compost area in the back and tidied up all the leaves and turned the compost.  Also tramped through the woods picking up fallen limbs of trees.  Some we will cut for the fireplace.  Others are neatly piled in the wood pile back there.  Still have work to do but looks much better!
First signs of fall are here!

MY DAD THE GARDENER

All I learned about gardening I learned from my dad.  He and my grandfather (also an avid gardener) used to compete to see who would have the first ripe tomato in the summer.  My grandfather always cheated by starting his tomato plants under grow lights in the cellar but dad always conceded that he was the victor. When I was a small kid my dad had a huge vegetable garden about one-half an acre.  He raised everything up there including strawberries and all kinds of fruit.  They didn't have much at that time so the garden kept the family free from hunger.  My mom canned stuff like stewed tomatoes, peaches, pears, pickles, and piccalilli relish.  Those were good times!  I have such a fond memory of that yard and garden which no longer exists.  The hillside was excavated and all the fruit trees and pines trees were taken down.  There are some houses there now. I remember going to the farm to get cow manure for the tomato plants.  The car smelled bad for weeks after that. But we had the best and biggest tomatoes.