The Height of Fall Color

This was taken from our backyard fire pit.

From our bathroom window.

Love the long shadows, but not the raking.

I can't decide if the height of our fall color was on Friday or today. Either way, it's pretty spectacular around here lately. That also means our bodies are about to be aching from all of the raking it takes to clean up about an acre's worth of forest. (We leave the other four acres au natural.) And once all of the raking and shredding is done, then we throw all those mulched leaves back on the garden beds. We never put on pounds during the fall!

Today also marked my return to a three-day work schedule, giving me more time at home than at work, which we all know is one of the keys to true happiness. To mark the occasion, my Gift Goddess of the North, Michiela, somehow unknowingly sensed the moment and sent me a massive box full of books that say "Nan" all over them. From cookbooks to gardening tales to best-selling novels and nonfiction, Michiela always sends the most fabulous care packages. As soon as gardening season ends, reading season begins, and I'm so well-stocked now!

The man's a natural. Grrrrrr.

And now, you ask, what do Mason and I do if we're not painting, planting or puttering (or brewing)? Golf. The other day we finished our chores early, so we broke out the clubs for the first time in four years and worked on our chipping. We started chipping toward the south lawn from a berm near the future bunkhouse/brewhouse/guesthouse, but after Mason's powerhouse swing nearly smacked the cabin, we found a new site chipping to the back lawn. Mason's natural athleticism is annoying. Me? Well, at least we didn't lose any of the balls in the forest of downed leaves.