Falling Leaves – Delia Owens
29
09, 2021
27
09, 2021
Fall Decorations and Black Bears
Summer’s officially over. Fall is here.
Porches and yards everywhere are adorned with pumpkins, scarecrows, haystacks, and colorful chrysanthemums to welcome the season. Our porch is ready.
Why are black bears part of our fall decoration? They are a holdover from our days living in the Rio Grande National Forest.
Fall in the forest means black bears, who are actually brown or cinnamon-colored, are everywhere looking to feed up for their long winter hibernation. Every year a bear or two would visit our cabin looking for food.
Sometimes one would even come up onto the front porch.
We kinda looked forward to their visits every year.
When we moved back to Texas, we knew we’d miss seeing them. So before we left, I went in search of a souvenir bear for our new porch to remind us. A friend gifted me Bert, the little grey bear stand.
I found Barney Bear at a gift shop called The Cabin. Now Barney greets our front door guests decked out for the seasons.
Happy Fall Y’all!
24
09, 2021
New Growth
A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
I have never been particularly good at keeping plants alive. Chicken, duck, dogs are all pretty safe, but plants don’t fare too well.
Beekeeper Brian received several plants at his retirement celebration. There were some herbs and a bell pepper plant. I cleared a spot for them in the front flower bed and am hoping for the best.
I am excited to report there are two small bell peppers!
Unfortunately, something else was even more excited than me and the peppers were eaten before their time.
Beekeeper Brian has taken overwatering the plants. He is using a milk jug with a small hole in it to water the plants slowly. Recently I noticed another pepper! He said don’t touch it.
I think I will ignore it completely and hope nothing else discovers it. I would like to have the pepper with dinner one night. I’m sure it will taste wonderful!
22
09, 2021
17
09, 2021
Memories
A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
I was using sourdough long before it became popular. In fact, my starter is over 20 years old and has been shared with many people including our oldest daughter.
One of my favorite things to make with my sourdough is orange pancakes which are served with homemade orange syrup.
As I was making this recently, I thought about the time I sent the leftover syrup with one of our kids for lunch. I thought it was applesauce.
When I asked them who it was, Rachel quickly responded, “best lunch ever!”
I am only packing my own lunch now. Perhaps I should “accidentally” put in leftover orange syrup. Some days I could use a “best lunch ever”.
15
09, 2021
13
09, 2021
Why I love Autumn
Photo by Taryn Elliott from Pexels
I love this time of year. Autumn signals new beginnings to me.
A fresh start. A new year.
Most of my life has been spent in school in one form or another—kindergarten, elementary, junior high, high school, undergraduate, graduate, Sunday school, Bible school, teacher training classes, writer craft classes, computer classes.
Plus, all those years of teaching.
A whole lot of my life has restarted every September.
I so looked forward to those new notebooks, and pens and pencils, and a new school year. Even today, it takes every bit of restraint I can muster to stay away from the school supply aisles when shopping. I will always need another new pen or notebook…for my writing, of course.
The other things I love about September are Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The first Jewish holiday celebrates the start of the Jewish New Year with challah bread made with apples and raisins and dipped in honey. Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement is spent in prayer and fasting.
I’m not Jewish and, as far as I know, I have no distant genealogical Jewish DNA anywhere. I do have many good Jewish friends who share their holiday traditions with me. The idea of beginning a new year in September with a clean slate is what I like about their fall holy days.
I also like that September brings a drop in temperature—if you live someplace besides Texas. Temperatures dropping from 99-100 to 90-93 as not a true temperature change as far as I’m concerned. It’s still hot.
But mornings are cooler with temperatures dipping into the high 70s and that gives a hint of Autumn, my favorite time of the year.
If you are Jewish, I wish you Shana Tova, a week late. And Tzom Kal a couple of days early. To everyone else, Happy September.
10
09, 2021
New Acquisition
A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
A friend of mine regularly posts pictures of things she is giving away. I am quite impressed with her dedication to decluttering.
One week she posted a picture of nesting dolls with instruments. I could not resist. I messaged her to say that I “needed” them and arranged for porch pick up.
Once I had them in my car, I immediately started taking them apart. I was amazed at the number of different dolls there were.
I was showing them to a piano student who is particularly fond of arranging things – especially the things on top of my piano. I would think it is a distraction technique, but he is making good progress so when he asked to put all the individual dolls on the piano, I allowed it.
I am very happy with my latest acquisition. It makes me smile!
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09, 2021
6
09, 2021
Labor Day
Since its origin in 1882, Labor Day has paid tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers. In 1894, it became an official federal holiday.
This vintage postcard commemorates that holiday addition.
The day is a well-deserved tribute to all laborers whether their office is a building, a field, a warehouse, a store, a hospital, a patrol car or fire station, or their home. Commitment to their job is what makes our country such a great place to live.
Today I’d like to say a big Thank You.
I’m a writer retired from the traditional workforce. Because you do your job, I can concentrate on mine every day. To writers who work day jobs then write in the evenings, you’re my heroes too.
If you’re among the many workers who have Labor Day off work, kick back and enjoy your free day. Holidays tend to slide by in my world. One day is like the next.Write, write, write.
Because Labor Day also signals the end of summer, I think I may take a break and join the crowd at the grill.
