Which End is Up?

Things have been a bit topsy-turvy in the weather department this summer.  It was so wet that many of the things I planted in the garden rotted, but the weeds had a lovely go of it and took over.  It has been quite warm for most of the month so far, including several days in the high 80's...in October!

We FINALLY got a spell of cooler weather, even a frost advisory for tonight, and look what my plants are doing!

This cucumber came up on it's own about 3 weeks ago!

My weeping cherry started blooming again!

Tonight I have that cucumber covered against the frost, along with several pepper plants and my herbs, even though it was warm in the sun today while JP and I hauled and stacked firewood.

J informed me several weeks ago, that it was banned book week.  In honor of that, I decided to finally read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.  I had started it several times and couldn't make it through.  I did finish this time, and was quite dismayed at the ending.  I'm sorry that I spent all that time reading it!

I don't feel like my head is on straight tonight - my schedule has been absolutely crazy this week and I'm not sure who's coming or going or when or why.  

I think it's time for bed.

They're Baaaack!

The minions have returned!  By this, I mean those thousands of stink bugs that plaster the sides of our house every fall, and somehow creep through tiny crevices to find their ways inside as well.  It is absolutely disgusting!

I might as well call these things the minions as well:

the gazillion teeny weeds growing in my garden paths.  You can also note in this picture, how much of my mulch washed away in the rains we had several weeks ago.  It isn't what I wanted to do, but I have removed all of the pull-able sized weeds from the garden, and I sprayed weed killer on all these - I don't feel that I had any other recourse!

Today I spent about 2 hours digging dandelions and thistles from the asparagus bed.  I did this about 2 months ago before I mulched it all thoroughly.

SIGH.

L's 2 caterpillars formed beautiful chrysalises.  I figure that it will be 2-4 more days before they are back as well - this time as monarch butterflies!

This evening, for the first time in 10 years, both girls had after school activities that actually started RIGHT AFTER SCHOOL.  It seems a reasonable request to have this happen, but it does not most of the time.  It meant much less driving around, dropping off and picking up this evening, for which I was very grateful.

2 more weeks of soccer, and one more month until the play.  Hooray for Fall!