Just a few more anxious days (weeks?) until the fate of our democracy is determined.  Election night is only the beginning of the melodrama.  But enough apprehension for now.  There are autumnal scenes to be captured.  And my editor Misu to humor.

The weather seems to have “turned a corner”, unlike some other conditions (like COVID) a certain liar-in-chief likes to claim.  In just a few more days (or weeks, depending), hopefully our collective votes will turn the final corner on this terrible chapter of history.

There’s a chill in the damp air after all the rain, and trees are finally starting to thin out.  It’s getting a little more challenging finding fresh new subjects to photograph, but never impossible.  The only trick is typing with a cat draped over me and the keyboard.

Here are E’s latest, greatest challot, Misu “proofreading”, and the usual seasonal suspects.

It’s still raining, many inches worth in just a short period, and the green grass is covered with a shiny gold leaf layer, with flecks of vivid red.  Everywhere you look there are striking splashes of color against the rainy background.  There’s beauty to be found in even the darkest days.

And now back to a deluge.  I got those few trees in yesterday just in time to get soaked in.  The rest will have to wait their turn, but all this rain will definitely facilitate the process.  Misu loves a hard rain, because she gets more of me, and even “helps” me type.

Meanwhile, I managed to get these shots in a lull between downpours.  As leaves turn and fall, new flowers are still blooming in this mild, wet weather.

Today I dug about 20 holes for the cedars and other trees along the driveway fence line.  Later on I’ll pick out the saplings I want to transplant.  It’s the latest step in my evil plan to surround us with a native tree screen.

Here are some bright colors holding on during this season of transition.

It’s been raining intermittently, while temps remain mild, and leaves continue their vivid show.  Pollinators are concentrating their efforts before the weather changes.  This time of year is full of photographic contrasts and textures, and new perspectives I hadn’t considered before.

In this particular year of horrors, I’m thankful for all the small things some take for granted, like not contracting the plague, and having a yard full of nature to play around with.  (Also having a stable combined fixed income with which to pay our bills and buy food doesn’t hurt!)  It’s not always easy, but compared to the world meltdown and train wreck, we are very fortunate.  Who knew it would ever come down to this?

Now if we can all have the presence of mind to vote this vile nightmare out of office, we can all start inching back toward undoing some damage and recovering some ground.  Our very survival depends on it.

It’s been raining nicely for a couple of days, while still springlike out.  The contrasting flowers and greenery with increasingly colorful autumn leaves is stunning.  Squirrels and birds are racing and hurtling around, preparing for winter, whenever that is.  I’ve heard rumors of snow in far-flung outlier states, but that seems so unreal, strolling around in this almost balmy weather.

Rewinding for a moment, for erev Shabbat I let E in the kitchen for a change, and she outdid herself with this excellent authentic stuffed Greek chicken with potatoes.  Not to be outdone, the next day I came up with this Greek eggplant dish.  Lots of fresh homegrown herbs, peppers, and tomatoes were involved.  Our Greek excursion was a success, as well as very inexpensive to prepare.  Who needs eating out, anyway!  We have our own taverna.

Back to seasonal scenes.  The rainy background really accentuates these colors, but more to the point, inspires anticipation of taller trees and prolific native wildflowers come spring.

By “drifts” of course I refer to flower and plant drifts, of which there are many right now.  I caught a few, plus a bee that fell asleep on the job.

It was almost 80º and sunny today.  It’s like summer, with falling leaves.  I’m happy to announce I’ve completed the tree phase of the “prairie” project.  Emphasis on “project”!  Next up: transplanting a row of cedars along the driveway fence, and some redbuds to shadier areas along the property line.

Here we have: E’s latest “spotted dick” i.e. British bread-and-butter pudding with raisins.  And Dr. Meauci [mee-ow-chee] demonstrating how to stay calm and not panic.  Also your daily dose of colorful wildlife.

I’m almost done with clearing around the “prairie” trees.  There must be hundreds out there.  I also transplanted some buddleia (butterfly bush), which is an “exotic invasive”, out of the prairie, so it doesn’t take over and disrupt the natural balance of native species.

Here are some typical colors and textures of this season, including some perennial succulents.  I’m happy my fall saffron crocuses are starting to come up.  And the poppies are still going crazy, which I love.  I must have fooled them into thinking it’s a California desert in spring.