While cleaning up another garden area, I found an adorable little critter–a shrew or vole?  I even held it in my (gloved) hand for a minute.  Why would anyone want to exterminate these helpful little creatures?!

Y (with their fox tail) has been spending lots of time high up in their tree, getting comfortable.  It’s their happy place.  I stay firmly planted on the ground, enjoying their acrobatic agility with a beer.

Also, they’ve been recycling cans into illuminated candle holders, and giving them to me.  Agile and creative.

Soon I’ll work on erev preps before Yom Kippur begins.  Some of the kids expressed an interest in fasting.  Though I now have a rabbinically-approved excuse (!), I may go ahead anyway (?).  Then it will be time to build the sukkah, one of our favorite times of year.

While I was planting tiny trees, Y was demonstrating towering tree-climbing 101.  I think we share a love of trees and the outdoors.  We agreed in this perfect early fall weather that goes on and on, one can’t not be outside.  They like to help me, or just enjoy each restored space with me, where we sit and discuss trees and plants they’d like to have where.

I’ve been working my way around the yard, tackling challenging tangles and transforming them (eventually) into more viable, inviting spaces for both wildlife and humans.  I’m being a little ruthless now, in order to find the secret gardens under the jungle of invasives.  Whenever I find a native tree or perennial lost in the mess, I rescue it for future relocation.

The critters and birds were going nuts (heheh) all around me, gobbling up the takings.  My little chippy friend was happily eating cherry tomatoes for a while, right near where I was sitting taking a break.  I talk to him/her and they just look at me like, “you tawkin’ to Me??  I’m busy eating your produce!”

I got a lot more done clearing areas all around the yard, and transplanting as appropriate.  I’m hoping all the tiny pollinators are still too busy to be starting their dormancy period inside stems and brush.  Apologies, if I rehomed anyone!  It will be better next year, I promise.

Yesterday we all went to Rockwell Beer Garden for pizza, situated in a large, beautiful park with huge old bald cypress (?) trees, waterways, paths, and playgrounds.  It was very pleasant.

I slept over, (though sleep was hard to come by), and then worked on more garden projects.  I cleaned up the front entrance garden, with help from Y and S, so later on I can landscape it with trees and flowers.

So much to report on, so little time!  I guess that’s a good thing.

So Rosh Hashanah happened, with lots of baking and cooking and the usual lively bustle of activities.  E made a beautiful honey cake that was also very edible!  (Unlike some I’ve had!)  I made the traditional round challot.  We all collaborated on the menus.

My latest garden accomplishment was to clean up the so-called asparagus bed–there were actually some asparagus ferns under there, doing well.  So now the perennial veg/fruit area has been mostly liberated from weeds, and hopefully by spring will be regenerating.  Work in progress.

As is the fox mask by Y, part of a costume creation for the RenFest.  They really are very creative.

Last but not least, I got to go to a Thievery Corporation concert at The Pageant on Delmar with Avdi!  It was a fantastic experience.  Inside the venue is the Halo Bar, where we got drinks to bring into the concert.  We met a young couple whom we invited to join us at our table, and we all got to be friends by the end.  The concert, opened by LuSiD, was spectacular, and very engaging.  I was so energized by the end (with a little help from some good stuff with our friends!) that I forgot I was old for a moment!  It was totally euphoric, like swimming.

I’ve been hard at work.  Yesterday I opened up and edged another bed along the shed, cleaned up and raked the “woods path”, and some other paths.  I got to have some Johnny Black, and Avdi made some huge thick steaks.  The luxury.

Today I cleaned up the house and prepared the erev Rosh Hashanah (Jewish new year) meal.  I made a sweet dairy noodle kugel, a salad, sliced apples with honey for a sweet new year, and warmed up some rolls in lieu of making a special batch of challah.  I wasn’t feeling well, and Avdi was feeling really worn out, so I kept it simple and casual.  Jess helped out with kid rides, and joined us all out at the patio table to eat, as it’s been so perfect out.

Yesterday I created a new garden on the shady side of the house under walnuts where nothing will grow.  It turns out hostas and certain other shade perennials and natives will do well there, so I transplanted a dozen or so from the “woods path” to there.  I figured since we already have them, why not use them more effectively.  Later I’ll add more walnut-tolerant shade natives and perennials to fill it out.  It looks like nothing right now, but it’s one more excuse for me to live ’til spring and beyond!

Turns out I wasn’t imagining it about my Anthem health insurance being crap.  The healthcare network I’m in, Mercy, said this in a notification: “We’re deeply worried about the wrongful denials and unnecessary delays in patient care, created by Anthem, which can have a dangerous impact on your wellbeing. This approach shows that Anthem is more focused on profits, rather than patients.”  They’ll probably end up dropping Anthem and considering it out of network.  Then Anthem announced it won’t be offering my plan next year.  Hmm.  I was already planning to choose a new insurance company anyway, but now I feel vindicated.

The veg garden is still putting out, and most of the new seedlings are doing well, so I’m hoping this temperate MO fall weather will extend the garden’s productiveness into late fall.  Then I want to bury it in compost and organic mulch from the yard, and eventually till all that in, to build up the soil quality for spring.  Meanwhile I need to come up with a whole new plan based on what the family will actually use.

Well, back at it.  Who’s my next victim!