I had lots to do outside on this perfect cool day, and plenty of raw materials.

I did my best to clean up the damaged side garden where the walnuts used to be.  I cut and processed all the cut tree branches into piles, and used some for hardscaping.  I wood-chipped Percy’s Memorial Path.  I raked out Y’s rock garden.  I planted some native flower seeds in various locations around the yard.  I cultivated the rows of new greens coming up.  I watered in what I had done.

Then I made dinner, a vegetarian Asian stir-fry with rice and Thai rice noodles.

This happened today: we had a tree service come and do extensive work, including chopping down the two walnuts, and trimming a lot of trees.  I had a lot of fun “supervising”, i.e observing and kibitzing while drinking a beer.  I felt right in my element.  The guys were very friendly and efficient.  They gave me two big bins of wood chips, and accommodated our request for sukkah poles and firewood, plus branches for landscaping.  It looks a lot better.  The landlord is going halves with Avdi.  I got to organize and be in charge of a big project, which was an accomplishment.  It will give me plenty of fodder to keep me busy.

Rain is continuing on and off.  The garden is very happy.

For RH second evening I made bread pudding, a raw veg platter, leftover sweet potatoes with added pineapple, and leftover brisket with rice.

Avdi collapsed on the sofa and slept a while, which he needed.  I’ve been sleeping a lot and dreaming intense, dark labyrinthian dreams which leave me exhausted and bewildered.  The stuff I watch streaming pales by comparison.

For erev Rosh Hashanah, I decided to make round cinnabun challot, to add sweetness to the coming year.  Avdi made a delicious apple cider brisket.  I also made sweet potatoes with fruits, pecans, and obligatory marshmallows on top, and other sides.  We had Y and K (E was at the usual rehearsals).

Conveniently, it has been raining on and off for a few days, so the garden is extra happy.  All the fall native flowers, finally revived, are putting on a show of white, yellow, and lavender/blue.

The B&B got off to a slow start.  Then it suddenly poured down rain.  Then it cleared up and people trickled in.  K had more friends downstairs than we had outside.  Then the few of us just chilled until it seemed like we’d have to start cleaning up.  Then suddenly, people appeared.  Then all the kids joined us.  It was like shifts changing.  Then we had a really nice time as it got dark and all my fairy lights came on.  There were pizzas.  I had a good time listening and talking to everyone.  I think it was very beneficial for Avdi.  Then he went out for the night and I stayed over and actually slept, but had very tragic loss dreams.  GF.

Today Avdi got to read out on the patio, while I decided to plant the rest of the veg garden.  The whole yard was looking so relieved after the rain, with all the fall native flowers blooming.  I planted all kinds of cold-hardy lettuces, greens, leeks, assorted beets, and carrots.  It looks like a real garden again.  I discovered this butterfly chrysalis on the swamp milkweed!

Behold!!  I tricked my cataractic camera into getting this butterfly in focus!  If only I could perform the same miracle on myself!

No time to ramble on…gotta go help set up a B&B, before it–rains?!  If only all world problems were that insignificant.

I worked my ass off yesterday, and definitely earned my drink.

I cleaned up the little square bed that had been supposed to be poppies but ended up native weeds and volunteer tomatoes, and reseeded it with CA orange poppies and beautiful dark purple poppies.  Hopefully they can do their over-winter thing and bloom in spring.

Then I took on that beast of a veg garden.  I cleaned up the paths, finished weeding the peppers, and raked away all the dead stuff to reveal a clean space to plant the rest of my fall/winter seeds.  It actually looks like a garden again.  Meanwhile, all the seeds on the other side are germinating.  As are all the weeds, of course!  My work’s cut out.

I stayed later so Avdi could go to the Black Rep.  I was watching the radar map, because a big blob was slowly approaching from the west, and late last night it actually–wait for it– rained!!  It’s been what, a month or more?!  Now it’s supposed to cool off a little, yay.

Tomorrow we have our “false fall B&B”.

Still very hot and dry, no rain for weeks, to the point where it takes nothing to kick up a dust storm in the yard.  They say it’s been a lot worse.  Midwesterners may be bland and boring, but their weather is not!

Yesterday while watering, I realized it’s time to replant some natives along the woodsy edge, to stratify over winter.  So I raked and cleaned up that whole strip, and added native and wildflower seeds to whatever may still be in there waiting for next spring.  I also raked and cleaned up some other areas of the back yard.  Soon I’ll start throwing leaves in the veg garden to serve as compost and mulch.

Y has his new bed set up, along with the well-furnished expectant pet rats cage.  Between the two large nests, there’s not much floor space left to clutter, but we’ll see!

Just a quickie…my “new” phone and I have one thing in common–a permanent case of fog brain, or I should say, lenses.  We both can’t focus.  But we make do.

The little seedlings are parsley.  That is Avdi actually out on the patio having cosmos with me.

They call this season false fall.  FALLse.  It’s basically summer back with a vengeance, continuing drought, with slightly less humidity.  So, California-like.  I’ll take it.  I have to water the garden every day, because I have a whole new wave of succession plantings coming up.  It’s almost Sukkot.  The pool is back in action and being used.  It should be perfect summer weather for our next B&B on Sat.  How it’s done in MO.