Bogieblog

Fall Flowers

Pictures from last Monday. First up is the swamp side of the house with Sweet Autumn clematis - I really need to clean that area up and make it a real garden

Hydrangea tree blooms are blushing - those have spent a couple of weeks in the white stage

Yesterday while mowing, I noticed these hydrangea tree blooms on the back side (pretty much full shade) are greeen. These two pictures are the only ones taken yesterday.

The burning bush is starting to turn

Turtle heads are still going strong as are the wild New England asters behind. The bees and butterflies are thick amongst these flowers

Next is the shrub/perennial garden on the opposite side of the yard. This is some sort of rudbekia - I failed to get a pot that had a label when I bought these a couple of weeks ago.

Unsure what these flowers are - pretty sure they are not a rudbeckia though. Maybe some sort of coneflower (although the flowers are a bit smaller than most coneflowers (echinacea)

Winterberry berries

Roadside garden from the property line. In the front, center are some mums I potted (red, white and purple)

From the end closest to the driveway

Fall cabbage that I put in a planter (can be seen in picture above)

Volunteer pokeberry. Yes, it is poisonous, but it is native and has very pretty fall colors in the stems and berries. It is actually outside the garden itself, on the property line (if you look at the first roadside garden pic, you can see some green berries and leaves hanging over at the very left). I will yank it in a couple of weeks.

Oh, I almost forgot, one more picture taken yesterday of a Giant Autumn crocus starting to bloom in the roadside garden - just started poking up on Friday. It is located just to the left and front of the sedum - which in Monday's picture there was absolutely no sign of it.

Bi-Annual Eye Check

For years I have had eye testing every 4 months as the pressure in my eyes has been elevated (19/20 right/left), which could be pre-glaucoma. In February, the pressure was down to 15/16 so my eye doctor decided I only needed to go in twice per year.

With kerataconus, permanent floaters in the left eye, cataracts in both eyes, and the high ocular pressure, I go thru extensive testing. A visual field is done yearly since with the previously mentioned problems, it would be difficult to tell if I was losing eyesight to macular degeneration (or glaucoma). The visual field was performed at my last visit, so wasn't done this time. This visit I went thru different types of deep eye scans and topical geometry scans, along with other routine tests.

Tuesday's testing revealed that my left eye has improved vision-wise. Which normally would be great news except:

• We can't trust improvement since my vision can change hour to hour.
• The improvement is most likely due to a second type of cataract that has formed in the left eye, so most likely won't be permanent as that cataract continues to develop.

Eye pressure has resumed at 19/20, which is not cause for added concern, just disappointing. The right eye cornea has thinned out a bit from previous tests, but is still okay at this point.

To add to the fun, the specialty contact brand/type I have worn for 20 years has been discontinued so all baselines for fit and orientation are out the window. The eye doctor ordered a trial pair of a different type of lens from the same brand. They came in quickly and I picked them up on Friday but didn't try them until yesterday. It is apparent to me that the left eye prescription is lacking, but it is just a distraction and not terrible or unexpected I'm guessing the adjustment up in strength probably will not go to my previous point. I'll get a better idea of how they perform when I drive to work in the dark Monday morning. That will be the true test on the orientation for both eyes - the prescription can be modified from there.

I am lucky to have an eye doctor who takes a lot of time with me, regardless of how busy she is. She explains things in general, what her thoughts are,  and if I have questions, is happy to go more in depth (although she has generally given me "just enough" info that I don't feel the need).

Watching for a Butterfly

On the first of this month I noticed a monarch butterfly caterpillar on the Butterfly Weed.

It has been munching away steadily on seed pods and leaves. On the 3rd, I got pictures of a butterfly as well as the resident caterpillar.

Yesterday morning I saw the caterpillar still feeding and it better hurry up if it is to make its change before cold weather hits. We've had a couple of mornings in the low/mid 40's so far, so it is pushing the timing.

I haven't just been watching the caterpillar. I spent some time cleaning up the yard from some limbs that had come down, cutting stalks from lilies and yucca, and pulling up a couple of Blue Princess hollies that didn't make it thru the winter (the Prince survived - go figure). Took a decent load to the dump. That "stick" at the bottom left goes almost to the dashboard. Although thoroughly dead, it is thick enough that I couldn't get it to break and it wasn't worth getting the chainsaw out for one limb.

Although the gardens are slowing down, there are late bloomers of note. First is the Seet Autumn clematis. Too bad the willow tree had to come down because I planted it in that spot so it could climb the tree (the vine can get to be 10+ feet if supported). The bees were loving the flowers and the second shot shows one that has a load of pollen on its sides.

The colony of Turtle Heads is also blooming. And again, bees love them

The Autumn Fire sedum is getting closer to its full color

Lily of the Valley berries. They always surprise me as the appear so long after the flowers.

I am leaving this weed for the pollen and nectar feeders. I did see a hummingbird Wednesday or Thursday although they should be leaving the area soon.

Last of the Heat Register Project

In April I started replacing the heater covers for the upstairs rooms. In May, I continued with the long wall of the living room. At that point I still had the short wall in the living room left to go as I was searching for more drip edge. A member of the Firewood Hoarders Club, Well Seasoned (handle the member goes by), had been detailing his progress on erecting a pole barn for his tractor and other equipment when he mentioned that he had installed drip edge. I immediately PM'ed him and asked if he had any leftovers from the project. Well, no, but he did have some that he had saved from tearing apart something else that I could have as long as I didn't' mind nail holes and minor bends. Of course I didn't' mind - the stuff would be covered and only need to give minor structural support.Picture that he sent me

On August 9, I took a trip up north to retrieve the used materials, left him some seed pods of Butterfly Weed and False Indigo (Baptisia) from my gardens (and dog biscuits for their dogs).

I already had the new register cover materials so it was a matter of moving the birds and old heater backs, vacuuming  the feathers and seeds that had worked their way back there, and washing the walls before installing the new "backing".

This is a picture from April that shows how the registers used to look.

Here are the new drip edge back plates

And finally the register covers. Although it doesn't look it, there is plenty of room between the pellet stove pipe (upper right corner) and register cover so there is no danger of meltage.

The bonus was that I had enough drip edge to replace the corner brackets I had used to support the covers in the office and bedroom so now any bump from the cats doesn't make them fall off.

Getting Ready to Stay Warm this Coming Winter

Way too much like work yesterday. Put another coat of paint on the back garage wall (the part that had been painted last year), skim coated part of the wall I parged (ran out of materials, so only part done), loaded a ton of pellets in the Explorer, then unloaded & stacked it, weeded the shrub garden, raked leaves behind the fence (the drainage area), mowed the neighbor's and my lawns and got groceries.

I almost have all my pellets for the coming winter, with what I picked up yesterday, I have 4.8 tons

69 bags in the garage (top row is only 4 instead of  5 since the pipe downturns to go thru the block wall). I broke a bag, so it is taped up (orange)

65 bags by the washer

105 bags between washer and dryer (that is a big pallet that holds 7 bags per row)

I have 1 more ton on layaway and will probably pick it up next weekend. I just need to figure out where I'm going to put it. In the past I have had two pallets in the garage, but this car is wider and longer than the old Focus, so it would be more cramped - and I DO mind if I put scratches/dings in it :) . Can probably place a ton in the tent garage but I'll have to keep it covered with plastic since it would be open to the weather on one side.

Oh, and to finish of the post, a bit of cuteness of the youngsters snuggled in the pen while I was bringing some of the pellets I picked up into the house. Obviously I woke them up while I was taking pictures and Spot can't control her yawns.