Burgundy Belle Maple and Other Autumn Showings

Last year the Burgundy Belle maple at the corner of the house did not have a good showing. The weather had been challenging, so I couldn't blame it. This year, despite drought, and my not watering, she is looking gorgeous.

This first picture was taken on thursday when I got home from the evening dump run. The sun was close to setting and really made the leaves fiery. Plus it lit up the junk maples in the background in such a way for them to make a pretty backdrop (they normally go from green to yellow to brown in about 2 hours).

While out there I noticed that the tree next to the shed had shed enough leaves to see what I beleive to be a bald faced hornet nest (also called white faced hornet). The nest is in disrepair - I'm guessing the robins that nest in that tree might have taken exception. Or, the catbirds that tore a bald faced hornet nest over my front door a couple of years ago took care of this one (athough the catbirds did a much more thorough job a couple of years ago than this one seems to be)..

 

Pictures of individual Burgundy Belle leaves were taken yesterday

Also yesterday, I noticed the turtle heads that had been covered by the sweet autumn clematis finally got into the clear and are blooming. Other flowers are also blooming in that garden.

And hey, not blooms, but added color in the yard - I covered the shed pad with a tarp last Sunday to keep most of the leaves off

Also last Sunday I reinstalled the fence that I had removed for the tree work.

Reinstalling the fence posts was a chore. Those are 8' long and 2' goes into the ground. I was on a 6' ladder trying to sledge hammer those suckers. Since the ground is uneven, I was only confident to be on the step that is about 4' from the ground, so a lot of the work of sledging was above my shoulder height. I was sore for a couple of days, but obviously got it done.

Comments

[Cop Car]

It is so difficult to get the glow to show up in photos when the sun is "just right" through colorful leaves. Your Belle is, indeed, beautiful this year.

Since I have "the family sledgehammer", I wonder at the provenance of yours?

At an age somewhat younger than you now are, I recall using "the family sledgehammer" at your Grandmother H's - above shoulder height (I was standing on the ground, though) - pounding some metal fence posts in for her, there by her driveway. Awkward. You do better work than ever I did.

Your fence is looking G-R-E-A-T.

[bogie]

I bought the sledge when I started tearing out sheetrock in 2014. I don't remember where I got it from though. It has come in handy thru the years, especially for driving rebar into the landscape timbers around the gardens next to the house and driveway.

[Cop Car]

Sledges aren't the most-often used tools, but they surely come in handy! I think you actually mentioned your sledgehammer in a posting while you were tearing out sheetrock.