It's that time again and I found myself asking where did the time go!  In a few months we'll be inviting a New year.  It was the 1rst of November when I found blogger and began to blog.

You have made my blogging adventure a Joy! I have learned a lot and laughed a lot. I have been entertained by your humor and antidotes, awed by your beautiful gardens and wonderful tips.  Here's wishing all of you a fantastic Thanksgiving!



 photo credits: bulldoggrrl of flickr.

" Brrrrrrrr .... It's  Fall! and we have fallen into fall around here in Michigan with bright beautiful sunny days with cool temperatures in the 50's and 60's and right on cue around this time of year I caught my first cold/virus but I'm recovering and  feeling much better.


Once again I'm amazed at how fast time is flying by.. This month is out of here!

But in my opinion It feels as if it just came in.  During a shopping trip to my local Kmart store there were two  seasonal displays going on at one time, Christmas and Halloween deco shared the same isle! What the heck is up with that? and what about Thanksgiving? where were the Turkeys going to be displayed? ..Under the Christmas trees"....  Lol!

Anywho.. I wrote this letter to inform everyone that at the end of this Month  I'll be taking a temporary hiatus from blogging to go back to school for a few enrichment courses, however when time permits, I'll get back in the swing of things with a few blogs here and there and popping in on your blogs to catch up on the latest in you neck of the woods.

Thank you ....Vetsy..

photo credit:  By ddrber of flickr

Garden Blogger Bloom day Sept 2010

 It's Garden Blogger's Bloom Day  the 15th of every month when garden blogger's join our host Carol of My Dream Gardens..  http://www.maydreamsgardens.com to share what's blooming in our gardens.

My other garden blooms are done for the season, I have a  few fall blooms to show..just a few...and those few are some of my favorite sedums.

I took this photo of Sedum/Stonecrop,  Matrona around 8am this morning... there were about 4 sleeping Bumble bees on them.. I like Matrona for it's upright form and antiquish pink color.

I found a small piece of it on the ground in front of my bank about three or four years ago and stuck it in some water until it grew a few roots.. than placed it in a pot.

The stems and leaves of my Matrona are spongy, yellow and sickly,  this was the only part of it I took that still looks a little descent.

  below..another upright  Stonecrop...Stardust a pass along plant from my aunt.

                                                                 

 " Vera Jameson" another pass along, this one from my mother.. I think is the prettiest Stonecrop that I'm aware of thus far...I love it's deep mauve or pink color.. It has a trailing spreading  habit and was really beautiful until ants got a hold of it and almost destroyed it last summer..

Happy Garden Bloom day and thank you for stopping by..

September by Helen Hunt Jackson

The golden rod is yellow

The corn is turning brown

The trees in apple orchards

 with fruits are bending down

The gentian's bluest fringes 

are curling in the sun

In dusty pods the milkweed

  It's hidden silk has spun

The sedges flaunt their harvest,

In every meadow nook;

And asters by the brook -side

Make asters in the brook,

From dewy lanes at morning

The grapes' sweet odors rise;

At noon the roads all flutter 

With yellow butterflies.

By all these lovely tokens

September days are here,

With summer's best of  weather,

 And autumn's best of cheer.

But none of all this beauty

Which floods the earth and air

Is unto me the secret 

Which makes September fair.

 
 

'T is a thing which I remember,

To name it thrills me yet:

One day of one September

 I never can forget. 

Photo credits: September morning by Darionka of flickr 

http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0096009/photos/darionka/3895205571/

Fringe gentian by Susan L. Post

http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/highlights/gentian.html

What do you like to collect ?

Some people collect..cards, jewelry, stamps, dolls and even animals just to name a few. .What do you collect?

My collections are very small  at the moment ..  I have a few dolls, Christmas bulbs,  garden magazines and books,  a set of  dinner plates adorned and designed to appear antique with apples  and a few Hello kitty novelties ..

I didn't have the energy to climb into my attic and  unpack my collections to show you.. But the photos below gives you and insight into my collection personality...I took them at a gift store located in  Detroit's  Eastern Market.


I love all kinds of birds and have yet to collect those fabulous heron garden sculptures.  Below is just one of many I'd love to own, their on my get it list along with a few other fowls for next year  ..

I like chickens, hens and roosters...

I also like barn animals.. Moooo"..

And what about tea pots....  I like them too"

And maybe just a few sun catchers..

Do you collect? ..... Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comments"

The Birds and a Butterfly

My attention have turned to my birds since there are no more blooms to post about at the moment..
I did capture a tiger swallowtail  however on one of my cactus zinnia's that are still in bloom...

I was so thrilled because I had not seen more than three swallowtails the whole summer.

One of the sunflowers my nieces planted finally bloomed,  it's three feet tall..

Several weeks ago, I had stated that my cardinal family had three little eggs, but I was not holding my breath" below, dad was back on the job guarding the nest while mom sat on their eggs.. and guess what?

The third nesting was a success!

Below:  The second  little brother or sister... The eldest and biggest sibling of these two flew out of the nest and away before I could snap a picture of it... The entire family have now moved on..

I love my chickadees and even more so this summer... Thanks to my nieces...

I have learned to get them to eat from my hand.. I had tried to train them to eat from my hand earlier back in July when I was feeding them by myself..  but I guess they weren't ready then.. I told my nieces about it and a couple of days ago they came along and gave it a try....

my nieces just held out there hands and in seconds the chickadees were eating from them...
  
.. Little show offs!

Below:  It takes a thief ....

It is the reason that there are no more tomatoes or strawberries to post about.. I had to stake out like the FBI to discover who the real offender was"  I had mistakenly accused other felons, who almost fit the profile, but this time I have the right thief...

Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment... I love to hear from you..

Winding down and coming to a close

    

" Well  things are winding down and coming to a close for my summer garden.. I've harvested the last of my veggies and the June and July bloomers have gone to sleep.. Now only a few blooms remain.. which are my purple petunia's on the front porch and my cactus flower zinnia's,  black eyed Susan's, purple phlox and cosmos...

 I will have these next year for sure.. because of their long blooming periods... in-fact, one of my goals for next year is to design my garden around plants that bloom through out the seasons so that I can have something to enjoy all season long.

 The battles continue between the sparrows, my chickadee and my coconut bird feeder.  I have moved the feeder from the pole in the yard to my back porch.. where here the chickadees can eat undisturbed, the sparrows don't dare attempt to get this close.. and the few that do.. chickens out after they discover my presence.

  Below:  A chickadee waits in the willow tree as I fill the coconut feeder..

Below: I get a nice view and show as I watch these little acrobats feed from my back porch..

This chickadee in particular  loves to hunt for nuts and seeds from the holes in the bottom of the coconut..and I get a kick out of watching it do so....he / she even hovers underneath it... extracting the seeds in mid air as if it were a hummingbird... sorry I was not able to capture a photo of this amazing stunt.

 

 It's been an odd summer weather wise with unusual heat temperatures smothering and frying gardeners in various areas through the U.S...

But I'm loving our recent temps this month in Michigan.. it has been  nice and  reasonable in the  low 80's with  just a few uncomfortable days hovering around 90..

 P.S my cardinals have three little eggs.. but so far no sign of hatching babies as of yet...

Just a short update about my neck of the woods enjoy what's left of the summer and...
 Thanks you for stopping by and leaving a comment..

A little Summer Whimsy

" Gee" Where did July go!  Just as I began to enjoy it... It decides to leave me, Here are some of my favorite Whimsical scenes and  happenings from July... Below I made what I thought would be a barrier against those pesky house sparrows.....They usually do not like protruding objects hanging above their heads..But have watched and studied  my chickadee's from the nearby shrubs and learned as I thought they would... how to utilize it"  ... It  makes a cute little decorative piece don't you think"...

 Below:  A chickadee eats from my coconut and has encouraged it's babies to do so as well, I don't however have a photo of them and barley got this one..They are fast moving little birds that are just too quick for my camera .. right a chickadee family member takes a drink from the smaller birdbath.

  

Below:   I  rediscovered my childhood love for Zinnia's I have always loved their crayon like colors.
I lost the seed package and could not identify them.. Thanks to Sue" of  A corner garden sue  and  Rosey of dung hoe...I learned that they are Cactus Zinnia's Thank you ladies"...

Below:  Panini my female kitty spends countless hours in this window, desperately wishing to be an outdoor kitty.. Here's what I know she was  thinking  because I saw it leap from the shrub to the roof .. " Was that a squirrel ?   " Wow  that was  Amazzzzing!

 Below:  her favorite toy in the whole wide world! Nothing can compare.. Nothing!

Below: goldfinches are such pretty little birds".....

         
You would think my birds would be spooked by this kitty... But their not, birds are always smarter then they look"

froggy's around the sedums

                                                  

Below: several scenes from the Detroit river walk.... The sand art was sponsored by Meijers superstore.

                                                       
                                             

 Below:  A carnival ride

  Below:  The Detroit Princess and  many other boats of all shapes and sizes float by in the river as people watch them from the walk.

people walking and watching boats on the River walk

Below:  Children love the fountain that shoots water from the ground..

Below: Soulliere is one of my favorite garden centers.. for garden plants and Whimsical garden art..

 wished I had time to share more...Thank you for stopping by and  leaving a comment I love to hear from you...