Yes, they keep talking about autumn, but when the temperatures are in the mid 80’s and the humidity is 80%+ I’m not so sure.
We live in what they loosely refer to as the seacoast although I guarantee you there is no water view from where I sit. The fall color starts up north and heads toward us. So on Saturday, we headed out hoping to also find some beautiful color I could include in this post. Nada. We saw maybe a couple of red leaves in an entire tree. Nothing is really turning yet. But some years it does that, the leaves just fall and there isn’t much color.
We did share a delicious burger with two sides of grease at Wild Willy’s. If you’re wondering, these are all small sizes, and it is plenty to share.
No real gardening to report because after my interaction with the Yellow Jackets, I stayed inside most of the week starting a new quilting project, working on a Master Gardener post, and reading.
If you are wondering, the Yellow Jackets have been evicted from their home, and the garden bed has been returned to me so I can continue my fall chores as soon as the humidity drops. I believe in organic gardening, but it was them or me.
My grandson picked out some colors he likes, and I’m working 
on a manly quilt for him. I don’t fit the mold of a real quilter because I choose to work on one project at a time instead of balancing multiple projects. I like a beginning, a middle, and an end.
The Master Gardener post I mentioned is about some invasive worms that are doing some real damage to a couple of friends’ gardens. If you want to learn more about the Invasive Crazy Snake Worm coming to a garden near you, here’s the link.
I finished Shoreline, 4*, by Carolyn Baugh and Skies of Ash, 5*, by Rachel Howzell Hall and started Plum Island by Nelson DeMille. Good reading.
Well, it’s Monday and some of you are off to the office while others are off to pursue retirement interests. I read a line in “Plum Island” yesterday that made me laugh out loud. “It occurred to me that the problem with doing nothing is not knowing when you’re finished.”
Have a great week. 🙂
I sense that you are still recovering from the yellowjackets… hope the pain and itch has lessened! The humidity might be a blessing if it keeps you out of the garden for another week! You are probably right that this won’t be a colorful Fall. No color here yet.
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Yes, I’ve taken advantage of being indoors for a while. I saw two yellow jackets trying to figure out how to get back home today. I filled the hole and have everything dusted so they weren’t feeling too welcome. 🙂 I have been thinking about you for a couple of days. I’m reading a mystery that is set in Long Island, “Plum Island” by Nelson Demille. As he is describing the landscape including the beaches, I have been smiling knowing that you taking advantage of the area’s beauty. 🙂
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Lots of smiles and related stories here from me!
I am also a one-at-a-time quilter! Now, our friend, Debra, is an authentic one! I admire the way she keeps her act together and her enthusiasm fresh each day while she travels from one project to the next! Some days I’ve gotten so tired of looking at these pink roses I just walk away for a week! My next one will be a dark blue log cabin for one of the grandsons – a “manly” quilt like your current one!
Around here, we are invaded by a species affectionately known as stink bugs. I open the door to let the dog out and one hops right in the house! Eeeek!
“Off to pursue retirement interests.” That’s me! I waited all my life for these great years, but some days, when there’s nothing pressing on my list, I kinda miss the frenzied pace of the past!
And finally, it has been so hot here for over a week that schools are only half day today. No AC in Michigan classrooms and the kids were suffering. End of September. Crazy!
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I applaud Debra every time I read a post. How she does that gorgeous handwork I cannot even comprehend, and the amount she accomplishes always amazes me. Bug, bugs, bugs – they’re everywhere. And, the heat and humidity has been really unbearable. I’m glad I have weeks until I have to deadhead everything. 🙂
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It’s been hotter than heck in central Maine. Very, very weird for this time of year. But let’s face it, the weather has been weird and downright ugly in places down South. No color to speak of up here. My, my, that food looks tasty. Looking forward to seeing the finished quilt. Happy quilting!
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Haha,,,,,,, I really love the ‘Plum Island’ quote. 🙂 What a beautiful quilt design.
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No autumn color here either. Lots of dead leaves on the ground though! 89* yesterday and again today.
I was loving your two sides of grease until I checked out that link on the worms. Now not so much! 😜
Your grandson’s quilt is going to be a knockout.
Glad yellow jackets are yesterday’s news.
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I think I had to have my half of the burger, fries and rings to cope with an entire week of talking and researching those nasty worms.
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Hmmmm, sounds a lot like yard work.
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🙂
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90’s here again after a week of tease. Sigh. And you can keep those worms to your side of the country, please! Happy manly quilting!
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I was hoping Vermont was going to keep them, but here they are. 😦
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Not autumn here yet, either. There are some colorful trees here and there, and even some leaves on the ground, but we’re hotter than normal and it’s gross.
I think my banana doesn’t taste like those onion rings and I feel sad. 😛
Glad you got rid of the wasps. Shame on them. Plenty of non-Judy places to live.
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Had to chuckl. I was drinking coffee and reading about Dan’s blueberry pie and tater tots and had to stop and go eat cereal. 🙂 Yes, lots of place they can get off to. I just got back inside into the A/C after doing about an hour’s worth of necessary watering, but it is 84 already and you could cut the humidity – like a swamp out there.
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Yikes!
Yeah, Dan’s lobster roll would go great with your onion rings…
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“I believe in organic gardening, but it was them or me” – I understand. I try to be a friend of animals, large and small, but don’t push the boundary. If those are small sizes, I need to visit this place before (probably right before) I die.
We have been in the high 80s and 90s – ugh. It’s supposed to cool down toward the end of this week, Given my luck, it will snow. We’re seeing colored leaves on the ground, but no real color in any trees.
Have a great week finishing whatever it is you’re doing. I don’t begrudge you your retirment, you earned it. Unfortunately. I have work 😦
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I love that last quote too. Happy quilting and gardening.
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Not autumn here, either. Bits on some trees, but even the raucous maples are not changing color. There’s a yellow quality to the leaves on some trees and our aspen are bright yellow — but there are only a few of them. Most everything is still late-summer deep green. Weather folk are talking about a turn-around next week. We all wait to see!
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We are seeing leaves turning brown and dropping. Maybe the weather will turn it around, and we’ll see the color we are use to. 🙂
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It is summery, and I’m taking all the warmth I can get – all to soon I’ll be freezing! 😉
Thanks for the link, another critter I gotta worry about. We probably have them as it seems we’re crawling with worms this summer and some behave particularly ‘jumpy.’ I’m pretty sure that earthworms in general are non-native, having come in plants from Europe with the first settlers. Humans are the worst invasive species. 😉
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I don’t complain about the heat either, but soupy humidity just knocks me around. 🙂 You are correct about the worms. A friend’s mulched yard is now just a sea of castings. 😦
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Are they at least good fertilizer? One would hope there is something positive in all this!
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Well, that’s a good question, and I for sure don’t know the answer.
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Worm castings are considered a good fertilizer, but expensive to buy (I collect mine from under the leaf pile.)
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Yes, they are. I’m just not sure about these particular worms.
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Poison poopers? 😉
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This has been an interesting topic around here because we aren’t finding a lot of answers and keep getting referred to VT research.
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If you find out let me know!
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I talked to my friend who has a lot of devastation from them. She said she would be concerned about transferring the eggs to another part of the yard by using the casting.
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Thanks, Judy. It’s possible to sterilize the soil by baking or steaming, but hardly worth it, I suppose. What kind of damage is your friend seeing?
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She had just mulched an entire hill side area with wood chips and they have settled in to eat it all. It has also been found in a good sized high school in the same town and is impacting their vegetable gardens. They have identified the source which is local composted horse manure.
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Wow…
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Love that quote! That food shot looks too hot for me to enjoy unless I thought I was eating inside with AC (ours has been out since it got steamy hot on Friday.) Glad to hear the yellow jackets are routed and huzzah for the manly quilt! Looking forward to more autumn-like weather on Wednesday, by which time our air will likely be working. 🙂
janet
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LOL! I love that quote at the end 🙂
Yes, I hear you about not feeling like Fall! Digging my summer clothes back out again. Crazy!
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Hey, wait a minute! If autumn is late everywhere else, when will in get to California?
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🙂
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Love that quote… thanks for sharing. Also, love that quilt. I wish you’d post more pictures of your creations. I did some art quilting long ago and you inspire me to take it up again… we’ll see. As you know, we don’t get much autumn around here. I have to be satisfied with an occasional liquid amber (probably planted by someone who has moved here from an area where they have seasons). Hopefully those Crazy Snake Worms prefer places that have real winters, we have enough troubles around here from pests who love our climate.
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Yes, it’s not like we need more pests to challenge our gardening interests. 🙂 Hope you post about your art quilting. It’s always good to get new inspiration.
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UGH I don’t want to know about that scary worm, lol! Love the quote! 🙂 Super hot here as well but we don’t have any humidity…a dry heat. I had my youngest take the window AC’s out a few weeks ago…should have known to hang in there 🙂
Craving that side of grease after looking at your photo, lol! 🙂
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The heat and humidity today was like a wall out there. I did my watering, picked tomatoes and berries, and headed to the shower and the A/C. Unbearable. 🙂
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I love it when I get to your post after everyone else! Then it’s not just the pleasure of your post but the bonus of all the comments — great reading! I don’t know where all the others live, but it sure sounds as though most live in Indiana — it’s been a sweaty sizzle here. Very dry. Good for you for making your bad gardening time into a good quilting time. I understand the need for beginning, middle, end, but then that’s why you can’t do nothing!
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I’m not surprised you went from being stung many times by Yellowjackets to reading three books & doing a quilt ( love the design)… You are always so productive… An inspiration! Good luck with the weather … Humidity is so draining..
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I got stung – again – today. What is wrong with these miserable little turds? This time it was on my hand and it. really. hurts. I think that’s my excuse to do nothing for the rest of the day.
… and it’s hot. I’m so over this humidity already. Can we please go back to cool evenings with a nice breeze to sleep with?
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I’m so sorry. 😦 I have used everything on the market, and I go look and there’s not one there. I go back and I find two or three buzzing around, and I treat the area again. I filled in the hole to the nest and just keep working on it. I had one of the old stings on my wrist that started itching last night, I scratched it, and it blew up. I had to put three doses of lotion on it to get it back to normal, and it has been 9 days. Yes, we’ve had days of this insufferable humidity. I’ve just stayed inside.
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Poor you. I can’t imagine the discomfort of multiple stings 😦
One more day of heat and humidity, then fall weather arrives. The weatherman better not be messing with me on this one!
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What a nice weather Judy! Here we’re in cold autumn, especially nights are cold and I’m worrying about my plants I left in a greenhouse. Sure your grandson will enjoy the quilt you’re making for him, nice colors.
Have a a happy week!
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We’ve gone straight from a record-breaking warm winter right into summer, and spring has been completely left out. Glad to hear the effect of the yellow jacket stings is fading.
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We had a week of high temps and high humidity – it was like a swamp out there. Today it has dropped into the low 60’s. For those who don’t believe in climate change, all you have to do is live on this earth right now, and you get the message. 🙂 Looking forward to seeing your beautiful plants and birds.
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I agree. Our weather has really changed over the last few years.
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Jumping worms. Ugh. I was hoping they hadn’t made it to Maine yet, but apparently they are working their way up here. We are finally getting a little cooler weather today. I won’t miss the humidity.
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Ah, but *now* fall is here, isn’t it!? It’s pretty darn chilly here and I love it! I think the foliage is late in shifting here, too. I hope you’re healing from the stings–at least it gave you an excuse to avoid that last hot spell, and to work on other things! I like the looks of that quilt fabric!
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I visited the New England Quilt Museum yesterday. Talk about a dose of humility and inspiration! 🙂
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