Autumn Sunday

The farmers around us are scalping their fields of soybeans and corn. The hazy dust kicked up by farm machinery lightly coats all of Ohio. We haven't had rain here in Auglaize County for weeks. I've not yet planted the three roses I bought because the ground is too hard to break. They will be ok in their pots until rains come to soften the soil, I think.
Distinct signs of autumn: cobwebs clinging to shrubbery, all strung with dewdrops in the morning; thick fog rolling over the country roads late every night; pumpkins and gourds and apples. Above, a little watercolor I did of deer eating fallen apples--definitely a sign of fall!
Speaking of gourds, my husband, mother-in-law and I went to the annual gourd festival at the Darke County Fairgrounds in Greenville, OH. Last year my husband garnered a fistful of ribbons for his entries there, but this year the lack of rain meant a poor crop. He should have entered anyway as there were precious few entries. Everyone suffered a similar fate with their gourd patch, apparently. As if the lack of rain wasn't bad enough in itself, insects, desperate for moisture, begin to attack any growing thing. Even the hard shells of gourds take a gnawing, leaving them scarred and unusable for crafting.
Even so, we bought fresh seed for next year. Always in the autumn, seeds of hope for next year's garden are sown and begin to grow--a hope that keeps one going through the cold months of winter. Original watercolor by JulenaJo.

New Roses

Last weekend I found myself in a flea market in Hocking County, Ohio, where I found container grown roses marked down to $10 each. At such I price I had to investigate. To my delight, the selection included some David Austins. Although none of them were my longed-for names, Belle Story or The Herbalist, for example--both roses I had in my garden 7 years ago and did not transplant when we tore down our old house to build a new one (I lament them still)--there was The Cottage Rose, which I purchased. It's pictured above. The plant is tall and the blooms are clear, strong pink, and deliciously fragrant with a perfume of rose and lilac. I also bought Rosa de Rescht for her heady damask fragrance and Burgundy Iceberg for her unbelievable color. I could have bought more quite easily but we had only our 2-door Ford Focus and had to return home to northwest Ohio, a three-hour drive, with 3 adults and two dogs in tow. We were packed tight as sardines in the car, but we made it.
Now I am trying to decide whether to plant the roses now or leave them in their containers until spring. Decisions, decisions. "The Cottage Rose" photo by JulenaJo.

A Daunting Proposition

Creating a first blog is a daunting proposition. On one hand, I love the idea of sharing my thoughts with the world. On the other, I hate the idea of sharing my thoughts with the world. Ha!
I'm not sure I even have an objective for this blog, however, I feel compelled to start writing and sharing, and so here goes.
In no particular order, the following topics appeal to me:
Gardening, especially roses. That's Europeana above, a rose with zero scent but whenever I spotted her in a garden anywhere I was drawn to her healthy good looks: bronzy foliage and dazzling lipstick red blooms. I have three Europeana in my garden, but they're being overgrown by Blanc Double de Coubert, so I will be transplanting them next spring, I imagine.
Food and cooking, especially easy, healthy, and delicious meals for my family.
Horses--we just adopted a lovely quarter horse for my 15-year-old daughter, and we know NOTHING about horses! EEK!
Painting, especially watercolors.
Tatting--I learned to tat and love it.
Religion, especially Roman Catholicism (although I tend to be pretty lax these days).
That's a start. My interests are eclectic and I imagine my postings will be, too. Enjoy!