September Survivors

Jerusalem Cricket

Emmette Medicine Top stops by to visit

Then rides off into the sunset!

My petunias survived the first frost

So did my friend Diana's wonderful flower bed

In fall Maple leaves change with a wide array of colors

The vines at my office are beautiful

This little fairy looks sad that fall is here

Virgil came to stay while his master was in hospital

daily haiku

colors in the leaves

shine bright even with no sun

they stand alone

I could not think of a theme for this post and then I thought about survival.  Many plants and even garden vegetables survived our first frost somewhere around the twelfth of the month.

So much happened during September. My friend from Texas, who now lives in Birney, was taken ill and hospitalized early in the month.  I love his black Labrador Virgil, so rather than have him stay alone I brought him here to stay for a few days until Oren came home.  I enjoyed Virgil, but I must have lost a couple of pounds while he was here as he LOVED to go for walks. I am not sure he needed to pee as many times as he asked to go out, but go out we did, even in the dark and rain at 5.30 a.m -- that made me think twice about getting another dog!  So Virgil survived in comfort and style and with a friend who cared.

As noted in the picture - I had a visit from a very large Jerusalem Cricket.  I put a water glass over him till morning then he was relocated down in the town site - hopefully he'll survive down there with all the log piles in which to make a home.

Another friend, Emmette Medicine Top, stopped by on his horse the other day to chat and have a cold drink. Emmette has continual car problems, but he doesn't let them get him down, ofttimes he rides his bicycle a 16 mile round trip to get his mail at the P.O.,  or as in this case, jumps aboard his horse. It is such a lovely old-time western occasion to have someone visit on horseback; rare any more as most people drive up in SUV's or double cab pickups.

I feel somewhat depressed at the thought of spending another winter here and coping with all the cold and snow alone. But I am doing the chores that are needed, making sure the furnace is overhauled and a good supply of propane at hand for the cold months ahead. All the repairs have been completed on the damage from the hail storm, May 31st, and that is a good feeling. So I think, a day at a time I'll survive too, maybe get some writing done and enjoy the view from the hill as always.