September 04, 2016
Summer is over. It cooled down quickly. I'll miss all the insects. Mud dauber wasps with their legs hanging down like air cranes. Even the yellow jackets. They don't spend much time in the garden. It's too boring there. They would rather go where people are eating out doors and steal their food..
Solitary bees and honey bees always get my attention by their buzz by. Beneficial but potentially painful. The little white flies dance in the wind, along with the butterflys, to which every day is windy. All these meticulously crafted autonomous engines interface with the world through the same senses as we humans, and go about life with the same purpose. Absolutely fascinating. Humbling too..
September 05, 2016
The cooler fall evenings brings us indoors sooner, but not until the dragonflies have retired. By far the most enjoyable insect to watch in the garden, their speed and dexterity amaze. This is the time of year that the turkey vultures glide up high on thermals until they become tiny dots in the sky, and then soar off south without using their wings. Following the geese to warmer climates..
Us geezers sometimes would like to follow them south for the warmth, but the four seasons have much more to offer us. An old Swedish saying is that there is no bad weather, only bad clothing..
September 06, 2016
Fall cleanup in the garden for me means not only getting rid of the old plants and weeds but also prepping the areas that get winter plantings. Garlic and onion sets go in the ground in November so I weed the area, fluff up the soil if it needs it, and cover it with compost. Then whether the soil is too wet to work or not I can still plant on time..
The same goes for my pea rows that will get planted Feb 2nd no matter what the weather is like. Spinach is another example because you can plant it Feb 5th if the soil can be worked or not, when your ground is already prepared..
