Snow!

The first flakes were seen yesterday. I was at work and around 5:15 pm my boss said the dreaded words "look it's snowing" it was just a few flakes and lasted just a few minutes.

Today driving west on interstate 90 going to work I could see where the semitrucks coming out of Buffalo NY were dropping snow chunks off the trailers each time they hit a bump.

We are getting really strong winds today and it is taking off the green leaves as well as the colored one. I am so hopeing for an Indian Summer.

My ex was from upstate NY and would never consider moving back there. He said he'd had enough of those winters growing up. LOL

We had frost last night. Quite few plants got nipped on the tops. Thank goodness I finished bringing in all the tender things a couple of days ago.

Supposed to get frost tonight and I was rushing ot get everything inside before I was too tired to move. I made it and even left room enough at the back door to be able to open the door to let the dogs out in the am.

Fall is not my favorite time of the year, I never look forward to freezing my tail off just to go outsie to get the mail.

Good Morning Everybody! We didn't see any snow, but we have frost! I lost all of my MG's & my Elephant Ears are drooping. So in a couple of days I'll be digging up bulbs & collecting seeds. :-)

I love looking at a new snow ~ it's sooooo Pure. And I guess that I'm still a kid at heart, because I still like to play in it. :-D I may never grow up!

Chris, don't give up on the Indian Summer ~ We'll get some more warm & pretty days!

Joey

nobody should grow up, when it means forgetting to play and wonder. right now, I wonder when I'll get my butt off this chair and go start breakfast!!!!!!!!
next weeks forecast is milder than this.

Could it be Indian Summer? next week? :-D

Here it is! Just for you Joey! It is what I woke up to.

Picture taken out my back door, looking across the street.

The pink petunias are still blooming on the deck.

WoW! Chris I'd rather have snow than a frost. That is soooooooo cool!
Hmmmm, rich in Nitrogen! And flowers love it. Better for them ~ than frost. :-))

I have a hunch we're going to have a lot of snow this year. We're past due.

We had frost again last night. This time more than just a nip. But it's warm during the days. Just the kind of weather to give us beautiful fall leaf color. And it's supposed to warm up considerably by next Wednesday.

Well, I went out ridin' around the valley....the fall colors are disapointing. BUT...Look what I found! I had heard that we had a few, but had never seen them! Soooo Neat! :-D

ladyg- Incredible!! so rare we get snow on trees before the leaves are all down. and right on the flowers in bloom-- will it kill them?

Joey, what luck seeing a Bald Eagle in the wild, we have some near us too. about 2 years ago there was one sitting in an open field on the ground for over 24 hours, I was there when he took to the skies, I guess he got tired of everyone stopping their cars by the side of the road to look at him. I figured he was a young one out on his own for the first time.

I always look in that field on my way to work hopeing to see him again.

Sally, The petunias are fine today, we got snow, but no frost so far.

Here is a picture I took this morning. These petunias selfseeded from the year before. They were originally planted the year before in a flowerbox above the pot they are in now.

Chris, I'm glad you have the opprotunity to see one!:-) I would keep looking in the field, too! :-))

I will agree with you about the "past due" issue. It's been several years since we have had decent snow. In the past few years we have had more ice than snow. And I could really do without the ice! I get knid of tired "crawling" up the driveway. :-)) LOL ~ it's hard on your Knees! :-D

Joey

Ooops ~ Sorry Chris...was posting when you were....I'm glad your petunia's made it. I think my elevation won't let mine self-seed. But it's something I may have to try next year!.:-)

Joey, I am really surprised when something selfsows, I have a lot of micro climents in my yard and sometimes it depends on how much and when we have a blanket of snow that protects the seeds. Its really a roll of the dice. Every winter is a surprise up here, leaving close to Lake Erie has a big effect. We don't get very many ice storms, but the snows can get very heavy and cause lots of damage.

Chris ~ Well, heavy snows or heavy ice can cause much damage. We've had ice in the past few years that have damaged so much forest! But Mother Nature is resilient and bounces back. Us, as humans, have more problems with it in that we like things to stay the way we "think" they are "supposed" to ~ we have problems with the changes that Mother Nature whips out. ------Now THAT was a run-on sentence! :-))
What I mean is that I try to take things as they come....

I'm getting carried away...Gotta go hunt for somemore Eagles!

Have a Great Afternoon!

Joey

Okay Chris - I need a definition from you. I could google it, but wanted to hear from you first. I have seen the term micro-climate referred to several times this week. What is it?

Thanks honey.

Ruby

Joey - There was one year that we had a horrible ice storm that hung around forever it seemed. I too was crawling up my driveway. I am with you on not wanting to do that again. No fun.

Ruby

I moved here to the semi desert slickrock desert of Utah to get away from the feet and feet of snow that was winter in the Adirondacks. After 18 years of it I ran away looking for someplace that wasn't always snowing or raining. found it. Altho these first two weeks of October have been most unusual for here.

We've had flash floods, mud flows and gully washers ... the result of over 4 inches of rain which arrived mostly in tenth of an inch segments. The quarter inch rainfall we had resulted in major waterfalls off the slickrock walls that line the river and highway. thought I'd share with you.

Mostly the rain [snow in the mountains] dimmed the colors in our leaves this year so it's nice the waterfalls are so splendid. ~~Blooms

WOW Blooms! That is .....Glorious! ~ It took me a while to think of a word that was appropriate! Mother Nature absolutely leaves me speachless!

Joey

Ruby

micro-climate.. an area where the temp is higher or lower then the rest of the area, for instance the South side of my house's foundation where it gets a lot of sun will support some tender plants what will normally parish in another area of my yard.

Sometimes it might be a depression in the yard that is protected from the very cold winds, or a sunny side of a wall.

I heard that some areas you might get away with planting a zone up from what is normal in your area.

This is how I understand it.

Chris

I second the WOW....Blooms, thanks for sharing.

Yep, glorious is a good description. Aaaaahhhhhhhh.

Thank you for the explanation Chris. Makes sense.

Ruby

Good Mornin', Chris!
I thought that I'd pop in to check & see how you are doin'. Are you taking good care?
Just thinin'......
It's gone straight to winter here...2 whole weeks of fall colors and now they are pretty much gone. And now we have snow. No accumulation here, but elsewhere there is some.

Joey

Hi Joey, So kind of you to check up on me. Actually it was a very hard weekend, I spent all of my time taking care of my little dog Dutch, this was his retirement home after his breeder got him back from the people that had him as a stud dog. His breeder and I were co-owers, we had him put down at 2:30 am Monday. He had had a stroke and was in heart failure, very little chance for recovery.

He was a wonderful friend and companion, he loved to be out with me when I gardened and sat on my lap all the time when I was home sick from the chemo, well sitting on my lap was his favorite pasttime. He was always there for me. I really miss my Dutch.

Chris

Oh Chris.....I'm so sorry...:-( It is so hard loosing a family member. I feel sure he was very happy on your lap & that was a lift for your recovery. I know you will miss him very much. But he's not suffering. I think putting down your pet would be one of the hardest things to do....letting go.
Our pet pals are one of God's many Blessings.

Please Take Care...my heart aches for you.

Joey

Oh Gosh Chris!!!! I am so sorry to hear of Dutch's death. I have three dogs that have served many times as my mental health therapy.

Two summers ago we had a little mixed breed terrier who died in John's arms on the way to be put to sleep. She had a rough last week too, but brought smiles to our faces until the very end. I was responsible a few years back for taking my mom's dog to be put to sleep. It was an amazing story concerning "Gretchen" and my mom.

My mother died with Alzheimers. The last 18 months of her life were spent in an Alzheimers facility. We kept her at home as long as possible. Gretchen did not start out being my mom's dog, but had belonged to my niece who left her at my mom's house. We have all heard the stories of Alzheimer's patients walking away and getting lost. For about the last two or so years while my mom was still home she would walk one of two ways, and thankfully always made it home. Gretchen had begun taking the walks with my mom and was probably the one to thank for my mom never getting lost, but always returning home safely. Momma would go as far as her sister's in one direction and as far as another elderly lady that lived on our farm in the other direction. Yep, during those days if you saw my mom, you saw Gretchen.

They say also that Dog's have "senses" that we don't. The very day or the very next day of my mother leaving home and going to live at nursing facility, Gretchen who had been as healthy as a horse, fell ill and couldn't move. After being unable to walk and staying in one spot and losing control of her bladder, I was contacted to take her to the Vet. It did not take the Veterinarian very long after looking at her to state that - "her brain signals were not working correctly." Hmmm.....that is one way to have described my mothers state of being too.

I truly believe that dog stayed healthy enough to tend to my mother and then gave up and in when her job was done. I was the one there when she was put to sleep that day. I couldn't stay and watch but sat in my car and bawled my eyeballs out.

So Chris, coming from one animal lover to another, I am so sorry about your loss and am wondering if there is anything that I can do or say that will help you feel better? I suppose that you are familiar with the 5 stages of grief.

1 Denial - Oh gee, this hasn't really happened.
2 Bargaining - Dear God, I will do anything to have this thing not be true.
3 & 4 in no particular order - Anger and Depression don't need any explanation.
5 Acceptance - We can accept the loss and learn to live with it, even if we have to go through the whole process many, many times.

All of the above are normal when grieving. We can be lucky and do them in order or we can find ourselves jumping all over the place with them. There is no RIGHT way and acceptance will come at different times, for different people.

Chris take all the time that you need to grieve this great loss. If you ever feel like venting, I am as close as your keyboard.
You will be on my mind. Lova Ya Lady!!!

Ruby

Chris~
I certainly have no greater wisdom than the ladies who've already written, but I also feel for your loss. DG just can't warm your lap like sweet Dutch.

see your dmail please.

Thanks Chantell, and all of you at DG for your kind thoughts. It is getting a little easier day by day to think of Dutch without crying, Things will get better with time, and I know there will be another furry friend in my future. To many dogs need good homes.

Dutch needed a home about a month after I lost Alex, Alex a shih tzu came from a broken home. So I take in adult dogs that no one wants. When the time is right my door will be open again to add another to the family.

Chris

Chris,
How are you doing, my friend? Was thinking about you...both your health as well as recent loss. Hoep you're doing well - let us know please. I'll be heading up to a suprise location in your state for a three day weekend day after tomorrow - can't wait!!

Chantell, Thanks for asking.... I am starting to get back some of the engery that the radiation took away, I did not realize how it effected me till about a week after it was over. I feel like cooking and doing some baking again.

I am also looking at getting another furry friend, her name is Penny, 5 years old, we are working on a time to met half way for the transfer to her new home, it will start out as a trial bases, but that is how Dutch started out too.

suprise location! sounds like fun, wonder where it is? Take pictures!

Chris

I think we all need to see Penny when you can get a picture!

Sally, I will post a picture when I get her, it might take a few weeks before I get her, I need to be home from work over the weekend at least while she gets adjusted.

Gosh, I feel like a kid at Christmas.

That's a great feeling!!!

Good news and more good news! Can't wait to see your new pup.

Chris - I am not sure what I would have done without my dogs these last ten years. I was going through an especially bad time in my life when I brought the first little guy home. He had been rescued from an area a couple of hours from here by some guys doing construction work. I happened to be at their house the night they brought him home. The pup had a skiin condition and I knew that these folks would not be able to financially offer the dog what was needed. The little boy of the house had already latched on to the dog and had named him Bear. I paid the little boy ten dollars for the dog and he was happy with that.

I named the dog Lucky and at almost age ten he is still in the puppy stage. My husband says that Lucky is too smart for his own good. He is always in to something to get attention. He especially likes the TV remote and clothes that are within his reach.

The other two pups came along a few years later. I got involved with a situation where two female dogs had each given birth at almost the same time and each had fairly large litters. There were about 15 puppies at this "unfit" place and I took the pups to the local K-Mart one Sunday morning to give away. It was the week before Christmas and we didn't have much trouble finding homes for them. I have always prayed that they went to good homes. I know that they didn't have a good chance for a good life where they were. I know that the two we decided to keep couldn't ask for a better place to live. They are spoiled rotten.

So, I have three male mixed breeds. Actually on the Veterinarian invoice there is a place to write in breed of dog. One says shephard/collie mix, one says lab mix and poor little Dagmar's breed is labeled as "mutt." ha-ha. He is the sweetest dog that I have ever met but is also the loudest barker when there is a noise around the house.

Along with gardening, I find that my pets bring me loads of enjoyment. Yes, they are a lot of work, worry and money but they have given back to me so much more than I have expended.

I hope that your new Penny will bring you as much joy as my boys have brought me.

Ruby

Ruby & Chris Good Morning! How are you 2 doing? How are you feeling? Just thought that I'd check in....
Have you dried out yet? We have had herrendous rain & wind! And it looks as if we're in for some snow this evening! Probably not much, but who really knows?

Joey