Fall is one of my favorite seasons. We didn’t get enough rain to REALLY color up the entire woods, but we did get quite a lot of nice color. Here, in case you would like something beautiful to look at for a moment, are some of the pictures I’ve taken over the past couple of weeks, mostly while out with Pippa, who gets a lot of special individual walks.
Japanese maple. Yes, the Ilex glabra shrubs behind this maple do go all the way up to the eaves. I can’t bear to cut them down.I planted a Persian perrotia, which stubbornly refuses to color up the way they are supposed to. This is the second one I planted, when I gave up on the first. THIS is how they are supposed to look in the fall. At the moment, just six feet tall or so, but someday this will be a small tree.Dad and I agree this is probably a sassafras, but it’s hard to tell for sure because the leaves are way up there. Mostly sassafras don’t color up all at once the way this tree did.My Amur cork tree, which is still a baby, but it was about eight inches tall when I planted it, so it’s coming along. This is the best fall color it’s ever shown.Pippa, shown here with her friend Conner next to her, is doing so much better! She does not really need separate walks anymore; she just likes them. Though her vision is not great, that has improved so much she is almost back to where she was prior to her seizure. She, like all dogs, now once again greets every new day with joy.
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5 thoughts on “It is, however, a beautiful day”
Pete Mack
Oh, winterberry! Sometimes we manage to make winter arrangements with it, if we remember to pick it before the birds eat all the fruit.
It doesn’t have such spectacular color here, but fothergilla and oak-leaf hydrangea more than make up for it. In any case, nearly all leaves have fallen here, after a hard frost followed by strong winds on Saturday.
Elaine T
I love Japanese maples, they have such striking color. Even here in California, although not yet.
We planted some sumac this year, which is supposed to have good fall color, but can’t tell yet.
The liquidambers are usually good for color, I’ve been told they were developed for autumn color in California.
Glad Pippa’s doing so well. On the note of dogs’ attitudes, a quote:
“But with words — one can express that joy and sorrow, and so much else besides —
[before he can say anything else, the Hound turns and whines, then paws gently at his feet before leaning his head over his shoulder, keening until the ex-King has hugged his neck and patted him]
Good dog, shh, there’s a good boy —
[Huan pulls back, looking at him with head tipped to the side]
Huan:
See? You understood me perfectly well, did you not? Without need of any words between us.
[he huffs a canine sigh]
That is how it was, at the Beginning of it all, and I — I am yet easier with the same form of communication. ….But with words — one can express that joy and sorrow, and so much else besides —
[before he can say anything else, the Hound turns and whines, then paws gently at his feet before leaning his head over his shoulder, keening until the ex-King has hugged his neck and patted him]
Good dog, shh, there’s a good boy —
[Huan pulls back, looking at him with head tipped to the side]
Huan:
See? You understood me perfectly well, did you not? Without need of any words between us. ….
Huan:
I was. I am a dog: there were old friends, that I had not seen for long days, and warm fires, and good food and clean water — how could I be anything else?
[looking around]
It is not that we are fickle, but that each experience is so strong, that it leaves no room for any other. Of course I was happy, when you all did praise me and admire me and gave me tidbits from the tables, and sometimes even butter, and combed the burrs out of my coat and made much of me. What more could a hound ask for?
Mary Beth
Japanese maples are one of my favorite sights on this planet. A happy dog is another. I’m so glad you have both.
Hanneke
Lovely autumn colors, and I’m happy to hear Pippa is feeling so much better!
Rachel
It is not that we are fickle, but that each experience is so strong, that it leaves no room for any other. Of course I was happy, when you all did praise me and admire me and gave me tidbits from the tables, and sometimes even butter, and combed the burrs out of my coat and made much of me. What more could a hound ask for?
That’s very good, Elaine, although I think 100% of spaniels would prefer I didn’t comb burrs out of their coats.
Thank you, everyone who joins me in being happy about Pippa.
Our native sumac is very good for fall color here; it goes various excellent shades of orange and red to dark red. I’m not sure what kinds you can grow in California, but hopefully yourse will color up well, Elaine! Pete, yes, we had a nice show from our oak-leaf hydrangea and fothergilla, too. Excellent shrubs, the hydrangea in particular is a great favorite of mine even though I have to water it every week during every drought.
Anybody planting fothergilla should be warned not to put it too close to dogwoods. They bloom at the same time, and the fothergilla’s cream flowers look dingy if placed too close to the cleaner white of the dogwood flowers. I bet everyone can guess how I found that out.
Oh, winterberry! Sometimes we manage to make winter arrangements with it, if we remember to pick it before the birds eat all the fruit.
It doesn’t have such spectacular color here, but fothergilla and oak-leaf hydrangea more than make up for it. In any case, nearly all leaves have fallen here, after a hard frost followed by strong winds on Saturday.
I love Japanese maples, they have such striking color. Even here in California, although not yet.
We planted some sumac this year, which is supposed to have good fall color, but can’t tell yet.
The liquidambers are usually good for color, I’ve been told they were developed for autumn color in California.
Glad Pippa’s doing so well. On the note of dogs’ attitudes, a quote:
“But with words — one can express that joy and sorrow, and so much else besides —
[before he can say anything else, the Hound turns and whines, then paws gently at his feet before leaning his head over his shoulder, keening until the ex-King has hugged his neck and patted him]
Good dog, shh, there’s a good boy —
[Huan pulls back, looking at him with head tipped to the side]
Huan:
See? You understood me perfectly well, did you not? Without need of any words between us.
[he huffs a canine sigh]
That is how it was, at the Beginning of it all, and I — I am yet easier with the same form of communication. ….But with words — one can express that joy and sorrow, and so much else besides —
[before he can say anything else, the Hound turns and whines, then paws gently at his feet before leaning his head over his shoulder, keening until the ex-King has hugged his neck and patted him]
Good dog, shh, there’s a good boy —
[Huan pulls back, looking at him with head tipped to the side]
Huan:
See? You understood me perfectly well, did you not? Without need of any words between us. ….
Huan:
I was. I am a dog: there were old friends, that I had not seen for long days, and warm fires, and good food and clean water — how could I be anything else?
[looking around]
It is not that we are fickle, but that each experience is so strong, that it leaves no room for any other. Of course I was happy, when you all did praise me and admire me and gave me tidbits from the tables, and sometimes even butter, and combed the burrs out of my coat and made much of me. What more could a hound ask for?
Japanese maples are one of my favorite sights on this planet. A happy dog is another. I’m so glad you have both.
Lovely autumn colors, and I’m happy to hear Pippa is feeling so much better!
It is not that we are fickle, but that each experience is so strong, that it leaves no room for any other. Of course I was happy, when you all did praise me and admire me and gave me tidbits from the tables, and sometimes even butter, and combed the burrs out of my coat and made much of me. What more could a hound ask for?
That’s very good, Elaine, although I think 100% of spaniels would prefer I didn’t comb burrs out of their coats.
Thank you, everyone who joins me in being happy about Pippa.
Our native sumac is very good for fall color here; it goes various excellent shades of orange and red to dark red. I’m not sure what kinds you can grow in California, but hopefully yourse will color up well, Elaine! Pete, yes, we had a nice show from our oak-leaf hydrangea and fothergilla, too. Excellent shrubs, the hydrangea in particular is a great favorite of mine even though I have to water it every week during every drought.
Anybody planting fothergilla should be warned not to put it too close to dogwoods. They bloom at the same time, and the fothergilla’s cream flowers look dingy if placed too close to the cleaner white of the dogwood flowers. I bet everyone can guess how I found that out.