Squirrels and a Gourd

 Tuesday, November 25, 2025

A few days ago as Dale and I headed over to feed the cats next door I set a gourd outside on the back stoop because it was starting to get squishy. My intension was to throw it between the garages upon our return so the squirrels could devour it. We caught them massacring it as we were getting home. They bolted when they saw us. They also gknocked over GNed, our gnome.

I rescued him.

Snow!

Meant to post this yesterday, on Thanksgiving (November 27). 

Thanksgiving is here and were getting a little sun to go with it. Snowed yesterday overnight. The above picture is the view from our front stoop.

This is the view from the back stoop. 

Changing and Falling Leaves

I've been keeping track of the leaves changing and falling this year. Here's a time lapse in photographs over the last 6 weeks. 

Kale and Mums

 Friday, November 21, 2025

The ornamental kale are the only plants I've left potted. I've read that they're biennials in more moderate climates but I don't live in one of those! I was thinking of bringing them inside for the winter and although they're not toxic for cats they can mess with their digestion. Also, any pesticides they've been treated with wouldn't be good for them either. I'll spare Sylvester any possible negative effects. 

All the mums I had are now planted in the ground in hopes they'll come up again next year. 

Garden mums are considered perennials but I'm not sure if I got the ones I bought this year in the garden in time. I guess we'll see in the spring.

Final Watering

Sunday, November 16, 2025

Final watering of the plants - with the hose at least. May use the watering can to tend to the mums I recently transplanted. 

Drained the hose and got it into the basement for the winter. 

The Northern Lights

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Breanna sent us the above picture of the Northern Lights tonight around 7:30 p.m. She said you couldn't see them with the naked eyes but that the camera would pick it up. 

Dale and I boogied out to the alley and got some of our own shots. This one is Dale's. 

This one is mine. 

Got this one off Instagram. It was taken by a former colleague. 

This one was taken by an old high school friend's daughter. 

Falling Leaves

 Tuesday, November 11, 2025

The leaves started falling around the middle of October. 

They fell very slowly and steadily. 

They seemed to start accumulateing a bit more by Halloween. 

Dale raked the day after the above photo was taken. 

We had a hard freeze early morning of the next day. It brought a lot more leaves down. Dale's gonna mulch what's still on the ground. 

Mums

Thursday, November 6, 2025

Took some of the potted mums and planted them in the ground. They should come back in the spring. 

The Backyard On Halloween 2025

 Friday, October 31, 2025

This mum I planted a couple years ago is finally showing some flowers. Pretty late in the season but better late than never. Hoping to get the potted mums in the ground soon to try and get another season out of them. 

Glad I worked on uncovering these garden stones this year. They look great. 

Will be cutting the hostas back soon. 

Norway pine. 

Should probably bring the red chairs in soon and then get in the habit of bringing them out only when needed so they don't get left out all winter. 

And, should probably cut this back a bit more so that it's not such an unmanageable job in the spring. 
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Leaves Are Changing but the Trees Aren't Too Willing to Give Them Up Yet

 Friday, October 31, 2025

Walked up to Walgreen's today to pick up Halloween candy. 

Dale and I are both amazed how many trees haven't lost their leaves yet. 

Anyway, the colors are pretty to look at. I just hope they're down before they start doing street sweeping and stop doing yard waste pickups. 

I got lots of pictures of what I'm seeing around the neighborhood.