Skies, #75, last flowers

 It is a change in season, and the skies have been lovely.

I bent over forwards to weed the stone path.  😓  I'm glad it is done for this year. I was tempted to use the shop vac on the weed seeds, but used a broom instead. They are ubiquitous.

With great excitement, I am sure I spotted #75 on his tree. (He's our released, rehabbed gray squirrel.) I think he's been out and about all summer. He took a giant leap from the end of the branch to the tree nearby.

He was in the front yard the day after, harvesting chestnuts. 

#75

   

 So far, all is well. #75 was yelling at Cinnamon. Both are aware of one another. 

 

The last of our flowers!

Signs of fall! The sumac is usually a lovely colour. 

But if you zoom in, there are spots of colour!

Rhododendron...

I've spotted the coyote with the hurt leg on the trailcam.

The Goldenrod is abuzz!  

 The porcupine wandered by. It sort of walks like an alligator through the forest.

   

 Yes, as YAM writes, when the goldfish have to come in it is a sign of the change in season. We're getting close.

 

New plants!

 My lovely, thoughtful daughter Caitlin was out at the nursery last Friday and sent me photos. How she remembered, I don't know! I've been looking for a tree hibiscus for a year. They are everywhere, and provide some fall colour. Someone had to ID it for me, as I was seeing them all over the place but didn't know what they were.

I noted the location and thought about it. A drive on a torrentially rainy day. What the heck! 

We set off Saturday morning. We had over an inch of rain Saturday. It was ridiculous. 

The drive along highway #7 is awful. People treat it as a Nascar track. This dude passed us on a double line, on a bridge, in the rain. You can check this post for other car incidents of dangerous driving along highway #7 from Friday. 

Cottage country... gray skies, but we were on a mission.

Bridge to nowhere?

Autumn seems to be early. The leaves are turning way too fast. Mind you, it was an early spring.

I spotted lots of these shrubs around the area. It's sort of the last blooming before fall. They are tree hydrangeas, and it took awhile to figure out their names. 

In Perth: 

I have always admired this garden:

We made it. It was raining, but I'm not made of sugar.

This tall one was $250, even with the 25% off I was worried about spending that much on it. I don't know if the deer like them!

I stuffed them in! They rolled around some, but they were fine. I did have to wash the mat!

Here is my haul! A tree Hydrangea, Rose of Sharon, Hibiscus, and a 4th, but I forget what it is!

I am hoping to plant a couple today. It's cool, but sunny. I was thinking, at 3 a.m., about where to place them. I think I have a plan! 

Busy as bees

The flowers are doing their best to shine in the last warm days. The first is my planter. The next is the last of the hibiscus for the year. I think.

I spotted a hummingbird feeding on the rose, but I was too slow lazy to get up and try for a photo! 

🐸  Moving the froggies: Nov. 19th, 2023 a.m.    –   moved  3        = 144

Every year the green frogs and leopard frogs move into the goldfish pond when temperatures cool down. They are caught and transferred into the frog pond, which is deeper and a more stable winter home. I missed about 7 last year, and they rose to the surface of the pond (dead) in spring. 😢

Jeremiah Bullfrog seems to be keeping them at bay this year. That is a relief. He has grown. He's in for a shock when I have to drain it to find the goldfish!

The insects are flying around like mad. The wasps are busy trying to have last feeds. It makes sitting on patios somewhat treacherous. 

We had a massive rain. The bees under the sidewalk were locked out! I felt badly for them.

The bees under the sidewalk are busy as... bees!

This was fun to photograph. I headed off to the shed to do a lawn tractor run, and found it on the ground. If course I had to show Joe and take a photo. They have poisonous pokey bits, and one must be careful.

This is what they look like stretched out. I found a pair one year. 

This is what the adults look like:

Female Io - Automeris io moths,

Off I went to have a hair cut and chose to drive along highway #7. That might have been a mistake. There have been 3 fatal incidents along here recently. Over the years, people treat this as a 400-series highway, and often do 100+ km/hr. 

It was rush hour, or the hour when contractors rush back to base (3 p.m.). Two vehicles tried to pass me from a left turn lane. What's with this? This guy tailed me from a long distance, and finally did it through an intersection. I was doing 92 in an 80 km zone. (14:39 hours)

This pair, in the Optima truck, tried to pass twice in such a lane. Finally, he made it in a more suitable location. They tailed me several times, trying to peer into my back seat. I have complained to the company. I ought to get a rear view dashcam. (It was 14:43 hours.)