What a chilly day. It was the first morning I reached for my warm fuzzy robe to join Dennis in the porch for coffee. Last night, the kids, Honey Bunny, Butter Ball, Snuggles, Harry and Fuzzy, all made sure they were inside the porch before curfew. Yup, they knew there would be cushions and pillows in laundry baskets to cuddle up in, sensing very chilly nights.
Dennis always is the first to go to the porch in the mornings. I have no doubt when he cracks the east patio door, it could be similar to the crowds on Black Friday as to which of the five critters gets outside first. Too funny.
It was a day for jackets as we knew that yard work was awaiting. The riding lawnmower, with Dennis at the helm, disappeared to the northeast. Lush lawns have been a treat this late fall.
After looking over the perennials, I could easily see that we had had a hard frost sometime while we were gone. Nothing left to do but begin cutting them down. If left until next spring, the spent foliage is a tangled mess to contend with. A cup of hot coffee was near by as I began. It did not take too long for me to realize that the larger garden shears that requires both hands was not a good fit for my shoulders. Too much of a jarring action to bring the shears open and shut. The weed trimmer made more of a shredded mess than not. Just a plain old household scissors did the best job for me. Do a couple of plants, and then enjoy a sip of coffee. It took quite a bit of time, but I had lots of that.
Dennis rounded up the mowing by mulching the perennial foliage I had raked and put on the lawn. There is still a fair amount of perennial work left, but I do know that pacing the process is a good thing.
The pink corn chafe is now billowing in the neighborhood from the co-op corn driers. The concrete street in front of our home does generate a fair amount of dust from semis and farmers hauling crops. Shallow spots in the lawn made for a dust storm while Dennis mowed, especially the pine cones. As I raked up foliage, small sticks and leaves, I made a fair amount of dust. Fall is a time for getting dirty to get things buttoned up.
Stauffer Avenue always feels peaceful when the first blanket of snow falls on a tidy surface. Yes, us old people . . . hmm, I can’t really assume that all old people are funny that way, being the best stewards we can be.