Autumn Surprise

Well looky there. Perky little Primrose, typically an 

early spring bloomer, is back with a happy smile.

I'm painting the house. Just about the last thing on the planet I wanted to do this late in the season, in between rain and snow squalls. And, I'm mad as a hatter about this!

Mostly because it's all my fault. It would be so nice to finger someone else for this costly mess. (And, I'm still trying to make that happen.)

Did you know? Golden Delicious Apple Trees act as a pollinator for all apple trees. 

We're enjoying remarkable autumn harvests, once a Golden Delicious was added into the mix.

All summer long, meddling advice-givers caring friends kept saying. Geez you should paint that house. It is peeling badly and it will be a huge problem, come winter.

Oh, what do they know? That money would be better spent on... horse tack! Vacations! Flowering trees! A water feature!

Euphorbia is actually prettier in autumn, after the blooms.

Then came a very impersonal letter from my insurance company saying they'd done a 'random inspection' of my property and in order to continue my coverage I needed to paint the house.

Sheesh! The nerve! I'll show them!

So... I cancelled the insurance and went with another company. Who, one month later, sent me an impersonal letter informing me that in order to continue my coverage I needed to paint the damn house.

What's this? Honeysuckles blooming in October? 

A welcome surprise for migrating Hummingbirds.

And, so there you have it. We're painting the house.

I was out there, yesterday, with my chosen victim, the cheapest of all the overpriced house painting bidders. He felt it was important for us to walk around the property and talk about this. Clearly, he wanted to rub salt into my imaginary wound of losing the battle with the insurance company.

Dead but still stunning, clumps of John Cabot roses hang heavy from the vines.

Anyhoo, he was pointing out this, that and the other thing that is wrong with this old house. Like I don't know that....

And, I was doing a fine, fine job of ignoring pretty much everything he had to say.

With good reason, I might add. Because I was amazed at all the bright bloomers going nuts out there!

I've been ignoring the garden. I don't much like to watch it die the obligatory slow death that comes with the freezing rains and ultra chilly nights.

Only it hasn't kicked the bucket at all! It's putting on a very pretty show! Which has inspired me to siphon a bit off the house painting budget and go buy some autumn bulbs. (Don't tell the painter. I'd hate to see him all demotivated before this infernal housepainting job is done...)

PS: Screw Allstate.



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