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A touch of Autumn
A touch of Autumn....
It was two weeks ago, to this very early morning hour, that Autumn sauntered up and said hello to the Texas Hill Country.
Now, I know you people north of the Mason-Dixon Line have had a nice chill in the air for weeks--the trees are doing their technicolor striptease, the cider and new apple crop are overflowing into your kitchen, and the corn husks are being scythed or tied together as shelter for game birds.
Down here, we were behind a Category 5 hurricane, and that meant a High Pressure Dome unlike any in recent memory. We hit 110 F. a couple days in September. I do not exaggerate when I say that in a ten day period, we went from a high of 110 F. to a high of 58 F.
It was wonderful. It only lasted a day or so, climbing by 10-15 degrees each day, but suddenly the A/C wasn't cranking out a $400 electric bill, and if you forgot a light jacket at night, you'd be chilled coming home. It was our first Norther of the year, and we were sorry to see it get pushed back--and sorrier still there was no rain to speak of with it. We did get the first few glimpses of fall, however. The crepe myrtles in the front yard (still trying to convince me that, sure, they're the wrong color, but they're alive and working like Trojans, and surely I'd let such glorious trees live?) have been quietly working on their fall array. I'll look out the corner of my eye and see one crimson and burgundy leaf, curling among the green sea of foliage. I find myself looking for Prairie FlameLeaf Sumac (the post office has a nice clump) and even Possomhaw Holly, which is the closest we come to bittersweet down here. My Shumard Oak might be pretty this year...must water tomorrow.
I worry a bit about the bluebonnets and evening primrose, because they need lots of water in the fall to flower in the spring. I wonder if we should start our bluebonnet patch at the lot's corner, or wait another year to decide on the right spot. And where will I put the Oxblood lilies? They're in pots right now, and haven't had enough rain to bloom much yet.
I get ready to photograph my neighbor's gargoyle (currently natty in a bat hat.) I dream of carnival acorn squash baked and then sauted in butter and apple cider. Do not miss this, please--it's not on my diet, but boy, it is SO worth it, I'm contemplating trying a variant to see if it will taste almost as good... .
The next Norther has finally pushed its way down here. It should pass through tonight, with another small one on its heels Sunday night. These are not the infamous "Blue Northers" that bring winter down on our heads--that really do paint the sullen sky slate blue and gray, rolling down upon us. No, these are gentler northers. They will let us sleep without A/C...if you don't have juniper allergies. If you do, the panhandle red juniper has something for you....
But the spine of summer was broken. Even though we kept creeping up to the low nineties, which was unseasonably warm, we were finally dropping down to the high sixties at night. I am eating my first solid batch of grains in four+ years (one bowl of McCann's and I *crave* these multi-grain beauties. A little cinnamon, a few strawberries, some Splenda...this is heaven, even without the honey or brown sugar and 1/2 n 1/2 of memory.)
And the speed cooking suggestion works just fine. I've hooked W on the stuff. I can have one melti-grain thing a day. Unless some San Francisco sourdough shows up, you'll know where to find me.
The hot tub is hot, the pool is cooling off, and I need some sleep. It was a long day--many frustrating errors thus proving the antibiotics are working on mah brain! But just wanted to say fall is tiptoeing our way. We're in no hurry for an Indian Summer. Autumn is my favorite season, for sheer enjoyment.
You'll know when I feel comfortable financially. When I take a trip north during the fall to see the leaves...and the northern lights. But the northern lights are another story. And will figure into still another story, of course.
It was two weeks ago, to this very early morning hour, that Autumn sauntered up and said hello to the Texas Hill Country.
Now, I know you people north of the Mason-Dixon Line have had a nice chill in the air for weeks--the trees are doing their technicolor striptease, the cider and new apple crop are overflowing into your kitchen, and the corn husks are being scythed or tied together as shelter for game birds.
Down here, we were behind a Category 5 hurricane, and that meant a High Pressure Dome unlike any in recent memory. We hit 110 F. a couple days in September. I do not exaggerate when I say that in a ten day period, we went from a high of 110 F. to a high of 58 F.
It was wonderful. It only lasted a day or so, climbing by 10-15 degrees each day, but suddenly the A/C wasn't cranking out a $400 electric bill, and if you forgot a light jacket at night, you'd be chilled coming home. It was our first Norther of the year, and we were sorry to see it get pushed back--and sorrier still there was no rain to speak of with it. We did get the first few glimpses of fall, however. The crepe myrtles in the front yard (still trying to convince me that, sure, they're the wrong color, but they're alive and working like Trojans, and surely I'd let such glorious trees live?) have been quietly working on their fall array. I'll look out the corner of my eye and see one crimson and burgundy leaf, curling among the green sea of foliage. I find myself looking for Prairie FlameLeaf Sumac (the post office has a nice clump) and even Possomhaw Holly, which is the closest we come to bittersweet down here. My Shumard Oak might be pretty this year...must water tomorrow.
I worry a bit about the bluebonnets and evening primrose, because they need lots of water in the fall to flower in the spring. I wonder if we should start our bluebonnet patch at the lot's corner, or wait another year to decide on the right spot. And where will I put the Oxblood lilies? They're in pots right now, and haven't had enough rain to bloom much yet.
I get ready to photograph my neighbor's gargoyle (currently natty in a bat hat.) I dream of carnival acorn squash baked and then sauted in butter and apple cider. Do not miss this, please--it's not on my diet, but boy, it is SO worth it, I'm contemplating trying a variant to see if it will taste almost as good... .
The next Norther has finally pushed its way down here. It should pass through tonight, with another small one on its heels Sunday night. These are not the infamous "Blue Northers" that bring winter down on our heads--that really do paint the sullen sky slate blue and gray, rolling down upon us. No, these are gentler northers. They will let us sleep without A/C...if you don't have juniper allergies. If you do, the panhandle red juniper has something for you....
But the spine of summer was broken. Even though we kept creeping up to the low nineties, which was unseasonably warm, we were finally dropping down to the high sixties at night. I am eating my first solid batch of grains in four+ years (one bowl of McCann's and I *crave* these multi-grain beauties. A little cinnamon, a few strawberries, some Splenda...this is heaven, even without the honey or brown sugar and 1/2 n 1/2 of memory.)
And the speed cooking suggestion works just fine. I've hooked W on the stuff. I can have one melti-grain thing a day. Unless some San Francisco sourdough shows up, you'll know where to find me.
The hot tub is hot, the pool is cooling off, and I need some sleep. It was a long day--many frustrating errors thus proving the antibiotics are working on mah brain! But just wanted to say fall is tiptoeing our way. We're in no hurry for an Indian Summer. Autumn is my favorite season, for sheer enjoyment.
You'll know when I feel comfortable financially. When I take a trip north during the fall to see the leaves...and the northern lights. But the northern lights are another story. And will figure into still another story, of course.
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I am very tempted by your squash recipe!
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Water your oxbloods ... one good drench and they'll give you a show!
You might enjoy my friend's garden weblog: http://www.zanthan.com/gardens/index.html
She's the one who gave me *my* oxblood lilies.
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