Fall has definitely arrived in Virginia.
Up until the last few days it’s been quite a temperate October. It’s not been cold much at all so far with some days feeling more like August than October. But that all changed this week with the first hard frost happening last night. All of the plants that need to be inside have been moved in where they will spend the winter. They’ve done very well since I’ve figured out a way to automate the watering of the plants. I need to figure out the same for inside so they don’t get over/under watered and I don’t flood the basement with bad code in a computer that I program to do the job.
I learned earlier this fall that we have a persimmon tree in our yard. This tree came here to live on it’s own over the years. It’s in an area that used to be an open field but I have stopped cutting the grass to let it go back to whatever nature comes up with it. It’s the only persimmon tree that is old enough to produce fruit that I’ve found so far.
Persimmons are crazy bitter if they are not ripened on the tree. But once they get to this point on the tree they are quite tasty! I’ve been reading that persimmons can be harvested and stored in fruit jars for the winter. Maybe next year project? In the mean time I’ll eat as many of these the deer don’t beat me to until they are gone.
Mongrel is quite the tree climber now.
Speaking of fall, every time this year the silver maple trees in our yard start the process of turning from deep green to bright yellow and orange. In a week or two these trees will look like a burning bush. Hopefully there will be another clear blue sky day with the more yellow color leaves when they arrive.
The maple trees are over 10 years old now. Maybe 15. I’ve forgotten when we planted these guys. By the time I leave this planet hopefully they will be big, tall and add color to this property for the next generation who will enjoy them as much as I do. From what I read they could get very large in their lifetime.
Mongrel and I have done a bunch of walking the last few days. He loves these walks we do every day. He would stay out with one of us walking all day long if we could actually do that.
Which we can’t, of course.
When I’m in my office working with a window open he sits below the window and meows until I either have to close the window so I can work or come outside to be with him.
When he’s inside and I can’t go outside he just doesn’t understand. So he does this:
And protests loudly that he is not outside. Eventually he either gives up and takes a nap until we can play or we have to figure a way to get him outside so he can go find a small furry creature to “play” with.
It’s evening now where we’ve completed yet another walk. He’s asleep at my feet with a mouse on a string. No protest this time. He’ll be awake again soon and want to go back outside where all the small furry critters hide in the bush.
Tomorrow? Tomorrow we get up and do it all over again.
I hope you’ve had a good day and tomorrow is what you want it to be.
Wow! I can’t believe a persimmon tree is in the yard. Those are a seemingly exotic fruit. They’re expensive at the store. $4 per fruit!!
Mongrel loves you so much! I am so happy to see his little face.
I think there is a pod of 8-10 of them. This year was the first year I noticed the fruit. The others are fairly small but it may be that we have a grove of them in a few years. I have no idea where they came from. I surely didn’t plant them there. I’ll show you when you are here next.