What's Growing - Part 11 -Fall's Upon Us!

Here I am. It's been an ordeal. Our power finally got turned back on late this afternoon. That's five and a half days. The worst part was baling the basement. For two straight days and nights, while all that snow melted. I could write a book on the whole experience, but not tonight. I made a few collages so I could show you more pictures.

First, this is what we woke up to Friday morning. We spent the morning plowing and trying to save the trees that hadn't broken. The reason the tree branches broke is that the leaves had not fallen yet. There was more surface for it to stick to. It's heartbreaking to see so many broken limbs.

Then we had to start baling out the basement. Tens of thousands of pounds of water over the next two days. Setting the kitchen timer for one hour, catching about 45 minutes of sleep at a time, all night long, working by candlelight.

More to come...

(edit...I don't know why the picture didn't send properly, but you get the idea)

This message was edited Oct 18, 2006 11:16 PM

These make me think of a war between prehistoric monsters.

I hate to say that the snow was beautiful, but it was. It was only the destruction it caused that was so bad.

By Saturday, the snow was disappearing (into basements all over Western New York) and there seemed to be more tree limbs on the ground. I live on a curve, and have three maple trees along the street. The limbs are well into the street, and too heavy to pull onto the grass. There are a couple on the lawn too that are much too heavy to pull to the curb. I guess maybe we'll have to find someone with a chain saw.

This is my house.

This neighbor was locked in until he sawed his way out.

More trees.

Impatiens.

And then there was a laugh or two.

Wow - those pics are amazing. Glad you got through it ok. So, what did you do, hide a bisquit in the snow???

Good morning Anita!

Nancy - it was your power - I had heard other rumors, or was going to start some when bored. That snow is pretty - it's a shame it didn't last.
When we used to have arborists at work they loved storms like that because it was a season's worth of work - not so nice for you though.

Nancy ~ So glad your safe and sound! Great pictures, but so sad about the tree's.

Nancy - we were SOOOO worried.

Morning Dave - I logged on and was out real quick - sorry that I didn't see your greeting earlier.

Hi Nancy, I am also very glad you are back... not enough people to pick on Dave and Al....lol.... just kidding...

sorry about your basement ordeal... I had that last year in my old place... not fun...

Nancy,

Thanks for taking the time to share your pictures. I'm sorry to hear about your poor trees. And what an ordeal for you--having to bale out your basement by candle light! You deserve a reward for that--maybe some new plants for the spring!

Loretta

Saffron crocus popped their heads up this morning! So nice to see them again. Anyone have recipes using saffron?

saffron? I'll look and see if there is one in one of my Donovan albums - lost myself there - or should I say there is saffron in mello yellow - huh? anyone

I still have one of these bush morning glories - must not be as sensitive as regular morning glories are.

you can't beat a good Donovan reference, maybe Zagar & Evans?

this calendula is going strong yet

don't feel bad, Al. it just flies by right over our heads ;0). I still like the idea of that bush morning glory - good invention

Hey - if only 1 person gets it(including myself) then my work is done.

The bush morning glories I have in a pot, they grow fairly low really - like petunias or such.

Al...she's just mad about me.


Anitabryk - your dad was born at a German Dance Hall? Are you sure he wants you spreading that around?


No camera yet - must get nice one for Christmas or else.
My Bishop dahlias are loaded - what a great couple of plants. The Landaff has about 15-20 blooms and that great dark foliage, and the York still has about 5. Most others are declining on schedule.

Thanks again for the concern you've all shown me. No biscuits in the snow, Anita. Just one goofy dog who loved the snow. I had forgotten all about the dahlias I brought into the garage the night the storm started. You were right, Al, they are still growing. One of the buds became a bloom sometime during the week. It's a smaller flower than its ancestors, but it had more trauma to overcome. I remember thinking I would be going out last Saturday to dig up the others. Ha! Little did I know.

The day it started, I called home from work and told my husband to go out and pick anything that resembled a flower, before the snow ruined them. So he did, and here they are.

Anita, pixie, Al, Dave, gram, Kassia, loretta, yankeecat, Kay, etc......You're all very much appreciated.

Very pretty Nancy

Andrea - a camera(for you) would be great - I hope you get one. Someone else knows her oldies. Yours haven't had a freeze yet?

Maybe I was bored or on a roll, so I dug up a few more of my seeded ones that were low priority. Here is what my finished product looks like for 4 plants.

Al is that an e-lectrcal banana or just another tubor?

BigCityAl,

That has to be the neatest, cleanest, most orderly bunch of tubers anywhere.
P. S. I have Donovan albums too.

alyrics - silly - "She met my father, born here, at a German Dance Hall." notice the separation with the commas?? Dad was born here [US]. My parents met at a German Dance Hall. Perhaps I should have use semi colon?? Where are the English/Grammar Teachers??

Edited to say that I hope this doesn't sound like I took offense. As I read it again I thought it might.

This message was edited Oct 20, 2006 7:35 AM

Al, great work... you are a good tuber keeper.... nice an neat....

Anita, sorry, but English is my second language... even if I got an A in English 101 and 102 can't help you !!!!

Anita, my grandfather met all 4 of his wives at German dances (I don't know about dance halls...they may have been at church, but he liked to dance). Bless his heart, he outlived the first 3 and couldn't stand to be alone.

Al, uber tubers!

gram

'Al on a roll' (ok I know it's lame, but it's all I got, I'm on pain meds and it's 6 am)

Gram - I looked so young back then.

Here's a newer pic

LOL

men develop so much character as they age LOL

Der tubermeister!

Better than Der Tubermeiser.

lol.... Is that your costume for Oct 31!!!????


Gram, where are the German dances nowadays???? do man still find wifes in german dances????



This message was edited Oct 20, 2006 5:11 PM

No - I usually go as the dorky dad looking for free candy.

so darn cold here my dahlias in pots are......well not dead I guess


Nescio

here is the full shot of chocolate eupatorium - which looks just like Dave's so he says

I think this is the peak shot of 'silver feather' miscanthus. This plant needs supervision or it will spread.

Anita - LOL - I was just joshin ya! I understood but thought it was funny if you changed it around a bit. Well maybe not.

yes - camera - I deserve one darnit

we sure had a lot of varmints up on the deck during dinner tonight. It was only a cheese pizza but the biggest fluffiest raccoon and a medium sized possum both came up to the back door to look in during dinner. They're all so disappointed these days since I'm only composting boring foodstuffs and paper. I used to compost every single thing but since it started to alter the migrational patterns and territories of hordes of wildlife I had to stop. Just kidding. I got these 3 crows that were such a pain all summer. They would sit in the woods and caw when I came out to dump my compostables and then swoop down on the compost pile to see if anything was good. Very noisy.

No - no frost here yet. It got down to 33 one night they said but didn't hurt anything at all in my yard. I'm in the woods. The downside is we are slow to warm in spring and you all will be ahead of me by a good 2-4 weeks on certain plants but then we are late to freeze in the fall because we are so protected.

Al, that chocolate eup looks exactly like Daves. I love the miscanthus. Some day I'll find a spot for some. my geese friends eat anything resembling grass to the ground. i'm thinking behind some rose bushes or something thorny.

Aly, nows the time to write that nice letter to Santa for the camera. you can use me for a reference. you know, there aren't many birds I don't like, but crows are a pain. when we lived closer in to the city they used to open the garbage bags an pick thru them. they're worse than dogs...dogs can be trained. let's get a leash law for the crows.