I know it's kinda late to be planting in the garden, but I grew all these seedlings last month, and they are just begging to get into the soil.  Not sure how long they will last, or when the frost will take them out, but from now til then, we'll have baby spinach, kale, mustard and lettuce.

 

I remember Momma saying, "If you plant it, it might not grow;  but if you DON'T plant it, it surely won't grow."

 

I'm running with that.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Hiking up the Creekside Trail last week, we noticed that our friend, the bear, was missing from his tree perch.  We searched the area, and found him IN THE CREEK!!!

 

Jon scrambled down the hill and rescued him from the creek.  He (the bear) was totally soaking wet and bedraggled.  So we squoze him as dry as possible, and replaced him in the tree.  We checked back on him, and he's doing better.  

 

He's drier now, and still a little bedraggled.  But we love seeing him when we're on the trail.

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

 

 

 

Have you ever wondered what's under those well covers?  Besides snakes...

 

Well...yesterday we were walking the loop, and saw Jim and CB down by well #7.  It's the one down by the creek, near the chestnut trees.  This is what we saw!!!  

 

They were obviously working on the well, but I asked anyway:  Hey, what's up?  The answer was very interesting, and I thought you might like to know about it.

 

CB was installing an Ultraviolet sterilizer to the wellhead.  See that silver cylinder toward the back?  That is the housing for a UV light bulb.  Well #7 has often failed the bacteria test, so this is a reasonable solution for this well.  Not all our wells need this type of treatment system;  they've tested fine for years.

 

I learned that the UV sterilizer doesn't sterilize the water, but disrupts the DNA of bacteria and viruses, preventing them from performing certain cellular functions, essentially disabling them from contaminating the water.  There will also be a 20 micron filter in line before the UV sterilizer, to filter out most of the particles so they don't interfere with the UV system.  

 

This method for water treatment has been in use since the mid-20th century, and is called Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation, (UVGI).  Wikipedia has a good article if you want to explore it further.  Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation

 

A number of residents have installed UVGI systems in their homes, and they offer a sense of confidence when the natural eColi blooms.  But don't think that it comes cheap.  There are perpetual costs:  the UV tube needs to be replaced yearly, and the 20 micron filter even more often, costing hundreds of dollars.  And that's true with the system installed on well #7.  Perpetual costs are part of solving problems like this, but focusing on the safety of the community is the goal.

 

Oh, in case you're  wondering:  these UV tubes are generally using the spectrum called UV-C which kills lots of stuff, (including COVID).  

 

 

THAT'S WHAT I KNOW ABOUT IT.

 

 

 

The Sourwoods are turning red.  And they are still holding onto their seed pods.  So pretty!!!

 

This picture is a bit deceptive.  This tree is about 20 feet tall, and I'm taking the picture from above, looking down on it.  But the color is great, and you can see the seed pods so well.

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

I told you about Momma and Nanny and BeeBee peeling apples by hand, under the apple tree in the backyard.

 

Well, Momma gave me an apple peeler.  See that contraption on the counter?  It is fabulous for peeling and coring LOTS of apples. Then all you have to do is clean them up a bit and chop or slice for your apple projects.

 

This was our last day of making applesauce.  We canned 17 pints.   

 

WE ARE SO RICH!!!

 

Jim and Roxanne have made sure that NO crows will hit their garden this fall.  Their scarecrow display is great.  Makes me smile every time I walk by it.

 

So cheerful!!!

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

 

We saw this Jimsonweed in the park last week.  In this picture you can see two flowers and several seed pods.  I collected some seeds to plant in my wild garden.  

 

I love seeing this plant in the wild.  It reminds me of that Georgia O'Keeffe painting.  She painted it in 1932, and in 2014 it sold for 44.4 million dollars!!!  

 

If you'd like to read more about Jimsonweed, you can search the archives for October, 2017.  I wrote about it then.  Actually, it is the same plant, just three years later.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

This is what we see when we walk up the driveway to get in the truck.  And it is just getting started!!!  I love looking UP!!!  

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

 

Same church parking lot as the red maples and ginkgoes. The beautyberry is beautiful too.  The birds and other critters have eaten most of the berries, but the bushes are so big, there are still lots of pretty branches, like this one.  

 

Isn't that color amazing!!!  I love it!!!  

 

When Julie and I were little we had very orange red hair.  Momma never made us any pink or red or purple clothes.  We always got blue and green.  So, now that I'm old enough to choose my own clothes, I choose pink and purple and this gorgeous magenta every chance I get.  It makes me so happy!

 

Be sure to check out the Beautyberry bushes when you go to the church to see the trees showing their fall color.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Hey Everybody!!!  Fall is happening right in front of us!!!

 

We went through the church parking lot last week, looking for autumn pictures.  I knew the trees would be getting started.  There are a couple Ginkgo trees and lots of Red Maples. The Ginkgoes haven't really started changing yet, but the Maple trees have, and they are beautiful.  I'll get back to you on the Ginkgoes. 

 

This is only part of the picture.  There are about 20 Maple trees in this parking lot, and they are all changing!!!

 

It is worth a trip to Blairsville, to the Methodist church parking lot, just to see these beautiful trees.  They are magnificent!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!