It’s been pouring (yay!) for two days, and today the wind picked up and started blowing everything horizontally, including the sukkah, which blew over.  It looked like a hurricane, but with a brief sunny pause in the middle, like the eye.  Tonight temps will suddenly drop from pleasant to freezing.  I spent all morning bringing potted plants inside.

This camera really captures the dramatic light and color changes.

One photo on my new phone is worth a thousand on my old one.  It’s seriously raining today and continuing, which brings out colors even more.  It also leads to homemade egg noodling by E.

Rain view

Porch with a rain view

Hibiscus in rain

Noodling

I know y’all in the normal tech world are used to photos that actually look like the thing you photographed, but for me it’s like a revelation.  I barely need to edit or tweak these photos, they’re so realistic!  Suddenly, average scenes look fabulous!  Plus, they’re HUGE!  Shut up, so I’m a prehistoric cave person, but at least I’m not jaded.

Lemongrass hanging to dry

The sukkah still standing

Dogwood

Bee on marigold

Redbud

Wild asters in field

Baby maple in field

Wild grass in field

I’m sure my week+ absence passed unnoticed, but ready or not, I’m back–with a new phone!  That mostly explains my blahg silence–new phone, new mystifying camera, i.e. no idea how to transfer photos.  But I think I’ve got it now, and it’s like night and day.  Wow.  Even pre-mastery of all the bells and whistles on a lower-end phone, the technical improvement is pretty impressive.  Where’ve I been, 21st C?

While I was out of it, the Avdi family lost a beloved feline member of 16+ years, Tiamat.  She was old and dying, and had to be put out of her suffering.  It was a sad loss, on top of my brother’s and BIL’s loss of their cat Slinky recently to similar circumstances.  It’s been a month of sad kitty goodbyes.  I think Misu can sense something, because she’s been ultra-affectionate lately.

This is Tiamat, in her favorite position, courtesy of Avdi.

Tiamat 2019

On a cheerier note, here are my first photos on my new phone.  See how lifelike they look!!

Somehow, despite all the veggies I couldn’t grow successfully this year, I managed to produce these adorable carrots!  Go figure.  I dug them up while cleaning up and prepping the veg garden for planting fall/winter greens.  Even Misu was impressed.

Rain has become a major event lately, almost as sensational as current affairs, but much more productive.  Here are some scenes after the rain.

Today started out in the 40s!  I had multiple layers on!  Then I got to planting baby trees in the yard to replace the ones that died–tuliptree poplars, redbuds, cedars, and hollies.  It warmed up into the 70s.  We had an Oktoberfest beer in the sukkah, to initiate it.  L’chaim!

Now this is more like it.  I actually had to layer up, it’s so chilly.  And what are these droplets in the air?!  Bring it on.  My plants are loving it.  What plants survived at all, that is.  I had to scrounge up these few red leaves, since it’s been too hot and dry for turning colors so far.

A large hawk has been hanging out near the house, which is exciting, although this lame excuse for a camera can’t capture it.  Also more bluebirds than I’ve ever seen in one place.  And of course our resident “buzzards” a.k.a. ravens, the sanitation dept. of the ‘hood.

Here’s a sukkah with a view.

Our sukkah went up literally overnight.  That’s easier than it sounds, since we kept the framework from last year.  All I had to do was hang the walls, frame the roof, cut branches to throw on top, and decorate.  Since it’s erev Shabbat, and Sukkot starts Sunday evening, I had to hustle to get it basically done today.  They sure don’t give you much time!  Anyway, there you have it.  Misu-inspected-and-approved.  Also some festive flowers.  There’s even an almost full moon tonight to view through the roof.  Now all that remains is to drink a beer in it with my son (who is in Sweden right now) to make it official.

Typical YK conversation:

My stomach: Hey!  Feed me!

Me: You’re not really starving, shut up!  It’s your imagination.

Stomach: Growl.

Me: Ignoring you…

Stomach: You can’t ignore me indefinitely.

Me: You’re not the boss of me.  You’re just a figment of my imagination.

Stomach: Imagine eating food…

Me: Imagine I punch you in the–gut.

Stomach: Low blow.

Me: Just putting you in your place–beneath my brain.

Stomach: I am your brain.  Obey my authority.  Resistance is Futile.

Me: You will be assimilated.  Voided. Purged.

Stomach: I can’t hear you over me rumbling.

Me: You’re full of s**t.

Stomach: Fine.  I’ll just suffer.  Oy vey.  Woe is me.

Me: Great, a gastronomical martyr guilt complex.  SO not enabling you.

Stomach: “Never Forget…”

Me: That’s it, I’m outta here.  Enjoy suffering in your existential black hole.  I’m going to enjoy nature without your kvetching.  (Is it drink o’clock yet?)

Meanwhile, back in the less neurotic world…