Further along, I saw that some of the brown reeds were beginning to open up - revealing fluffy seed pods…
I had no idea that they broke apart like that, or that seeds were in there!
Amazing! Live and learn!
An online craft store that I often purchase knitting patterns from, just informed me that October is also “Soctober” - which I assume is the month for knitting socks.
I mean, why not?!
If anyone plans to 🧶 knit Christmas stockings, it would be a good time to start. I have a Martha Stewart sock pattern that I’ve used several times. I found it online. It also has a “Christmas stocking” size.
As for me, I’m trying to finish knitting a sweater I started a few months ago. Once I finish that, I’d be tempted to dedicate a month to knitting socks!
I wonder if there’s a month designated to completing unfinished projects! Now that would be useful, indeed.
I was walking down a neighbouring street and stopped to admire a yard with numerous flower beds. The woman who lived there was working in the garden.
I admired one plant with long red dangling flowers.
Those are seed pods, she informed me. I have them all over the yard. Would you like some?
Sure! I replied, expecting her to give me a handful of seeds.
She disappeared into her back yard and returned with 4 large branches laden with pods.
Just lay the pods wherever you want the plants to grow, she said. They grow from seed.
So that's what I did! I lay the branches, with their dangling pods, here and there, in different flower beds. That was easy!
Don't you have to cover the seeds with soil? my daughter asked.
Perhaps I'll cover some and leave some uncovered.
There are so many seeds in each dangling seed pod!
I wonder how many of the seeds will grow!
My neighbor Mary informed me that the plant is called Amaranthus caudatus or Love Lies Bleeding and that it can grow out of control!
Sounds like the rest of my garden - totally out of control! Let's see what happens!
After a few weeks of cool weather, it's now sunny and warm again...
In the midst of this beautiful fall weather,🐞 🐞 🐞have suddenly appeared ! Lots of them! All at once!
And they're not bright red, as they usually are. Instead they're orange-ish.
What I'd like to know is why so many?! Why now? And why this color change?!
Do they think that it's spring?!
My favourite park in autumn is Andrew Haydon Park, in Ottawa’s west end.
A perfect mix of walking paths, trees, and water…
Every angle provides a stunning view.
We often see Canada geese here - but this time we noticed herons…
And egrets… (A few ducks as well.)
I was walking through the nearby college grounds - photographing colourful trees…
Suddenly I heard the Canadian national anthem. A college soccer game was in progress…
I stopped to listen - thankful I was born here in Canada - not in the Ukraine, where my mother was born…
Her family escaped when the Russian government, under Stalin, took their farmland. The situation there these days, unfortunately seems no better than it was when my mother's family left in 1928.
On weekends - or during the week - I love to hang out with my grandkids!
Never a dull moment with young ones around!
I'm counting on them to keep me feeling young!
