Tomatoes, Birds and two Birthdays

Since I planted tomatoes late in the greenhouse and moved them out late into the garden, most did not ripen before frost hit. I had them protected, but they were not ripening so I moved them all into the house. We had tomatoes on upstairs and downstairs window ledges and the big card table upstairs under a skylight. And ripen they did and still are. I have canned 16 quarts so far (I think) with more to go. I took photos before many had ripened...

 Meanwhile Johnny had a million projects he was working on, including this custom built Kestrel nest box elevator. So that we can clean the nest box each fall, he devised a system where it can be easily lowered and raised, as he demonstrates...

Also in the bird nest box department, he erected a Screech Owl box in the ponderosa pines in the arboretum. Now we just need a pair of Screech Owls. A ladder will be needed to clean this one. The specs called for south facing, 15 feet up and under the canopy, with nearby trees for roosting on and a field to catch the rodents in. So that's where we put it, facing the pastures with their plenitude of little rodents.

 Another long running project has been securing the beautiful carved wood pheasant that Barbara Millikan made to the rock it was to stand on in the China section of my arboretum. While it was waiting placement, it lived in our living room.

 And was finally ready to go out into the arboretum and be the king of its rock pile in China. What a beautiful bird!

 The two birthdays alluded to in the title were my 74th, on Halloween, and friend Susan's 50th at their Halloween-themed party the weekend before. Hers turned out to be a spectacular event. She and her partner Jeff, Kevin's best friend from high school, had decided after over 20 years of living together, to get married. And they chose to do it at her 50th birthday party as a surprise to all the invited guests! What a wonderful ceremony!

My birthday was not so spooktacular, but fun as friends J.P. and Monica took us to the coast for lunch and a showing of the new wood sculptures of Monica's, recently installed at Salishan. I forgot my camera so photos will have to wait until the plaque with her name and date are installed and we go back.

The following Monday I came down with a cold and have been sick ever since. Today is the first day I felt like doing anything so have been catching up on blog posts. I trust I'm on the mend now as the weather is too nice to spend indoors blowing one's nose and coughing. Stay well!

Lightning and a Fallen Tree

We were at friends doing Qi Gong when a thunder and lightning storm hit... and sounded very close. When we got home that October 19, the tallest of the three big trunks of our front drive Poplar tree was lying across the driveway. I surmised it had been struck by lightning. But Johnny thought it just chose that moment to fall down. He learned of three other trees in the neighborhood that had, apparently, been struck by lightning and came down. Poplars are very full of moisture so they don't necessarily burn when struck by lightning. The sap just superheats and explodes which is what it looked like to me happened. I guess we'll never know. Johnny spent all day Sunday cutting it off the driveway.

It fell across the driveway that runs in front of our house to the barn, across the fence between us and the neighbors. If it had fallen the other direction, it would have crushed our house. Johnny measured the downed portion at 100 feet.

The gap in the middle is where the tallest trunk was

On October 24, we drove to Pacific City with friend Mary for my mile walk on the Cape Kiwanda State Park beach for CoastWatch. The coast has had as lovely weather as we have had. Very strange for this time of year.

After lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, we went to the Nestucca Wildlife Refuge and climbed up to their lookout platform. Cape Kiwanda looks much smaller from up there!

October Color on the Farm

 Cold nights and sunny days have given us spectacular fall colors. We need rain but we may as well enjoy the pretty weather while it lasts. I just hope it doesn't last long enough for all of California and Oregon to burn up. So far, we have had only small fires in Oregon (as of November when I am writing this.) Rain is predicted next week so here's hoping. Meanwhile, the fall colors, sunrises and sunsets, have been beautiful!