Winter solstice is just two weeks away. We’ve had a slow descent into fall this year with unseasonably high temps. That said, the colors are finally here.
We’re expecting a storm worthy of a NOAAWatch this Thursday, with high winds and heavy rains. Anything left on the trees now will be long gone by Friday. I’m enjoying the color while it lasts.
We planted this tree 18 years ago specifically for its gorgeous fall colors.
Chinese Pistache
This beautiful Acer grows outside our living room window. It’s a landing-place for hummingbirds, lesser goldfinch and a favorite of squirrels.
Acer aka Japanese Maple
Several Abutilon grow along the fence. Their showy orange flowers are a hummingbird favorite.
Abutilon : Coral Bells
Our oranges don’t taste very good (it’s an ancient tree) but the rats don’t seem to mind. When my boys were young, they enjoyed turning it into orange juice and selling it to passersby. It was the California version of a lemonade stand.
California Oranges
Are you as busy as I am this time of year?
Gardening Nirvana 
Busy is an understatement and I’ve done gone and run out of steam. I saw you had rain on Monday. Your streets were wet. I flew in and out again without getting off the plane. Fall is long gone here and I saw none at my son’s. Missed it totally this year. The world has gone sideways. I love your Pistache tree. Enjoy the storm. 🙂
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Thank you, Marlene! I hope you’re settling in back home and that your son and daughter can be with you this week. Enjoy!
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Such beautiful shades of orange Alys! I love a Japanese Maple, they are one of my favourites! I do hope the storm will be one of those ones that you get to enjoy being safe and sound inside – and that no harm comes to anyone or anything!
I am crazy busy and yet still managing to fall further and further behind with all my pre -Christmas tasks. I haven’t had the time or energy to write a blog post, haven’t started my bunting for Fran or finished my art room re-organisation and upgrade……….. Yikes! And my tiny garden is growing like crazy! I hope life is more peaceful for you xoxo
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Life is hectic around here, too, but this week should finally be quiet. I finished up the big projects for my client, the boys are out of school and “Christmas” is bought, wrapped and delivered. I took a few classes from a designer at Graphic 45, but we were only able to finish the first two sections. The third section (only three hours) had us creating 12 cards. There was no way. Most of us finished four. So I came home with all the materials to finish and they’ve been in a scattered pile ever since. I hope to remedy that soon as well.
It’s so good to hear that your garden is growing well, even if your weather refuses to cooperate.
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Get out your galoshes…and sandbags…and tell the oranges to hang on for dear life! We’re about to be slammed, Alys! Our much needed rain…delivered in buckets. 🙂
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I’m behind on my replies here, Ogee, but yes, well said. How did you weather that big storm?
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Busy? Yes, but pacing myself! I love the leaves of the Pistache. And I wish Abutilons would survive our winters as yours look so lovely. I have to grow them in pots for summer and then bring them indoors over winter… no space for them to come inside this year though so they are slowly freezing! Hope the storm isn’t too bad.
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Can you create a make-shift green house anywhere for your plants to winter over? I’ve seen some simple but clever ones made from scrap wood and heavy-duty clear plastic sheeting attached to the side of a house or shed. The hummingbirds love the Abutilon so it’s especially fun growing them.
The storm came and went without too much drama. It was much heavier in other places, but except for some temporary street flooding, all is well.
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Well, if you came to my house you’d see that it still looks like Thanksgiving inside. It may not look like Christmas until the 20th when all my non-holiday related stuff ends.
Orange is a favorite color and these photos show it beautifully.
Speaking of rats … did you catch yours?
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Well, Laurie, today is the day (the 20th) How is your Christmas decorating coming along?
I’m glad you like the orange photos. Orange is my son’s favorite color and has been since he was two. All he wanted for Christmas that year was for Santa to bring him orange soap. “Santa” panicked until she realized that glycerin soap was orange. He was thrilled.
The rat remains at large, but seems to have partially relocated. I heard him chewing early this morning. I think he squeezed through an opening for a pipe and made a home in the wall. Sigh.
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You are so good! Check out today’s post – you’re mentioned.
But … the rat is not.
Oh my …
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Oh! I follow along via BlogLovin and it wasn’t there. I’ll go check now. Thanks in advance for the mention.
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Oh yes I’m very busy at this time of the year!
What wonderful colour!
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Thank you!
Christmas is almost here. Merry Christmas!!!
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I don’t think anyone could be as busy as Laurie, but you are a very close runner up. I may appear busy, I feel busy, but I don’t think I’m busy when I read your schedules. I spend an awful lot of time looking for things I’ve just put down. It’s completely maddening. I’m beginning to think it’s not a phase, it’s the new normal. Heaven help me, LOL.
Your photo’s are fab and so very much full of fall. What different seasons you and I have.
We are enjoying the moisture down here. It’s so dry at home over the winter. I used to not like orange at all. The lake house was all about orange and brown when I first moved in. eeeeek, there was even an giant orange macramé light fixture in the kitchen. It took a couple of years to rid the place of orange and I said, “never again”. But I do like orange and teal together in small doses. So who knows, maybe time does heal old wounds, LOL. xoxo K
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Laurie takes the prize, doesn’t she? Amazing!
I’m familiar with looking for things that were just in my hand. My phone, my reading glasses, the scissors I was just using. It’s tedious isn’t it? I’m right there with you.
Orange and brown were such a seventies thing, weren’t they? I like orange in small quantities in nature, but can’t imagine decorating with it. I once rented a room with orange shag carpeting. Goodness that was something else.
I’m glad you liked the photos and thanks for saying such nice things. We’re we really just having a tea together? It feels like a time warp. xox
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LOL, time warp, mirage, dream, hallucination or all of the above. I know exactly what you mean cutie. I’m home now and enjoying some of the photo’s we took though. You look great in all of them, the camera loves you. Hey, I just opened my gorgeous Christmas card too, and one from Sharon! Thank you 😀 Do you know the artist? I’m so happy today! What a Holiday, what a week, what a friend I have in you xoxoxoxoxo x million
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Glad to know you got the card I sent before Christmas. I sent it early knowing your mail is usually slow getting to you.
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Merry Christmas Sharon!! So sorry I hadn’t been by FB to properly thank you for your gorgeous card yesterday. I got home at 9pm last night from a whirlwind of activities including groceries and Xmas Shopping and pretty much fell into bed. What a way to torture yourself on day one back LOL
I always love your creativity and the colours a gorgeous. I guess I hadn’t given you my new address yet (Alys has it), but we are having our mail forwarded by Canada Post for a year and I got it no problem. xoxoxoxox ❤ k
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Funny, I thought Alys had given me your new address. Perhaps I reverted to the old one on my original list. I’ll make a point of asking her again and updating my list ;0)
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She has your new address and thinks she may have simply reverted to the former one.
That was one grueling day you had. I’m glad that is behind you.
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