That Last of the Leaves?

I went outside with my leaf rake and my camera about 10 minutes before kickoff of what according to Durwood's remarks is a very poor Packers performance, to gather up the leaves that blow against the house and to wait for whatever military aircraft was slated to do a flyover today.  I got the stuff moved away from the house before I checked the time and got ready to listen for approaching high-powered flying machines.  While I waited I wondered if there would be a flyover because of the heightened security level because of Friday's Parisian horror.  (I swear to God, I can't even pretend to understand the motivation behind that sort of thing... I'm just praying.)  But about five minutes before noon I heard a helicopter and, look! two big orange Coast Guard helicopters came over pretty slow and pretty darned low.  I couldn't get them both in the same frame but, trust me, there were two.  I just love those big flying things coming over.

When I was gathering up all of the dead plants and leaves to cram into the garbage can I found this dried blossom.  Isn't it pretty?  I don't think it came from my yard but I like it so I took its picture.  Oh, and I crammed the leaves and dead bleeding heart leaves and fern fronds into the can so well that when I got out to the curb and turned the can upside down nothing came out.  I had to reach in and uncork the stalks and fronds so the leaves could slowly ooch their way out onto the pile.  I've still got a few herbs living though.  I moved them closer to the protection of the house so maybe they'll last for a few more days.  The parsley's pretty much done but the thyme seems unfazed by the cold so far.





Then I wrote a quick thank-you note and took a plate of Oatmeal Craisin Bars over to the neighbor who came and took care of the greater portion of our leaves.  I was just going to thank him but Durwood said I should bake something and I had a taste for oatmeal cookies so I made these.  They're yummy.  I put a bunch of them in the freezer because otherwise I'd make them go away pretty darned fast.

I stayed up too late last night--until almost midnight--but I finished the Berry #5 square and started Snow #5 so that was good, right?  I had DVR'd the Lincoln Center production of Showboat and started watching it too late but I had to watch to the end, didn't I?  Of course, I did.  I had to sing along, too, at least in my head.  It wasn't what I expected, though, it wasn't like a play, the action just took place in front of the orchestra with a big screen behind the musicians for the setting and a very few pieces of furniture, and the actors/singers wore suits and dresses, not costumes.  So there wasn't that extravagant scenery but the voices were without compare.  I didn't need all the costumes and props anyway, I could imagine it just fine.

November 15--Anne Geddes, EKC141N.  Thea strode into the room trailed by the smell of the rose garden.  It's hard to carry off a forceful entrance when you bring the scent of a hundred flowers in with you.



And that's all I wrote last night.  Speaking of last night, I looked out the back and saw the sunset colors reflected on the clouds in the east so I grabbed the camera and went out back to find the western sky ablaze.  This is the time of year when I'm most aware that the sunrises and sunsets are shifting to the south so I need to go out the front door to see them.  *sigh*  You know what that means.  I'm not even going to put the words on here.  Time to go flop the laundry around.
--Barbara