transitions

 Two of our favorite birches, snuggled up near our property line, were badly damaged by the heavy snows we had last winter. Batman cut them down (reluctantly) recently, and I helped haul all the limbs out into the meadow. We'll use the chipper on the tractor to clean things up, and deliver the chips to neighbors.

 One of the silver linings of this small tragedy was all the birch bark I was able to salvage for winter projects. (Harvesting bark from living birches can damage them).

 This time of year is so very spectacular here in Vermont. Even as the sugar maples turn a flaming red, the sunflowers nod their last hurrahs.

 The wind knocked a few down and scattered their petals across the lawn, creating a lovely carpet of colors. As the first hard frost threatened, I went out to pick the marigolds. They do such a nice job all summer, keeping pests away from the vegetable beds, it's a shame to let them turn to mush in the freeze!

 Here they are, on the three season porch, scattered out on newspaper, waiting for the afternoon sunshine to dry them out.

Once they are dry, I'll store them in a mesh bag in my sewing studio. On some gloomy day next winter, I'll pull them out, brew up a tea and create some gorgeous and cheering colors on linen and cotton fabric.

We are in the midst of peak foliage season up here and I still can hardly believe that we live here.

xo