Friday, September 19, 2008

The Change


My favorite tidbit learned in class...

The trees, bushes and grasses that turn brilliant colors in autumn, whether frost touches them or not, are the plants that are native to our country. The flora that stays green (excepting conifers, of course) was imported with the Europeans. As the European climate tends not to experience the vast range of temperature that the American climate does, their plant life stays green until it just gently withers away. Basically the native plants know what's coming (bitter winter) and the European plants have no clue.

I'm dressed like an autumn leaf today: deep purple t-shirt, yellow cardigan and red mary janes (and jeans). It's really only about 5 degrees cooler than usual but I'm trying to embrace the upcoming change.

Busy times ahead with school and life. Today on the way to school, Kidlet asked me if we could go camping in the distant mountains and look for rubies. I thought it was a brilliant idea but it will have to wait at least two weekends, possibly more. I need to make an effort to get us outside more often. We are able to easily access the outdoors but it feels like we haven't spent much time in it lately.

Here's to hoping we all get outside this weekend and breathe in the fresh air. Enjoy the last weekend of summer. Celebrate with an ice cream cone perhaps? You know I like my ice cream.

4 comments:

Rebecca said...

i didn't know that! thanks for passing on that info. i'm hesitant to answer your email about what I'm reading. but here goes: I just finished the breaking dawn book. i'm a reluctant fan, but since i'd read the previous three earlier this year, i felt obligated to see the series through. now i'm reading Larry McMurtry's new memoir called books. it's all about his life of reading and as a bookseller/antiquarian dealer. sort of interesting, but boring in parts, too. wish he'd talk more about his childhood on the farm... but it IS about books.

raining sheep said...

Gorgeous pictures...all my trees are turning red and yellow. Ugh! I had the week from hell, so I am just getting to all my comments now.

Anonymous said...

Even before I read this I was in board with it. I went backwoods camping with the husband this weekend. Just a short hike in, a mile and a half, but it was my first experience with backwoods camping and it was so great. Definitely communing with nature and enjoying the last weekend of summer.

Anonymous said...

hi! what a lovely post. i'm currently developing an obsession for native plants, actually, and have ripped out my lawn and hedges and plan to plant native grasses and wildflowers, which, apparently you plant in october. also, we are going camping on the 11th of october, so your post is reminding me of everything i'm excited about right now. thank you!