In the Storm so Long

No doubt, I fell off a cliff in late July. Can't even say what all the triggers were, but several were pulled, and I fell. And so I once again find myself on the long slope, coming up from the abyss. As I've climbed, I've turned to my camera for solace, exploring old and new subjects. And, as always, I've held fast to living, breathing nature as sustenance for the journey. So I thought I would share a few glimpses of light from the long night that was the Dog Days:

 This little girl came to visit SO often in August and September!

 This happened! Quite a surprise to see Mom and the brood out back

 Of course this happened, too! Bug learning to walk again

 Beautiful mums from our dear cousins

 Lots of flutterbys this summer

 Heather and the Impatiens were a big hit!

 I am obsessed with her...

 Hey girl! She LOVED our morning glory vine.

 Flutterby

 Verbena Lantana is still blooming

 This pic has been a big hit on social media.

 Ms. Pinky getting loved up!

 Obsessed...

Convalescing Bug...

 Increasingly I have turned to the sky, seeking solace...

 My old flame Cassiopeia

 Pinky!

 Our hanging baskets have done very well: petunias

 Bougainvillea

 There...out in the darkness...

 Moon and oak leaves

 Baritone Moon

 Billions and billions...

The Northern Sky, filled with familiar constellations

 From right to left, Cassiopeia (modern form in blue, old form in red); Cephus, King of Aethiopia, husband to Cassiopeia, father to Andromeda; the Little Dipper, dipping toward the horizon.

 I think it might be time to mow again (we had a three-week dry spell)

 Our little Vinca has thrived!

 Blousy petunias...

 Ms Rita and her pet weed

And of course, Ms Pinky Two-tone Geranium...

We are moving toward my birth sign, Scorpio. I have described myself as forever autumn (a brilliant song from War of the Worlds, btw). Like autumn, I am filled with equal parts beauty and sadness and doubt and hope. Yes, I am a spendid season, but brace yourselves, winter is coming. With shortened days comes doubt and sadness, with the cold comes pain. But the winter sky, with my old friend Orion presiding, and the promise of rebirth in the spring, give me sustaining hope. May these images from my new home give you solace, wherever they may find you, in these troublesome times.

I leave you with a soulful video of autumns past, up in Ohio:
Autumn in Ohio, 2013

Sunday Dinner, down on the Farm

Today our parish priest and her husband invited the congregation out to their farm for lunch, a celebration of stewardship in the past year, as well as a time to commit to the coming year...a fitting celebration here in our Ohio, as it is harvest time! Mother L and Mr. P bought a farmhouse and more than enough land for themselves to garden and their dog to play. It is right smack dab in the middle of ongoing commercial farm operations, so each summer they quite literally are surrounded by either corn or soy beans. This year it is corn!

 Nearby barns and silos

 Corn on the stalk, awaiting the combine harvester

 The beautiful "nuisance" Morning Glories!

 

 L & P have lots of trees in their yard

 

 Crabapples? I think maybe...I didn't bite into one to see.

 They planted a row of sunflowers visible from the kitchen. I'm sure the birds love them!

Their yard is fun to roam, with an herb garden and tomato plants right out the back door, and various blooming lovelies around the house.

And they have gorgeous white pines!

 I saw several butterflies, and not just the usual cabbage whites and sulfers. 

Here is a  fritillary of some sort!

 I even saw a Monarch! (not pictured...this was as close as I got to a shot of it)

And this battered black swallowtail

I even saw one of these! We had a lovely visit. I'm sure The Bug will post more, possibly even pictures of people. I don't do people.

Moon Man Chronicles

The week that was...

 Swelling vessel of Presence

 Doves on a wire

 Wee sparrow

 Pinky the Pet Geranium

 Pinky's verbena is thriving! We have some idea of where the seed came from, but can't really believe it, lol

 Seas and craters

 Roses at school! This was our first week of fall semester.

 I love them so

Busy little female ruby-throated hummingbird! I'm going to miss them when they head south

 Pinky also grew petunias this year, of course.

 Pinky verbena

 Pinky petunias

 This squirrel seemed to be looking through the barn window to see if there was any seed!

 Mama Goldfinch

 Hmmmm...I suspect a Boeing 767 refitted for strategic ELINT purposes...I've seen one overhead before, on maneuvers with the folks at the local AFB.

 Flutter-by!

 A pansy that simply refused to give up this summer!

 The squirrels planted us a sunflower!

 It makes us smile

Big Mate! Our 12oz. tomato beside my Sean Casey baseball

 Full enough for me!

 A real beauty

Fitting end to summer, watching this rise over the rooftops as my little fire died down, with the PA announcer keeping me abreast of the local high school football game (we live very close to the stadium). Of course we are going to have hot weather this week...we always seem to around Labor Day. But it's back to teaching five days a week for me. Hope you are well! We live in trying times, and something tells me it will be getting worse before it gets better. Sigh. But the now is good, and so we live in it, moment by moment, and pray for a better tomorrow...someday.