Category Archives: Autumn

First Day of the Last Month

It looks like we might have our first significant snow storm of the season tomorrow. Of course that prediction could easily change, but I rescheduled a long-distance appointment anyway. As always, over the last month or so the geese in … Continue reading

Posted in Aging, Autumn, Cooking, Dogs, Food, Holidays, House plants, nature, Perspective, Seasons, senior musings, The Urban Porch, The Urban Porch ™, Uncategorized, Views From he Urban Porch ™, Weather, Winter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Arrival of the Junco

A friend of mine stated that when the Dark-eyed Juncos show up at the bird feeder, Winter is surely on the way. They have arrived in all their rotund fluffiness, an announcement that Autumn is trucking right along. Although it … Continue reading

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Slow Rollout

So here we are, mid-October, and it’s rolling out in slo-mo. While other areas are getting color, this little corner of the world (at least my world) has been in a bit of a stall. The maple tree in front … Continue reading

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Redirection

This week I will share a few things that have provided a bit of joy, appreciation, awe, or curiosity during September. For the most part they are pretty simple things which have created a necessary and probably healthy bit of … Continue reading

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Seriously???

I’m delicious. I can attest to that, as these freakin’ mosquitos confirm it. Doesn’t matter what foods I eat or avoid, if I am sweating or cool and dry, whether I am freshly out of the shower and scrubbed squeaky … Continue reading

Posted in Are you kidding me?, Autumn, Coping, Gardening, nature, Rant, Seasons, senior musings, summer, The Urban Porch, The Urban Porch ™, Uncategorized, Vent, Views From he Urban Porch ™, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Dulling

Summer is closing out and the action surrounding The Urban Porch has very much slowed down. There is a tinge of color on the edges of some leaves. A slight shift in the quality of the light. Cooler nights, great … Continue reading

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Weather Roulette

As usual, where I start with these posts is not always where it ends up. One of my kids sent me photos of outrageously massive, crashing and cresting waves on the ocean near where she resides, an effect produced by … Continue reading

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Seasonal Snippets

Earlier in the week it snowed these little tiny snowballs. Not hail, but actual little snowballs. I thought it was pretty cool. Of course as soon as I tried to scoop some up, they immediately began melting in my hands. … Continue reading

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Diversions – A Few November Details and Images

I’ve stopped watching and reading most of the news these days. Never one to hide my head in the sand, at this point I’m saturated and have had enough. All this angst in the media can’t be healthy. My gaze … Continue reading

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Disease

Disease: “Any harmful deviation from the normal structural or functional state of an organism. A diseased organism commonly exhibits signs or symptoms indicative of its abnormal state.” Dis-ease: “A particular quality, habit, or disposition regarded as adversely affecting a person or group … Continue reading

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Retrograde

Whenever a string of mishaps and unfortunate events of daily living transpire, inevitably someone I know will say “Mercury must be in retrograde.” Considering the backward-moving appearance of Mercury that occurs a few times a year is merely an optical … Continue reading

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Gems of October

Small gems of October have provided entertainment and distraction throughout the month, acknowledged with appreciation, wonder, and some amusement. I’ve been admiring the treasures afforded, observing wildlife in their environment over the past few weeks. While walking by the ocean, … Continue reading

Posted in Aging, Animal Stories, Autumn, Birds, Mushrooms, nature, Perspective, Seasons, senior musings, The Urban Porch, The Urban Porch ™, treasures, Uncategorized, Views From he Urban Porch ™, Weather, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hawkmoth Leitmotif

The awareness of a particular image continually showing up began about a year ago, when I was repeatedly borrowing my daughter’s hoodie. Whenever I was at her house I found myself reaching for it, as it was roomy and cozy … Continue reading

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Observations on the Arrival of the Equinox

A day or so away from the Autumn Equinox, here we are again. It’s been cool nights and still very warm, ever-shortening days. All signs are barreling towards Fall at full speed, pops of orange here and there, gardens calling … Continue reading

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Soaking In the Last of Summer

September in the Northeast. While it is probably a temporary thing, we did get a break in the heat and have had some deliciously bright, temperate days. Actually there were a couple of weeks of those days, with one or … Continue reading

Posted in Aging, Animal Stories, Autumn, Daeja's Garden, Gardening, House plants, Mushrooms, nature, Perspective, Photography, Seasons, senior musings, summer, The Urban Porch, The Urban Porch ™, treasures, Uncategorized, Views From he Urban Porch ™, Weather, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

That Was Fast!

It occurred to me one night after I had crawled into bed….. and then almost every night afterwards. Much in the way a dog will circle and paw until they finally decide they have found their sweet spot and plop … Continue reading

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Random in the Rain

I’m sitting here at the computer, eating a very yummy but particularly stinky combination of melted goat cheese “brie” topped with last season’s harvest of honey from my brother’s hives, with a scattering of Spanish almonds on top. It is … Continue reading

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And Then This Happened

“Are you OK?” “You’ve been so quiet.” “What’s going on?” A few people have noticed and asked, not just about the sudden absence of posts over the past few weeks (after there having been so many), but concerning an overall … Continue reading

Posted in Are you kidding me?, Autumn, baking, Food, Holidays, Humor, Perspective, senior musings, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Fall Back

The week has brought forth a number of seasonal changes and fall-scapes. With something just short of a flourish, the Halloween decorations were happily removed from The Urban Porch ™ very early the following morning – so ready to have … Continue reading

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Patience

Not too many days ago a friend and I were lamenting to each other on the phone about how the autumn foliage is not as dramatic, that the absence of serious color is a bit disappointing. How everything is either … Continue reading

Posted in Autumn, Earworm of the day, nature, Perspective, Seasons, senior musings, The Urban Porch, The Urban Porch ™, treasures, Uncategorized, Views From he Urban Porch ™, Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Looking for Light

There is too much to say and nothing to say at the same time concerning the painful state of the world these days. We are on visual and emotional overload. My rants on this blog (and there have been a … Continue reading

Posted in Autumn, Coping, Holidays, Perspective, Seasons, The Urban Porch, The Urban Porch ™, Uncategorized, Views From he Urban Porch ™, Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Percale Fail, Updates and Mind Meanderings

Some minor updates and musings to share following the last post. This one goes all over the place, just because. All of the the invasive, toxic White Snakeroot with its scribbly looking flower heads was pulled up. It came out … Continue reading

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Gone to Seed

September quickly steps aside, leaving us with those cool nights where having the window open just a bit provides for a good sleep under cozy blankets. The other morning the heat actually kicked on, just for short while. I bought … Continue reading

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A Tisket, A Tasket

Impatience is not the greatest trait to have in general. When it comes to the creative processes involved in crafting or art, impatience can make things especially disheartening. The struggle with this is a real and ongoing one for me. … Continue reading

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Stepping Out of Limbo

Mid-September. I’m awaiting a burst of productivity to occur, but it’s not happening. Earworm of the day, recorded by Jimmy Cliff in 1971: Sitting here in limboBut I know it won’t be longSitting here in limboLike a bird without a … Continue reading

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Hit the Road Jack

What a beautiful, breezy, blue-sky day! I sit here on The Urban Porch ™ with Rudi, watching the busy proliferation of bumble bees, honey bees, black wasps, Blue-winged wasps and swallowtail butterflies hovering about. There are all sorts of smaller … Continue reading

Posted in Are you kidding me?, Autumn, Coping, Earworm of the day, nature, Perspective, Rant, Seasons, summer, The Urban Porch, The Urban Porch ™, Uncategorized, Views From he Urban Porch ™, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Planticide

It appears the cycle is beginning again. It was about eleven years ago when I first posted about the sudden neglect of a few houseplants, here – Black Thumb. The particular incidences of “planticide” that occurred with some of the … Continue reading

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Ms. Almanac

The riotous outdoor color show is over. A lacework of sepia and gray branches framing the sky is pretty much what’s left behind, although the grass is still green, for now. I have removed the dead hanging plants from the … Continue reading

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A Few Last Hurrah’s and Into the Time of Stillness

Not to be fooled by a string of balmy autumn days more reminiscent of spring, the reality of November is finally upon us. Even after a few mornings of frost, I was surprised (and a little impressed) that the geranium … Continue reading

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The Wallet

It was more years ago than I can exactly recall when my mother asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I told her I wanted a good wallet. I was very specific about what kind of wallet I … Continue reading

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Random Goings-on While the Leaves Were Turning

I vacillate between the excitement of the seasonal splendor and the worries or annoyances regarding larger and smaller events surrounding life these days. The blog postings here tend to go in erratic cycles. I might not post for months and … Continue reading

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Peaking

The color is peaking in style this year here in the northeast. Despite skepticism that it wouldn’t happen due to the drought, Autumn is delivering with a pupil-dilating, heart-opening array of almost trippy leaf psychedelia. We are pulsing with color … Continue reading

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Transitions

The coloring of Autumn is building to all its glory, and I walk around sighing with mouth agape. But I will share all of that at a later time. Right now the large and small creatures are in motion. The … Continue reading

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Ursa

With such a cool, breezy morning ahead, it seemed the perfect day to take a walk in the woods. I decided to hop in the car and drive to the mountain trail behind a friend’s house to herald in the … Continue reading

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Readying

Life cycles into the next phase, as we push into early Autumn. The heat has broken and gifted us with cooler nights. Afternoon light is becoming more honeyed and the billowing cumulus of August have given way to the shifting … Continue reading

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Crow Tree

There are a couple of very old, unhealthy, towering maples and oaks on the corner that probably aren’t going to last much longer. While walking beneath them with the dog, I noticed some rotten limbs had recently fallen and crashed … Continue reading

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Religion

It felt like everyone was waiting “forever” for autumn colors to happen, since it was definitely later than usual. The leaves stayed green, but a dull green, and some trees had already turned brown without any show of color at all. … Continue reading

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Found and Lost

During the gawky, dark, painfully insecure pre and early-adolescent summers of my youth, I attended what was advertised as an “inter-faith, inter-racial” summer camp out in what was once the wilds of Connecticut, before it became greatly suburbanized. From what … Continue reading

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Magic Sunglasses

As summer has waned and eased into autumn, the deciduous trees have turned to that “it’s-all-over-for-this-year” dull green, with small bursts and streaks of color here and there, as highlights on fading tresses.  While driving, I could not but help … Continue reading

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