Will the sun ever come back?

It's only been a few days of rain but the cold damp weather has definitely set in. I made a list of fall and winter projects this morning. It's Saturday and I should be excited about watching the dawgs but the game against the Beavers is on the stupid Pac 12 network and is unavailable.

I only have a couple of weeks until I'll be leaving for South Carolina. I would like to get in some practice time before I go, I hope the weather will cooperate.

I published this blog to mark the official start of the rainy season. Its been really nice weather since mid July, I shouldn't complain but this year there was no gradual transformation, it went from sunny and mid 70's to low 50's and rain overnight.

Some of my end of the year projects (some weather dependent) include; dividing the yard into sections and doing a final weeding, isolating and cutting down the alders as things thin out, moving a half dozen plants in the back yard now that they have grown up, they need better spacing & turning off the water supply to the two sprinkler manifolds (I'm turning the watering over to mother nature).

As I look back on the accomplishments outside, I am quite please where we are after just two summers.
The lawn looks good, we fenced the back, moved the unsightly propane tank out behind the garden shed, created a roadway behind the shop to help gain access to the hillside, completely revamped the stairway leading up from the back yard to the well house, built the fountain outside the front door and planted probably 20 new plants and trees. Plenty more to do including both hillsides on the northwest and southeast sides of our property. I'm sure within a week or two I'll cut down plants and get rid of the annuals as we make way for winter to move in.

Late October

Weather seems to dominate the blog as we are getting cooler, wetter and losing daylight at an alarming rate. Still I got 3 rounds of golf in this week and finished my fall project - the steps leading up to our well house. I also managed to spread 1 & 1/2 loads of 3/4- gravel around the steps, along the side yard and re-graded the driveway!

Took Chris and Carole to the airport last Saturday, they are in Italy and having a blast. The dogs have been good this week and we can now leave Riley indoors without something getting broke or unexpectedly eaten!

Donna invited Jeff & I over tonight for pot roast dinner so I've got to run. I throw more up on the blog later, here's a couple of snaps tonight.

October 1

Just a few misc thoughts. September was an incredibly nice weather month, little or no rain, I'll try to remember that when the gloomy skies and rain comes. I had an ambitious month planned and I got most of my list accomplished. First, I had a physical complete with blood work and I got very good news back from that. I think we have the thyroid medicine now at a level where it should help me. I've continued to keep the weight off and very slowly taking the lb's off. I had a lot of dental work done including some oral surgery that should keep my teeth healthy. Today I am scheduled to see an orthopedic doctor to examine my right hand where I have had numbness (probably carpol tunnel).

I'm in the middle of my stair project out back, should get some 3/4- today from Kennedy Creek and that will help dress up the first half of the stairs. I've reseeded some of the yellow spots and started the new grass up above on the top of the property - it's coming in good thanks to cool morning and evenings and sunny days.

One of my neighbors nominated me for president of our men's club up at Lake Cushman, it should be interesting for the next couple of years to be more involved in the set up and running of the league. I have met several guys up there and many stay throughout the winter, so if the weather allows us to play, I should have a good opportunity to play golf this fall/winter.

Chris is getting ready for her try to Italy, a couple weeks after she gets back I'll be heading to Santee for  my golf outing with Kerans, Zimmerman and Gilbreath. Riley's leg seems to be getting better, he hurt or strained it chasing a deer. Just took the two dogs in for exams and shots and the vet told me that Riley's 10lbs overweight! We'll work on that this fall.