Autumn Day
I am pleased beyond expression with this year's rendition of autumn. I've only had to pull out the big winter coat once, and it's only snowed once. That is pretty impressive because if my memory serves me correctly, winter usually rears its ugly head around here in the middle of October and sticks around till April, May, June...whenever it's good and ready to leave. We've been able to do yard work almost every weekend, and Addison and I have gone hiking with friends every week for the past month or so.
I was slightly disappointed when the trees in our yard started changing colors. They were brown. Not that there's anything wrong with brown, but I grew up with a giant maple tree in my front yard that burst into flames every fall. I guess I was hoping that our house had one of those built in. As more leaves started to change, though, we got some nice color.
We have a cute little white porch swing in the very back corner of our yard. Until recently it's been shaded by dead weeds taller than Nate with Addison on his shoulders. Addison and I would venture out there every once in a while after the wasps hibernated, but now, thanks to the mild weekend weather as of late, we've cleared it out so Add and I can enjoy swinging without being showered with burrs and seeds.
We have a cute little white porch swing in the very back corner of our yard. Until recently it's been shaded by dead weeds taller than Nate with Addison on his shoulders. Addison and I would venture out there every once in a while after the wasps hibernated, but now, thanks to the mild weekend weather as of late, we've cleared it out so Add and I can enjoy swinging without being showered with burrs and seeds.During our swinging sessions we've discovered a very curious little plant. I'm not sure if it's a weed. But it's intriguing enough that I feel the need to:
a) not pull it up
b)share photographic evidence.
If it flowered, it happened before we got here, because all I've seen of it are snake-like pods that look like they belong in a sci-fi movie. They started out fuzzy and a light green color during the summer, but they're dry, brown, and hard now. The best part is what's inside.
As the pods open, they reveal dozens of surprisingly large brown seeds. They gradually open wider and wider to show the downy sails attached to the leaves that Addison and I affectionately refer to as "fluff." The softest thing I've ever touched is a chinchilla at the Atlanta Zoo on a field trip in 9th grade. I think fluff might've ousted Addison's stuffed giraffe for a position as second softest. We love to scoop it from the pods and rub it on our hands and arms and cheeks to revel in the softness and then blow on it and watch it fly. Addison has actually learned how to blow because of this little activity.
A little more.
As the pods open, they reveal dozens of surprisingly large brown seeds. They gradually open wider and wider to show the downy sails attached to the leaves that Addison and I affectionately refer to as "fluff." The softest thing I've ever touched is a chinchilla at the Atlanta Zoo on a field trip in 9th grade. I think fluff might've ousted Addison's stuffed giraffe for a position as second softest. We love to scoop it from the pods and rub it on our hands and arms and cheeks to revel in the softness and then blow on it and watch it fly. Addison has actually learned how to blow because of this little activity.
Fluff just starting to peek out.
A little more.
Explosion!
Empty pod.
Weird plant! Now I want to touch it!
ReplyDeleteEven with the sci-fi plant, the most interesting thing on this post is that you have a memory for the softest thing you've ever touched. I don't think I have one!
ReplyDeleteha ha ha michelle you're my fave :)
ReplyDeletexo