Some Thursday Leftovers

 

A cute display at the Farmer's market that caught my eye. 

Love it! Simple yet eloquent 

Tomatoes galore!

This particular Farmer's Market is on a Farm. 

I no longer waste my time going to the pop-up farmer's markets, primarily booths of artisans and craftspeople and maybe one or two actual produce stands. I don't know why they continue to call them "farmer's Markets" when they are not. 

They're fine if you want to buy crafts and art.

I absolutely adore the charm of a traditional produce stand. It's the perfect place for me to visually enjoy the decorating style while satisfying my cravings for fresh fruits and vegetables, and it also gives me a sense of warmth and comfort when I am there. 

I meant to post this when I was posting about the Apple Harvest. 

The fall season is upon us, and while apples are still in the spotlight, pumpkins are ready to take center stage. Pumpkins have already made their appearance in stores for a few weeks now, and I have yet to purchase one.

Look Look! 

I think I see Fall. 

The weather forecast mentioned that today would be cloudy, but it's actually quite smoky outside. The heavy haze in the air brings to mind the historical period of early California when William Brewer became part of the team working with the state's first Geologist, Josiah Dwight Whitney, during the years 1860-1864.

He wrote in his journal in November 1863

"The whole of this wide landscape was bathed in smoky vapor, and the mountains faded in it at no great distance. On a clear day Mount Shasta is in view in the southeast, and the ocean in the southwest, but then both were invisible. It would be difficult to say where the smoky earth ceased and the smoky sky began." 

William Brewer

I have a good understanding of the history of Northern California, especially regarding the frequency of fires in the region since we moved here. I have learned that fires have been a part of the natural landscape here for hundreds of years. It's important to note that this phenomenon is not attributable to climate change or global warming. In fact, Native Americans were the first to use "prescribed burns" as a method of managing the land. When fires occurred, they often allowed them to burn out naturally, which typically happened with the arrival of the first rains in November.

In Shasta County, a new wildfire has emerged, known as the "shoe fire." The wind patterns are dispersing the acrid smoke, resulting in hazy skies that evoke a sense of autumn. This fire has arrived at a time when the fire season is still ongoing. The rugged landscape, characterized by uneven and hard-to-traverse terrain, has presented considerable difficulties for ground support, resulting in a heavy dependence on aerial management tactics. However, there is a silver lining – the cooler temperatures in the evenings and mornings at this time of year can provide assistance for firefighting operations.

As of yesterday afternoon, the fire had rapidly expanded to cover 400 acres, and there has been no progress in terms of containment. 

We're as sick of wildfires as Floridians are sick of hurricanes! 

Aren't these pretty?

They are a trailing succulent - that goes by so many different names. I do know they are heat tolerant to 100 degrees, drought resistant, and don't do well in frost. I bought a flat and put them in my flower boxes on my picket fence. They don't need to be watered - maybe once every 10 days or so. The soil has to be dry. 

Rat Patrol

No, No, not THAT Rat Patrol. 

Did anyone ever watch this on TV back in the day? (1966-1968)

Maybe I shouldn't have asked that - it may depress me. 

Anyway, yes, my husband is on rat patrol. "With impossible odds, impossible task," he put out numerous rat traps, and those dirty, disgusting rodents didn't take the bait. We're wondering why we have rats because we've only seen maybe two rats in our almost 17 years of living here. I was wondering if the construction of a new bridge down the road is driving them up to us. These are not roof rats—they are brown burrowing rats. 

My husband is currently outside, tending to our backyard by clearing out debris and doing some much-needed yard work. As he gets older, he has developed a unique approach to gardening. Instead of weeds, he now sees them as wildflowers, or native plants and the debris left on the hill from the weed whacker as mulch.

 You don't want to know what I call it! 

This summer was hot, so he didn't do much back there. It became overgrown, and we got rats. 

I saw three more yesterday at dusk—they could be the same three, I don't know. I just want them gone. He joked about getting a gopher snake. I don't mind—I just want them gone. But I think a snake might eat our fish. 

Finally, I am relieved to hear that all our blogger friends in Florida are safe. Even my husband was keeping a close eye on the weather. Hopefully, this will be the last of it for everyone back there. 

Take Care - till next time.

Debby