December Brings Change

When December comes to an end, many of us use that time to reflect on what's past, and what's ahead. You see, 2024 was a pretty dramatic year for us, and it's going to end with a bang when my husband retires on the 31st. Our plans are still uncertain, but regardless, we're looking forward to more time together. You see, my husband was a heavy business traveler, and we've been apart for much of the last 10-15 years. But now it's finally time for us to do life together again! 

As for December itself, I used the first part of it to finish my holiday prep. The decorations were put up, and gifts were purchased, then wrapped. Goodies were baked and placed into the freezer for future use. Cards were sent, and menus were prepared for holiday gathering. And some small gifts were made by hand, mostly scarves and earrings.  

After the holiday prep was complete, we packed up the car and drove south to spend Christmas with my parents in Florida. We hadn't spent Christmas together since they moved away from Michigan back in the 90's. It was a quiet time together, but we had plenty of good food and lots of visiting. No, it wasn't actually warm, even though we were in Florida. But it sure wasn't as frigid as the north can be, that's for sure. And it was definitely a green Christmas, a first for us. 

Now that we're back home, it's time to prepare for our late family celebration. The gifts have long been wrapped, so all we need to do now is shop for groceries and do some cooking. I'll leave the decorations up late this year, since the fam isn't coming until just after New Year's. Trying to remain festive! I didn't put up a tree though, since weren't home to water it. But all the other decorations are still in place. 

As for the garden, it's asleep. There isn't anything to see outside except the bones of the place. I miss the flowers, but I do enjoy resting during winter. I kept my display of Christmas greens simple this year, no bows or baubles, just the greenery itself. I like to keep these on display until March, and remove them when everything starts coming back to life for the spring. Below, you'll see the extent of our snowfall. It was just a dusting, and quickly melted. I did like to see the Sweetgum tree wearing its baubles, and the euphorbia Ascot Rainbow looking so well despite the cold it's been through. 

The gray skies of December in Ohio don't allow many sunsets to peek out. When there is a sunset, the best view is usually from my upstairs windows. I'm sure I'll get down to the local pond soon, since the sun sets over the water at this time of year. Meanwhile, it's quick and easy to watch out back at home. 

Thanks for stopping by to see what's happening in the Nest. I have to look beyond the garden at this time of year, while I keep hoping for snow. January should be fairly quiet, but with hubby actually at home, who knows what we'll get up to! Until then. 

October Color Gawking

I think you all know that I'm one of the many people who are just *crazy* about the month of October. Start to finish, I spend the entire month out gawking at the changing colors, while nothing else gets accomplished. Early on, there isn't much to see except occasional pops of color. But I still like to check, and then watch as everything transforms. You'd think I'd get tired of driving around from park to park, but you would be mistaken. 

We've had a number of frosts, but they weren't too heavy, so I do have a few flowers hanging tough at home in the Nest. I'm surprised to see my new Sheffield mums trying to bloom before a hard freeze arrives.  I just planted them in the spring, so I didn't expect to see any flowers this year. 

As much as I have gallivanted around town admiring fall colors on trees, my own trees aren't really putting on much of a show. The drought has muted the colors of my Sweetgum, and it's mostly just red this year. The redbud and fringe tree should be turning yellow soon. The white pine is doing its annual needle drop, which is technically some kind of fall transformation. The street tree Bradford pear (patootie!) is starting to turn, and is generally the last one to go. I long ago decided to embrace the darn thing, since it's a city tree. I'll be darned if it isn't pretty. But you didn't hear that from me. Ha! 

I did show off my autumn decorations already last month, but now that we've had frost, I've had to tweak some of my planters by substituting pumpkins for frost bitten flowers. 

I have so many autumn photos to share that I hardly know where to start without boring you to tears. I think I'll start with my annual trip to Michigan. For once, the weather was perfect for my entire visit, and the colors were definitely at their peak. There were trees that seemed almost neon colored, and I shook my head in wonder. Needless to say, I always end my days at the beach, and managed to see four nights of sunsets without too much cloud interference. That was also a miracle. 

But here at home, the trees were just as bright, and I loved every minute of October. I think I'll separate my parks into separate paragraphs. This is Highbanks, a bit farther out for me, and so I only visit once a month. Luckily, the day I went was absolutely stellar with both weather and fall color. 

Sharon Woods is another park that's not on my usual route, although I did get back there a couple times. It's funny, there's a lake at this park, but for some reason, the trees surrounding it aren't as colorful as the rest, so I don't bother photographing it. 

Inniswood is considered a botanical garden, so many of its best views are manicured. I love that about it, even as I love the wild look of the other parks. Inniswood actually has forests and woods too, but I get caught up in the gardens, and don't often notice. 

Blendon Woods is one of the best for fall colors. I started visiting there early in the month, so I could gauge how long it would be until peak, but they hadn't yet opened up their fall driving tour. It was quite disappointing, because it's the best part of an already lovely place. But they eventually did open it up, and was thrilled to find the driving tour just as beautiful as I remember. 

Blacklick Woods is the nearest and dearest of my local parks. I especially like the Tunnel of Trees effect on the park road. They have a new attraction, a canopy walk, and it's hugely popular. But I have yet to go! I tried the other day, and found that it closes before the rest of the park. Darn! I'll get back there soon. 

Chesnut Ridge is another nearby park, and probably my favorite of all for its peace and quiet. I'm particularly fond of being there at sunset, and watching the reflections on the pond. 

Back home, I decorated my kitchen island tray for the season. I also added a wax leaf garland to my fireplace, something I have always meant to do! I bought beeswax, melted it, and gave my favorite leaves a dip to preserve them through the season. I loved this simple project, and wish I had done it sooner. I'll try to do this every year, now that I know how easy it is. But I did so many that I ended up scattering them around my coffee table too. Also wanted to show off my anniversary bouquet from my hubs. He was away from home this year, so he substituted this gorgeous autumn themed bunch of flowers, and I couldn't have loved it any more than I did. It suited me to a tee. 

My closing sunsets are widely scattered this month. The sunsets are no longer seen from my front porch, and often, I'm still wandering around the parks at sunset. So I offer instead sunsets seen on my journeys, from Florida, to Michigan, to home in Central Ohio. Thanks for letting me share my extreme love of October with you, and hope to see you again next month.