Sunday, October 26, 2014

short stories 15


Pecans


Perhaps I was a bit hasty in my assessment of the end of the pecan harvest. They aren't raining down but they are falling fairly steadily. I picked up a good gallon's worth between yesterday evening and today mid-morning. We have a slight breeze this morning and the trees' leaves were steadily drifting down as I was out there. So far I have shelled 4.3 pounds of nuts. That's the post shelling weight. This is my evening activity and also on Saturdays while I work at the antique store.


Spider


One morning last week, Marc called me out to see a spider web that was being lit up by the morning sun. Usually, spiders weave their webs in the evening and take them down during the morning. Apparently not the shield spiders as this little lady was busy spinning her web. She was putting it up right in one of my paths and so during the day as I went back and forth, I made a conscious effort to avoid crashing through it. I had some idea about taking another picture later in the day. Early afternoon, distracted by something, I crashed right through it.



Chandelier

before

I finally started cleaning the Dresden porcelain chandelier, a massive chore so I try to do a little every day. (and by that I mean I worked on it last Thursday and not a day since.) It will take an entire giant box of cotton swabs...or two. I don't know if you can tell how really dusty/dirty this thing is.

after


Trees


These two beauties are on my main artery between my house and the Square downtown. These are the two biggest specimens of these I have ever seen. The raintree is gorgeous and mine is puny in comparison but I'm glad this one is not in my yard because I swear every seed in every pod sprouts if it hits the ground. I'm already pulling up raintrees everywhere in the yard all year long. And this confederate rose is enormous! That's a carport underneath it on the left. It must never freeze back, being in a protected spot and they must never cut it back.



Work


I have so many things on my to-do list that I can't seem to pick any one thing. I need to work on the flower beds and plant stuff and start on the raised beds for next spring's garden. I want to work outside but it is still just so hot out there in the sun that I quickly abandon any attempt. I need to organize waxes and start making molds and casting stuff for the annual open house the first weekend in December (and it's probably already too late for that) and the show at the gallery in Florida next spring. And, I have two small proposals to write for commission work besides actually getting in the shop and finishing the commission we have.  


Sunset


Last night's sunset after a beautiful cloudless day.







15 comments:

  1. raintrees are new to me! gonna have to look that one up! i'd love a few that would grow well and even multiply out by the edge of the property. :)

    good going on the pecans!

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  2. oh, that chandelier is really cool! and ornate! and detailed!

    and i loved the spider web. i always feel terrible when i walk into them after all of their work!

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  3. At first glance I thought the spider web was some sort of nifty graphic thing you added to the photograph.
    Amazing.
    Also amazing, your list of to-do's.

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  4. On breezy days, and we've had a few, a fusillade of acorns on the deck have made me jump a foot and look for the source.

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  5. I've never seen a chandelier like that: it is super cool. I suppose you can't just hose it down.

    Very jealous of those beautiful pecans! They were one of the best things about living in the deep South.

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  6. That chandelier is amazing. It looks SO much better after your cleaning job. Be sure to show us the whole thing when it's done.

    Poor spider. They have a habit of building webs in inconvenient places!

    And those pecans, good grief. You'll be making nut bread and fruit cakes this winter, I guess!

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  7. I bet your thumbs get ragged shelling those nuts.I used to go through a lot when my grandparents brought them up from Texas.

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  8. Beautiful. I do not have the patience to clean such an object and barely have the patience to shell pecans.

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  9. I love everything about this post - the spiderweb, the chandelier, the trees, the sunset...

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  10. Great to catch up with your busy life!

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  11. Well, for a blogpost that’s enough to be going on with. And ditto for jobs to do or beautiful things to admire.

    I love the chandelier, it’s gorgeous.
    Pity the poor spider. Some clumsy human who should know better walks straight through her house and tears it down! Now she’s got to do it all over again.

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  12. Your suggestion to rinse the apples was a good idea. I might have gone that route if the pie did not turn out quite edible.

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  13. That is the BIGGEST web I have EVER seen! Not even the subdued Buddhist in me could not stop me from interrupting that creation...but you are kinder!

    Chandelier is amazing!

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  14. I love the chandelier.. it's a beauty. And that web is just spectacular. The pecans look yummy!

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  15. fingers crossed for raintree sprouts! :) thanks, again!!

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