Wow, it's 65 degrees today! On November 22. Sometimes I'm amazed at how much our daily weather can fluctuate. I wonder sometimes what it would be like to live through a year where each day hit the average temperature.

This iris started blooming in late October, and succombed to the cold just recently. Crazy iris.

Almost Emma's birthday --my traditional break between fall and winter. And it looks like it's going to be much like the year she was born --it's been really warm for November, and this weekend it's supposed to go below normal. We have our first chance of snow next week. I have one potted plant we were given that I did not get in the ground. I think I'm going to see if Rob can do it --one shovel, and he'd create enough of a hole, and then we can just stomp it in :-)

I have so enjoyed sitting in the hammock swing this last week, relaxing after work. Each day, I look around and think of how winter will descend soon, and I won't get to enjoy being outside until spring comes again.

Well, about a week ago now, we finally got a couple of days of heavy rain, along with an intense wind storm. Now that wind is coming from the NW and drawing in cold, Canadian air. It dropped into the mid-20's last night, and I got the electric blanket hooked up :-)

I was planning on splitting some things, like the shasta daisy and bee balm, but it was too dry, and now I think it might be a bit late. We'll see how early November goes.

Drought

I spent another hour today watering part of the garden. It has been a very long time since we've had any rain, and there isn't any in the forecast.

Today I watered the area with foxgloves on the north side of the house. That side doesn't get any direct sun, but with our warmer than average temps and no rain for a month, the plants were really water-starved. Everything started standing up straight again after the watering. However, because even the deeper ground is dry, the water won't stay near their roots for long. At least it hasn't been as hot the last few days as it was last week.

I think I've spent the whole day watering. I've had the sprinkler on the birch tree garden, in three different places, since about 11 a.m. Finally turned it off around 2:30 p.m., and just finished hose-watering the East side and front. Now Heidi is getting her turn with a trickle. It is 89 degrees out today!! Last year we had our first snow flakes on October 10th. That would be tomorrow. Crazy how October can be so different.

I planted a few new bulbs for spring --three different kinds of lilies, and a few more of the "fireworks" alliums. I put lilies behind the birdbath in the birch bed, on the edge of the privacy fence behind the liatris, and behind the siberian iris near the mudroom porch. The dirt (can't call it soil) near the mudroom porch is still like digging into cement. I add compost with everything I plant, but it almost doesn't seem to make any difference! I hope the bulbs will manage.

We desperately need rain at this point --I've been watering the thyme and coral bells planted near the front porch, but everything needs a good soaking. No rain in the forecast right now, but we've had some wonderful warm autumn days. It's hard to complain.

We've dried out a bit, so a stint out in the garden only garners a few mosquito bites :-) I've been able to weed the bed out in the pasture, and today I was able to plant some thyme and transplant a volunteer hollyhock.

We got the pool closed last weekend (it took two weekends total) and I'm so grateful every time I look over and see that black cover! It's so nice not to have that hanging over our heads.

The goldenrod and purple asters are just beginning to bloom, and the sedum and anemone are in full bloom. I still have a lot of garden clean-up, but there should be some nice cool days in October for that.