Winding Down

A few minutes ago I wandered out into the garden to see what has happened since yesterday's pelting rain.  My last daylilies are struggling to bloom, and a migrating monarch butterfly stopped to sun itself until I got too close and chased it away.

Love Conquers All has a few buds on its one remaining scape.

Apricot Serenade has become a great favorite.
This half-opened bloom is the last for this year.

A monarch takes a break on its journey to Mexico.
The monarch population is under great stress.

When I've had a break in the wet weather, I've been splitting firewood for the coming winter.  At this point about half of what I need is racked up.  However, some of the wood in the large pile — cut when the lot was cleared in 2010 — is starting to rot and is now too far gone to burn.  I probably should have kept the pile covered, but plastic sheeting is so unattractive as a landscape feature.  Much of this original supply won't survive long enough to be split and burned.  Nature is busy recycling.

My firewood supply is slowly growing.  Now I have to
get someone to clean the stove and stovepipe.  

However, my "raw wood" supply includes ash trees that were taken down a few weeks ago, as well as the leaning-tower poplar.  That stock alone would provide firewood for a couple years.  And there are three more ash on the lakefront which will come out this winter, plus several others on my two adjoining lots.  So, I won't lack for firewood, at least for the next 4-5 years. •••