Blogtober Twenty-one:

 

When I walked into the living room mid-morning, sun shining on the dahlias had standing still for a few seconds before running for my camera. What a welcome sight after the weekend deluge. 

October gave a party; the leaves by hundreds came

The Ashes, Oaks, and Maples, and leaves of every name.

The sunshine spread a carpet, and everything was grand,

Miss Weather led the dancing, Professor Wind the band.

George Cooper

No dahlia petals are mentioned in the lines above, but it felt like a party on the mantel today. Sunshine gives me energy. 

I began cutting back the rosebushes today. Buds continue to form, but the job needs to be done. I saved a small vaseful. A little granddaughter was here with me for a few hours and she collected rose hips, dropped petals, and coloured leaves. We also read stories. I let her choose the books and am surprised at how often she will choose one that is in both English and Spanish. I don't translate them for her, and she is happy to listen to both languages. 

A friend gave us a bag of quince. Or is it quinces? Quinces - I just looked it up. They are so fragrant, perfuming the air around them with a floral scent. Related to roses, apples, and pears, quinces are relatively new to me. They are not eaten raw and take a bit of effort to core as the insides are very hard. 

I poached quarters of them in a spiced wine syrup, then cooled them at room temperature before filling them with a dollop of strained yogurt mixed with vanilla and icing sugar. A sprinkle of pistachios on top. They turn from pale yellow to deep crimson when cooked. I have more quinces and plan to make this again. They have almost a citrus flavour with a hint of floral. Hard to describe, but delicious. 

I took Cora to pre-school just before noon, then returned home and spent some time at my sewing machine. So satisfying. The jeans and trousers are hemmed and I started on another project. 

I thought you might enjoy seeing another one of the magnificent west coast trees, this one a Red Cedar. I like the way a smaller tree is growing up from its roots, and the burl that seems to curl around the slender tree in a hug.