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. 

October Cozy

A pale, lack-lustre sun is peeking through the clouds today, most welcome after some heavy rain. The morning is still rather dark and dreary, making candles seem like just the thing. Here's the view from my chair - with my slippers visible in the foreground. The fire (gas) just went out. Drat!

Here's a bit of what I've been reading. I finished Black Rabbit Hall last night and am so pleased that it had a happy ending. In Farleigh Field didn't disappoint. I chose How to Hygge from the library to read what all the hoopla about this "new" word was about. My son-in-law had read it (or one similar) and commented "that's what we already do." I agree. 

In Late Winter We Ate Pears was quickly paged through and is already back at the library. I spent more time with Clodagh's Irish Kitchen. I saw her on a television programme and was completely charmed by her accent. She has a series of short videos featuring seasonal recipes. You can access Clodagh's Youtube channel via this link.    

I've just begun Life of Elves and look forward to the Killara Farm book soon. 

I was going to write that autumn is a good season for reading, but then I realized that every season is good for reading. During the school year, I manage 4-6 books each month, and more during vacations. Do you enjoy reading?

The area where we live used to be a farm. I'm pretty certain that there was an orchard here, for here and there, a gnarled apple tree still stands. Most were cut down during subdivision development, I assume. There are also two quince trees, on private property. Several years ago, I picked one off the ground, not having a clue what it was. I kept waiting for it to ripen and soften; of course, it never did. I thought it was some sort of pear, and eventually threw it out. 

Then I read about quince! During a walk recently, I spied these two on the ground and picked them up. They've been on my kitchen windowsill for a week or so, and I think it's time to do something with them. I think I'll poach them. Do you cook with quince?
  

All the tomato plants have been pulled up and green tomatoes line the rest of the windowsill. I see this one is ripe and will be good in a tomato-avocado salad for dinner tonight.

The fire came on again as I write this post. Alas, it's time for me to leave it and head off to school. Although my classes are not until afternoon, I go in early to prep and mark. Today is The Great Shake-Out Drill - a region-wide earthquake drill. All schools take part, as do government facilities, hospitals, care homes, and more. So Tim will be involved, too. It's good to be prepared. I hope it's not pouring rain when we evacuate the school this morning.