Halloween 10-31-25

Mabel, who's real name is Veda, dresses as an owl for Halloween this year. 

We had only one trick or treat family this year but hat means more candy for me.

Flower for the Day Fall Boneset 10-31-25

Fall boneset (Eupetorium perfoliatum) is a North American native perennial in the aster family. It is also called

ague weed, feverwort, and sweating plant. In herbal medicine it is a diaphoretic  or an agent to cause sweating. It was introduced to American colonists by natives who used the plant for breaking fevers by means of heavy sweating.  The name "boneset" comes from the use of the plant to treat dengue fever, which is also called "break-bone fever."

Eupatorium perfoliatum grows up to three feet tall, with opposite, serrate leaves that clasp the stems (perfoliate).The stem is hairy. It produces dense clusters of tiny white flower heads held above the foliage. 

Syncopations

Lines in this poem want

to wail and sail, loud as wood

frogs, forage deep into

stanzas of bonesets

the rhythm syncopated

as sprawling as a

trailing arbutus, flower

and language divine, summer

scrawls, palimpsests, traces

Plymouth gentians, syllabics

seven pink pronouncements.

Kathleen Kremlins

Don's Blog "The One Where We Have A Wedding" 9-20-25

Saturday we sponsored a wedding at the Lake House on Lake Aspen at Innsbrook, Missouri.

Sherry (the bride) and Lou (the groom) are longtime friends and we were excited to have the ceremony

on the dock by the lake.

It was a small wedding but the planning and the preparation were intricate. Parking was made easier when all four of my neighbors offered their driveways. The site worked great as the trees shaded us from the sun. The forecast of rain

was incorrect - we would not have cared. We were ready to have a joyous time no matter what.

Sherry surprised me by asking me to accompany her down the aisle - a winding steep walkway. This was a first for me as we had all boys. How do you like our flowers? I gave her a hug and presented her to the groom.

The ceremony was a treat. The bride and groom are to the left of the minister with the maid of honor and 

the best man on either side. We were all moved.

Jan and I got to sit in the front row. We are blessed.

The star of the show was Sherry's Grandson Blake. With the age of the guests many had an opportunity

to go down the hill (and back up) in our golf cart. Blake who drives FAST racers in Dirt Car Races had not driven

an electric golf cart before and was amazed at its quietness. He helped them in and out and got them to their seats.

His kindness and patience were an amazing gift to us all.

After cupcakes and punch in the front of the house, the bride and groom headed for the party in Montgomery City.

It was an inspiration to participate in Sherry and Lou's wedding. You can be sure that we will not be going into the wedding business. 

   Here are the bride and groom on the steps of the Historic Log cabin.

Flower for the Day Taterian Aster 10-27-25

The fall is continuing to produce more muted colors. Our large patch of Tatarian aster (Aster tataricus) has been deer decimated. They eat the leaves like salad. It can tower over six feet and is a butterfly magnet.

The plant overall is coarse, with large leaves and thick stems. The flowers are borne in late autumn, violet  ray florets and brown disc florets.

Aster

Thou, like a star-flower in the wood,
Thy modest charms are hiding;
Content with humbly doing good,
And in God's love abiding.

But though the world observes thee not,
In one fond heart thou'rt treasured;
And bright indeed must be the lot,
That shares a love unmeasured.

SC Edgarton

Yesterday

Its what happened AND my interpretation of it is the story.

I got up early, had a light breakfast, packed the car with food and meds and drove to the Lake House. I stopped at Wright City Hardware for a fireplace lighter with a long handle. On arrival the house was cold. The furnace was not working. The Ecobee thermostat was dark. The Spectrum TV downstairs was working. My phone and the computer indicated that there was no internet. Touching the thermostat did nothing. Checking the left electric box in the basement showed the power was on for the furnace - breaker on.

I called Survant Heating as Chris had very recently done a clean and check. They agreed to send Chris out. I called Spectrum and a nice lady trying to sell me something also told me how to re-boot the internet - I had to go to the basement to unplug two Spectrum boxes on a back basement shelf for a few minutes and this got me back the internet.
The computer was working and my phone had bars and was working.

Another reason for the visit was to get the propane tank filled. I changed all batteries in the two fireplaces and the two hand held starters. The truck had not arrived yet so I called the company (Amerigas). In the midst of the call the call was lost. After multiple attempts i noted that in the upper left corner it said "SOS only. I did not know what that meant. Luckily the phone text component still worked so I was in contact with Jan. She called several people. Sherry arrived and was helpful. I drove to the clubhouse to get the phone to work but it did not work there either. Sherry waited in my absence for the two people coming. I came back and we started using Sherry's phone (non AT&T). About an hour later Jan texted that the Innsbrook Property Owner's Facebook page reported that the entire area's AT&T was offline and not working.

As I was calling Amerigas again the truck showed up. It was the same driver as the last time. He reported the the tank was completely empty and that made it dangerous. He did a successful leak-check and began filling the tank.

At this time Chris showed up from Survant. He noted how cold the house was.He checked the dark Ecobee thermostat
and found that 'SOMEONE" had bumped it and that it wasn't working because it had physically lost its connection. He pushed it back in and the furnace started working. He left to my thanks.

The tank was now full and the Amerigas guy tried to light the fireplaces. that did not work so I will have to schedule a fireplace repair man that I have used before to come fix them. In the mean time we left the propane tank handle
on on the outside and closed firmly the handle at the back of each fireplace on the side. This should be safe until the repairman comes. We will not attempt to light them in the meantime.

In the middle of this Jan texted the Spectrum was burying a new orange cable in our front yard and they were not friendly.

So now at IB the home was heating up, the Ecobee was working, we had a full propane tank, the TV and computers were working. The phone was still offline. I ate lunch, did a few things and drove home. The phone started working after leaving when I was on the road.

When I got home the Spectrum cable was now buried. I went inside and Jn was still put out. The 2 TV's , the upstairs computer, and the phones and iPads and even the land line phone did not work. I went outside to 5G and called Spectrum. They said they could get a tech out Monday. Then realizing how absurd that was she said she would contact an emergency tech.who would contact us tonight or tomorrow. After dark about 6:00 there was knock on the door. It was a very nice tech who said that he had done the line burying and connection. He was training someone who did not do a correct connection. This tech re-connected it. I went everywhere and checked all the items (TVs, computer, iPads, land line phone. eSeries. tc.) and WAHLAH everything worked. I ate dinner and watched Toronto beat the Dodgers in the first game of the World Series. Tired at bedtime.

Other than that not much was going on.

That is my story and am sticking to it.

DAD

Flower for the Day Mums and Pumpkins 10-24-25

In case you wondered why I have not shared any mums this fall it is because the deer got to 

them before I could photograph them. Here is the shameless culprit in our fenced in country garden.

The fence did not deter this hungry opportunist who ate  the newly planted yellow mums.

 

She ate them all even removing the deer netting that I had inexpertly applied.

And in case you wondered whether deer eat pumpkins here is an image from a friend showing

that not only do they eat them but they also love them (heart them). 

Perhaps next fall we will be able to see where the deer have spread the seeds after eating.

               The Pumpkin

Oh, greenly and fair in the lands of the sun,   The vines of the gourd and the rich melon run,   And the rock and the tree and the cottage enfold,   With broad leaves all greenness and blossoms all gold,   Like that which o'er Nineveh's prophet once grew,   While he waited to know that his warning was true,   And longed for the storm-cloud, and listened in vain   For the rush of the whirlwind and red fire-rain.     On the banks of the Xenil the dark Spanish maiden   Comes up with the fruit of the tangled vine laden;   And the Creole of Cuba laughs out to behold   Through orange-leaves shining the broad spheres of gold;   Yet with dearer delight from his home in the North,   On the fields of his harvest the Yankee looks forth,   Where crook-necks are coiling and yellow fruit shines,   And the sun of September melts down on his vines.     Ah! on Thanksgiving day, when from East and from West,   From North and from South comes the pilgrim and guest;   When the gray-haired New Englander sees round his board   The old broken links of affection restored,   When the care-wearied man seeks his mother once more,   And the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before,   What moistens the lip and what brightens the eye?   What calls back the past, like the rich Pumpkin pie?     Oh, fruit loved of boyhood! the old days recalling,   When wood-grapes were purpling and brown nuts were falling!   When wild, ugly faces we carved in its skin,   Glaring out through the dark with a candle within!   When we laughed round the corn-heap, with hearts all in tune,   Our chair a broad pumpkin,—our lantern the moon,   Telling tales of the fairy who travelled like steam   In a pumpkin-shell coach, with two rats for her team!     Then thanks for thy present! none sweeter or better   E'er smoked from an oven or circled a platter!   Fairer hands never wrought at a pastry more fine,   Brighter eyes never watched o'er its baking, than thine!   And the prayer, which my mouth is too full to express,   Swells my heart that thy shadow may never be less,   That the days of thy lot may be lengthened below,   And the fame of thy worth like a pumpkin-vine grow,   And thy life be as sweet, and its last sunset sky   Golden-tinted and fair as thy own Pumpkin pie! 

John Greenleaf Whittier 

Flower for the Day American Burnweed 10-22-25

American burnweed  (Erechtites hieraciifolia) is a native annual in the aster family. The plant branches and grows in a clump with multiple stems.The flower heads which are borne in fall are followed by clusters of small, wispy achenes, each of which contains a single seed. 

The flower heads which are borne in fall are followed by clusters of small, wispy achenes, each of which contains a single seed. What does it remind you of?

Burnweed germinates in response to fire. It is one of the earliest pioneer species in areas that have recently burned, hence some of its common names: fireweed, pilewort and butterweed.

 Burnweed Haiku

  no dandelion 

  
  bold burnweed soars, shares nectar

 a butterfly's wish

  johackl

Don's Blog Fall Odds and Ends 10-20-25

We  actually had some rain over the week-end -a full Day soak. Magically brown has turned to green. Now for some fall odds and ends fun. Here are some berries from our Scarlet firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea). They almost allow you to forget how sharp the thorns are.

The persimmons are on the trees and beginning to drop. when fully mature they are sweet and delicious. 

If not - very bitter.

Here is a small tree with many persimmons and no leaves.

On the trail if you look down the juniper berries are collecting.

And if you look close there is an occasional surprise.

Closer to home the deer have eaten the leaves off my favorite stonecrop.

But its nature is to produce its amazing flowers however small.

            Yard Work

I think that someone will remember us in another time,

Sappho once said — more or less— 

Her words caught 

Between the tongues tip and the first edge of the invisible.

I hope so, myself now caught 

Between the edge of the landscape and the absolute,

Which is the same place, and the same sound

That she made.

Meanwhile, let's stick to business.

Everything else does, the landscape, the absolute, the invisible.

My job is yard work— 

I take this inchworm, for instance, and move it from here to there.

Charles Wright

Don's Blog: A Peaceful Place

Here is a view from the dock at the Lake House, truly a place to experience

the peace that passes all understanding.

Flower for the Night Moon Flower II

I thought you would enjoy some followup images of moon flowers. These are blooming nightly

on the front porch and they last into the morning. 

They are surprisingly large,

especially in relationship to the morning glory.

But the most fun is to go out after dark and enjoy them.