"Halloween Cactus"? This beauty is Schlumbergera 'Sunset', from Logees Greenhouse. She's been in the screenhouse all summer, and now with the shortening days is blooming like crazy! I love the unusual bloom color, Logees is great about carrying unique houseplants. Although their prices aren't exactly cheap, the specimens you get small to average, I've always had great luck with growth....in fact, I've already grown three more of these from dropped branches to give as gifts! Can't wait to see how my other colors bloom this year...I hope they all enjoyed their "summer vacation" this much.

Check out this cute nest I found driving home yesterday! I was driving down my "road" (I use this term loosely, as you can see from the picture)...and out of the corner of my eye I spied this little nest. I love how the bird used strips of paper birch bark...almost looks like he "teepeed" his own house! It's awesome how natural beauty can snap you out of a bogus thought process like obsessing about work, etc....as long as you let it!

Found my worm link-:
...and although I'm anxious to get started, I know how things go with me ever since my "round tuit" got lost-make the bin first, then order worms! Pictures to follow when it all comes together....and here's another helpful link-http://www.wormdigest.org/ , it's a vermiculture information site. You know what they say, "knowlege is power"....hopefully, it's also survival for my 2nd try with worms (for their sake!)

Vermiculture, revisited...Ok, I found the link for some worm bin plans I like;

http://www.klickitatcounty.org/SolidWaste/FilesHtml/Organics/OscrJunior.pdf

So when I put mine together and fill it with wormies, I will post the startup...this way, I'll have witnesses that there were actually live worms in it at some point! Of course, I could buy a bin/kit, but where's the creativity in that? (Besides, they're like $100!) I may go ahead and purchase worms this time, too...I'll provide that link when I decide on a source. Worm ranchin', here I come!

Fall Cleanup...my grown son came out to help me trim the tree canopy, cut down some smaller trees, and mostly make sure I didn't hurt myself! My mom bought me an electric pole trimmer/saw, but made me promise not to use it alone. Honestly, I'm kinda scared of it, so no problem there....but I'm always glad to trim trees to let light in for my flower beds!

Hard to post in "real-time", when temps are in the 30's and it's windy as heck.....so here's from a couple weeks ago...I had this experimental worm bin in the house for over a year. I'm quite interested in vermiculture, and even considered it as a source of income during a funky stretch of unemployment. Anyhow, I decided to release my worms during a warm stretch a couple weeks ago. I hadn't dug around in the bin lately, but I thought all was well...then...."Death Valley Days"! Poor things...I neglected to provide enough moisture, so...into the composter they go! Here's an arguement for the expensive, closed-type worm bins I guess. Oh well..."live" and learn....too bad it was at their expense. Oddly enough, I feel worse about this than I do when I fish with them....wonder why...

What a show!!! Not much garden blogging for the past few days, I've been jazzed up from the Aerosmith/Motley Crue concert....makes me want to see more shows. I could easily be a traveling show junkie, good thing I can't afford it. The last time I saw Aerosmith, the tickets only cost $7.50 - if that were the case, I'd be following the band all over the country! Oh well, the memories from this show will have to suffice!

"Peak Color".... in this part of the country, the newspeople let us know when we've reached peak fall color in our landscape. What do you think? I believe we have arrived!

A Study in Contrasts...some of my plants look as though they are preparing for a "long winter's nap", while others look like they didn't get the memo! Some are even growing right next to each other-maybe "willing" themselves a longer summer?

My "home-bees" are chillin'...literally! Here they were about dusk tonight, and it's hard to tell from this not-so-hot photo, but this sedum is covered with about 15 bees. The temps were cooling rapidly, so I guess this will be their "crash pad" for the night. They also seem crabby with the changing season-me too fellas!

My houseplants are showing how much they enjoyed "summer vacation" outdoors....Rex begonia with it's cute flower, and the fancy violet with it's frilly pink and whites. I hope they continue the show...maybe the Thanksgiving cactus (earlier version of the Christmas cactus), I have one called "Sunset" with yellow blooms tinged in red...pics will come...

Another wild mushroom....started out in the cute, "bubble-umbrella" shape...then it flattened out to about 12" across...then turned brown with scored edges like a well-done pancake. This beauty was right at the edge of the yard, and I've scoured my books, but the ID has been tough. Some of these come down to the configuration of the gills...some even require a spore print to be sure. But whatever it is, I like it!