Transitions

Migration

Grover's Mill Pond is a popular
rest stop for migrating geese

For the last two weeks, thousands of geese have visited the pond behind our property. This must be a popular refueling and resting stop on their way south for the winter. They are a noisy throng of travellers. Each new convoy loudly announces its arrival and is met with an even louder welcoming chorus from the flocks who had arrived earlier. Batches take off on joy flights around the area — everyone squawking as loudly as possible. Their pitch and exuberance remind me of a family reunion where everyone wants to catch up on what's happened since the last gathering.

The other day, I passed the pond on route to do errands and was surprised to see that there were no geese. The weather was still very comfortable. Had they all left? Later, I heard the now familiar cacophony of squawking as the sky above the Whole Foods parking lot turned dark from a swarm geese heading in the direction of the pond. When I got home, they had all returned and were as boisterous as ever.

 Exfoliation

Better than a rake for sweeping up piles
of leaves off our rock driveway

Potentially lethal bullets when
they fall from a 70 foot tall tree

There is a very tall Oak tree outside the covered porch that has been dropping mountains of leaves and acorns for weeks now. The acorns fall from such a height, they gain enough velocity to bounce a couple inches before they land.  Sometimes, so many acorns are falling it sounds like popcorn popping.

We would be shin deep in Oak leaves if my client, Agri-Fab hadn't sent me a Lawn Sweeper that I use to collect the leaves and then pile onto my compost. I was worried that it would also scoop up the rocks that cover the driveway like a rake would. But it doesn't. It also scoops up pine needles, all the other leaves and those pesky acorns.

Realization

Sayonara, Juniper

The first growing season is over and I've decided to stop being the timid caretaker of the previous owner's garden and to make it my own.

The ugly old Juniper's skeletal remains

My first order of business: remove the ancient, ginormous, scraggly juniper bushes and let my husband try out his new chain saw. Now we have an uninterrupted view of the forest from our dining table.

I could start a Hibiscus Plantation

My other momentous task has been removing the jungles of brambles that multiplied exponentially over the summer. No sooner had I cleared a large section of Wineberries, I noticed that the cleared area quickly filled with small woody sprouts. Were they something to keep? I left them alone for a while.

Then a few days ago, I saw a note on the list of plants that the previous owner gave me. Next to Hibiscus (Rose of Sharon), it said "prolific self seeder." Prolific is the perfect word. Surrounding the Hibiscus trees whose lovely pink and lavender flowers brightened the late summer are thousands of babies starting to take over the garden. Every hour that I've spend in the garden since then has been dedicated to pulling them up. There are thousands yet to be removed. I may have to resort to more drastic, less organic measures.

It looks like I'll be spending a lot of time and energy un-planting before I can think about planting anything.