Every Blooming THing: Mid October

This has been a strange fall so far.  It has not gotten very cold at all (That is, until now.  We had to turn the furnace on today.)  The  trees haven't really started to change much. My honey locusts, got gold, but he  lost their leaves quickly as usual.  Usually by now several of my crabapple trees lose their leaves by the end of August, but this year we had a drier spring, so they kept their leaves.

The birch trees are starting to turn yellow.  The burning bushes are just starting to turn their blazing red a little bit.

Unfortunately, the lawn tractor broke down for the third time this season nd is in a shop.  But, that isn't stopping the grass from growing.  Hope I get that back soon or it may be too late.

All Halloween decorations are up.

The asters are a deep purple and several hundred mums of varying hues are blooming as well as the reddish sedum heads.

--RoadGreen

Every Blooming THing, Early October 2018

The trees are starting to change color around here in northeast Illinois.  The Japanese lilac trees have the lime green leaves but are falling off rapidly now.  The honeylocusts are their brilliant fall yellow, but unfortunately, the leaves don't stay on long.

I still have the white daisy like plants, each with hundreds of small blooms, are still blooming and dangerous if you get up close to them because of the bees and other stingers hanging around them.  The sedum all have their flower tops in glorious shades of red.

And, the several hundred mum plants in the yard (most of them yellow) are starting to bloom.

The hostas are still around.

My burning bushes are just starting to turn to their reds, but others in the neighborhood are already brilliant.  I must have "slow" burning bushes.

--RoadYard

WALLACE WOOD'S RULES OF DRAWING:  2.  Never copy what you can trace.

JSIS: College Football-- That Pesky Soda Tax-- Fall Color

JSIS--  Just Some Interesting Stuff

1.  COLLEGE FOOTBALL--  This was a shocker when Oregon State football coach Gary Anderson left the school by mutual agreement after a 1-5 start and 4-17 overall record AND he gave up the $12 million he had coming to him.  That is refreshing when a college football coach (most of whom are really OVERPAID) leaves money on the table.  I didn't think that was possible.

2.  THAT PESKY SODA TAX--  Cook County, Illinois, (which includes Chicago) has dropped it one cent an ounce tax on all drinks that are sweetened (even diet drinks) which was put in to make children healthier.  We all knew the REAL reason was to make money for the county.  Good Riddance.  Now, let's work on those safety Photo Enforced stoplights which really scare me.

3.  FALL COLOR--  A few trees around here in northeast Illinois are starting to change, but most have not.  Looking forward to that color.

Color me Fall.  --RoadDog

MORE COFFEE SIGNS:  You think being called a "drip" is a compliment.

Sittin' FP and Enjoying It

This morning I enjoyed my coffee sittin' FP, front porch.  And, i was comfortable with temps in the 60s.  Who'd have thought we'd have three straight days of unseasonably warm temperatures this late in the year.

I enjoyed the fall colors.  Some of the trees are bare, but my weeping cherry and sunburst honeylocust are both covered in brilliant gold.  The dying hostas also are a deep yellow.  I have several different colors of mums blooming (mostly yellow) and the burning bushes are turning a bright red.

By the way, Bob Stroud will be doing 1980 on his Ten at Ten rebroadcast at 10 p.m. tonight.  Tomorrow, he does the year 1968 and Friday he does "Time" because of the fall back of daylight savings time this weekend.  Both will be broadcast at 10 a.m. and then again at 10 p.m..

Got to Enjoy the Front Porch Now As It Won't be Long Until You-Know-What.  --RoadDog

Ten Favorite Towns for Fall

From Oct. 11, 2011, Yahoo! Travel by Christine Sarkis.

Well, a bit late for this year.  Maybe next year.  Peak time.

1.  Jim Thorpe, Pa.--  Poconos  Oct. 12
2.  Sedona, Az.--  2 hours north of Phoenix  mid-Oct.
3.  Stockholm, Wis.--  Mississippi River  Mid-Oct.
4.  Jsaspar, Ark.--  Ozarks  Oct. 15-Nov. 15
5.  Hood River, Ore.--  Columbia River Gorge  Early to mid-Oct.

6.  Woodstock, Vt.--  Oct. 1-Oct. 15
7.  Stockbridge, Mass.--  Norman Rockwell called it best color in America.  Oct.
8.  Fayetteville, W.Va.--  late Oct.
9.  Munising, Mi.--  Upper Peninsula.  Late Sept. to mid. Oct.
10.  Julian, Ca.--  hour from San Diego.  Sept. to Oct.

--Love That Color.  --RoadDog

MEMORY LANE  (EXPRESSIONS FROM THE PAST:  Fender Skirts, Curb Feelers, Steering Knobs.

Every Blooming THing: The Color Arriveth

It took much longer than usual, but we are finally reaching top fall color here in northern Illinois.  It really hit yesterday and today.  I have two trees that changed seemingly overnight.  The amur maple by the deck continues to be brilliant.  And my Miss Kim lilacs are looking great as well.

And, out subdivision is a regular jumble of colors.  Even though people planted as they pleased once buying their homes, they arrived at a very complementary choice of fall tree colors.  Every wooded stretch of road here in northeast McHenry County provides a magnificent backdrop.

I can just imagine what the older residential areas of DeKalb, Illinois, will look like this weekend as we go to NIU's Homecoming.

Color Me Smiling.  --RoadDog


THE FINAL COUNTER PROVERBS:  The more, the merrier.  --or--  Two's company; three's a crowd.

Every Blooming THing-- Mid-October 2015: The Color Has Arrived

Well, it is still blooming.  My asters and mums are carrying the color right now, as well as the wild mini daisies.  And, more color is being provided by the trees.  They were a bit late changing color this year, but are well on their way.  Our subdivision is one of the prettiest for color anywhere around.

My honey locusts are a brilliant yellow/gold and the amur maples are into their color blast.

I'm going out shortly to rake pine straw back into the pine islands.  Always love the free mulch, but not so keen on all that raking.

Planning on cutting the grass today as well.  Perhaps for the last time?

I have moved all of the plants I'll be overwintering into the house because of an expected freeze tonight.  Well, it is that time of the year.  Temps in the 50s yesterday, today and tomorrow and Sunday.  But, it is supposed to get into the 70s next week.  Indian Summer, you know.

Color from April to October.  --RoadDog

A Perfect Fall Weekday on Monday

Monday, October 20th was something we don't get around here much this fall, a perfect day for enjoying autumn as winter is preparing to rear its ugly head.

We went out in the late morning for a cruise around Fox Lake on our boat.  Then we drove to Geneva Lake in Wisconsin for our annual Fall Color Blast Tour around the lake.  Judging by our trees here in the neighborhood, we figured that the color must be at its peak there and it was.

We started on the south shore of the lake, driving along South Shore Drive and hit our two side trips to the shore with some remarkable tree color.  Then, we caught North Shore Drive to Williams Bay, then Wis-50 to Lake Como and a drive along those shores.

Best trip, of course was on Wisconsin Rustic Road, Snake Road.  Almost three miles of the biggest and prettiest color you'll ever see.

We then had lunch at Popeye's (not the fried chicken chain) on Geneva Lake and overlooking the Riviera Docks in downtown Lake Geneva.

Can't Beat the Old Local Color.  --RoadDog

Every Blooming THing: Early October 2014

Not much longer of the 'good season" now.

The trees are changing and in the case of my honey locusts, turning gold and quickly dropping their leaves.  The Japanese lilac trees are turning their pretty light green, but one has dropped almost all its leaves.  The two mountain ashes have lost a lot of their leaves making the orange berries really stand out.

Of course, fall is mum time and they are really blazing away, especially with the color yellow, but many other ones as well.  I also have some sort of a wild daisy with hundreds of really small white blooms on each plant reaching their top color.

Reckon I'll Be Starting to Put Up Halloween Decorations Soon.  --RoadDog


SAY WHAT?  "In like Flynn."  Things came really easy for movie star Errol Flynn.

Sure Miss My Old Tree

I looked out the kitchen window yesterday after I got back from my Thanksgiving trip to North Carolina and it sure looked strange not to see the big old Bradford pear tree out there on the west end of Frances' Back 40, the flower bed area on the southeast corner of the yard. It was easily 30-foot high and just as wide and had those remarkable white colors in the spring and the golden red as late fall into November, the last trees with color.

That stormy Sunday we had on November 17th (with all the tornadoes in Illinois) brought it down as well as several big limbs from the Bradford pear tree by the deck.

While I was gone, I paid  a friend come by and cut it up and cart part away and the rest he piled out by the wood pile. I'll miss that tree, which I planted as just a little sapling. Now, I have to decide if I want to plant another Bradford pear by the old one or perhaps a sugar maple or perhaps nothing.

Well, at least I have a new supply of firewood.

Decisions, Decisions. --RoadDog

About Last Weekend

NOVEMBER 1ST, FRIDAY--

Saw the movie "Ender's Game" then went looking for Halloween closeout deals. Just got some flashing lights with sound effects. Saw some great fall color on Grasslake Road and had a few at Dirty Rooster on Grasslake. They'll be moving to the old Chrome place on 173 by December.

NOVEMBER 2ND, SATURDAY--

Saw the NIU football whooping of UMass at Tommy's and talked with some other NIU fans. This is our last Saturday game as from now on all three games are played and telecast during the week.

Afterwards went to the Legion in Fox Lake and saw Mitch Edwards perform some great music from 3 to 6.

Came home and saw Svengoolie host the original "Frankenstein" with Boris Karloff. NOVEMBER 3RD,
SUNDAY--

Took a ride all around the area looking for fall color and saw quite a bit. Drove through a bunch of neighborhoods off Grasslake Road that I'd never been to. Ended up in Antioch before coming home.

Tough Games Coming Up for NIU. --RoadDog

Enjoying This Last Gasp of Summer

Warm, sunny and enjoying it. Especially after the crummy weather we had Thursday to Sunday. Hoping to hit our 40th time out on the boat by Friday. We were out both Monday and yesterday (37th) and plan on going out today. (We always shoot for 40 times boating every season and had some doubts we would get it this year because of all the bad weather and flooding. We didn't even get the boat into the water until mid-July.)

Yesterday, we did a fast cruise on Fox Lake and then a slow cruise along the shore from Fox Lake to McDonald's on Pistakee Lake. (Well, except for Kamikaze Alley where Grasslake, Nippersink Lake and Fox Lake come together, where the Waterway management Agency had taken down the no-wake buoys and I just had to take that at speed once.)

Then, we went for a drive around Geneva Lake in Wisconsin to see if the "Color" had arrived. It hadn't for the most part. We'll try again next week. We tried out their new Burger King Johnsonville brat sandwich and new lower calory fires at Flatiron Park along the lake in Lake Geneva (home of the famous Andy Gump statue) and enjoyed that great view. Can't say the same for the brat or fries, though. Way too dry.

Enjoying It While We Can. --RoadDog

Every Blooming THing: A Last Look At the Yard

As I always strive for, I had color from the beginning of the season and still have it this far into November.

The most striking aspect of the yard are my Bradford pear trees which are that red/orange color right now.  They are always the last trees to change around the subdivision. 

My barberry bushes are a burnt orange and there are still a lot of mums in full bloom, especially the red and yellow ones.  There are also some spreading perennials with some great color.

The roses are covered and believe it or not, I still have some petunias blooming.

Already Looking Forward to next Year.  --RoadDog

Fall Color Patrol: Woodstock, Illinois and a Party

October 29th

Drove to Woodstock, Illinois, about twenty miles away. A fair amount of color in the Martin's Woods Subdivision west of McHenry. Not much on Illinois 120. McRib Fix in Woodstock. The Woodstock Square was ablaze with color.

Bull Valley Road heading east was a disappointment as far as color, but always a pretty drive if the cops don't get you. Went to the McHenry Dam and Moraine Hills state parks south of McHenry. Pretty, but not much color.

Concretes at Culvers (they copied Ted Drewe's in St. Louis). Drive around our subdivision with lots of color.

Halloween party at Captain's Quarters with the band Rhythm Kings outside in the tent.

Good Day. --RoadDog

Fall Color Patrol: Geneva Lake, Wisconsin

Hit the road over the last four days as we are getting some fall color, finally. It's been a strange fall for tree color. No mass color explosion, just gradual. Some trees already have lost all leaves, others are now changing and some haven't started losing them yet. Not sure if I like it or not. I like having color over a long period, but also like that big "blast" of fall foliage.


FRIDAY, October 28th

Drove to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Patches of color in residential section by the downtown. Snake Road was absolutely brilliant!! Couldn't have hit it at a better time. Drove it three times.

Had the fish fry at Daddy Maxwell's in Williams Bay. Never had lemon pepper haddock. Great stuff.

Drove North Lake Shore Drive to Delavan and then took South Lake Shore Drive to our two favorite side roads on the South Shore. We had a lot of color. Had a close encounter with a deer and stopped for a brew at the Owl Tavern, dating to 1908.

Stopped at Donovan's Reef on the way home for NTN and Happy Hour.

That Snake Road Was Really Worth the Whole Trip. --RoadDog


PARAPROSDOKIAN SENTENCE: A diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you will look forward to the trip.

Every Blooming THing: Late October

It's been a bit of a strange fall color thing around here this year. A lot of trees had color and are now completely bare, others are just becoming colorful and still many more haven't started changing at all. Instead of one mass of fall color at once, we're getting it in increments.

Our subdivision in Spring Grove, Illinois, is particularly striking right now. The neighbors have sure planted a nice variety of fall color trees. My sugar maple is getting a nice yellow now and the twenty burning bushes quite a red. Plus, there are the several hundred mum plants bursting forth in all sorts of colors, but mostly yellow.

I am especially proud of the mums out by the driveway culvert.

The tall grasses are getting tasseled nicely.

Enjoy it Now, Because Soon It Will Be Gone. --RoadDog


PARAPROSDOKIAN SENTENCE: Always borrow money from a pessimist. he won't expect it back.

Boating and Lake Geneva

October 11th.

Out boating in the morning on Fox Lake. Liz will be starting her second job as boat mechanic as she got the running lights to come on again. Floated and took a run up by the old bald eagle nest on Ackerman Island, by the Grasslake Bridge. No eagles, but we'd heard they had been seen at other places on the island sotook a run up the channel to Port 'O Blarney and then continued up to Captain's Quarters but didn't see any.

Later, we drove to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and took a ride around the whole lake looking for fall foliage. There was some, but it looks like most of it will be next week.

Had a great shrimp and chips meal at Popeye's (not the chicken chain) overlooking the Riviera Boat Docks and Geneva Lake in Lake Geneva.

Planning on going back next week and might try to take a boat cruise around the lake.

Loving This Fall Now. --RoadDog


PARAPROSDOKIAN SENTENCE (I now can spell it without looking, who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?): To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is called research.

JSS: Great Boating-- Fall Foliage-- NIU Football-- Music Alert!!!

JSS-- Just Some Stuff


1. GREAT BOATING-- Now that we have our fall weather back, we've taken advantage of it for some boating. We've been out everyday this past week. Thursday was just a boat float. Yesterday we went through Fox Lake, Grasslake and Lake Marie. We had lunch at the Sandbar.

And, we weren't the only ones out. A lot of people were taking advantage of it and I'd say there were as many boats on the water as you'd see on a Saturday during the summer.


2. FALL FOLIAGE-- Our subdivision here in Spring Grove is ablaze with color. Everywhere you look there are reds and yellows. My Amur Maple is the brilliant red and the birch and honeylocust trees are there golden yellow.


4. NIU FOOTBALL-- In a few hours, we leave for Dekalb for the Northern Illinois-Kent State game. We are special guests of the college because of our scholarship that we just funded in education.

Hope to see some fall color on the way there and back.


5. MUSIC ALERT!!!-- In just a few minutes, WXRT 93.1 FM, here in Chicago goes back 40 years to 1971 for their Saturday Morning Flashback. They stream live from 8 to noon.

Then Sunday, Bob Stroud goes into Time Warp mode to the music in your radio October 9, 1968, for an hour and a half, then jumps ahead five years to October 9, 1973. He streams live on WDRV 97.1 FM, from 7 to 10 am.

Get Into Mr. Peabody's Way-Back Machine. --RoadDog

Hey, just accidentally hit the key to the right of the "R" and it gives a whole new meaning to me. Maybe it is more appropriate.

Going for the Funnies: Fall

My favorite part of any Sunday is the color funnies which I save for dessert.

September 25th Chicago Tribune.

MUTTS Comic Strip

The car is looking at a green tree in FRAME 1.

"Hmm...What are you thinking..."

FRAME 2: "A Blonde" (tree has yellow leaves)

FRAME 3: "A Redhead" (tree has red leaves)

Frame 4: "Or Brunette?" (tree has brown leaves)

FRAME 5: "I Can't wait to see!" (tree back to green)

That's Me. I Can;t Wait for My Fall Color. --RoadDog

Mary Schmich On Stuff You May Not Know About Fall-- Part 2

Back on September 25th, I started this blog about my favorite season, fall. The Drive is playing "Time of the Season" by the Zombies this very moment, 9:51 am.

This past weekend, we got a serious blast of what lies ahead and that would be the lousy winter. But hopefully, that cold will fire up Mother nature to get on with her fall display.

Continuing with Mar Schmich's "10 questions on season loved by all" from the September 22nd Chicago Tribune.

6. WHEN CAN WE EXPECT PEAK FALL COLOR?

Later than usual according to Doris Taylor at the Morton Arboretum. Chicago color usually peaks around Columbus Day, but thinking late October this year.

7. CAN YOU REALLY BALANCE AN EGG ON ITS END ON THE FALL EQUINOX?

If you're really good at balancing eggs, you can do it any time.

8. IS THERE ANYONE WHO DOESN'T LIKE FALL?

NO. Some allergy sufferers hate spring. Some heat wimps hate summer. Some people hate winter because of shoveling snow, but everyone loves fall.

9. WHY DO PEOPLE LOVE FALL?

"The tender air, the angle of the sun, the incongruity of that color flaring while the light fades."

10. ARE THERE ANY GOOD POEMS ABOUT FALL?

Not enough.

Never Enough Fall For Me. Wouldn't It Be Great If It Lasted Two Months Longer. RoadDog


SENIOR BUMPER SNICKERS: I'm Retired. I was tired yesterday and I'm tired again today.