Life in the Bristolwood

I wanted to photograph the peaches I bought on Thursday from Wegman’s as I don’t think anyone would believe me if I told them they are the size of a softball. But, they are! Please be aware that the plate these peaches are sitting on is a big full size dinner plate! Oh, and the grapes are the now long gone Fredonia Grapes I bought at the small stand on Thursday. It seems Ben has an addiction that surpasses my own!

I wandered outside late this afternoon with camera in hand, looking around to see what I might see.  Only one of our maple trees in the front yard is showing some real color. I am not sure why this one lonely tree has decided to prematurely slip into its autumn colors, but it sure was pretty against the sapphire blue sky!

Although all the wild daisies have stopped blooming, the yellow daisies I transplanted into the ground from the hanging pot seem to be in “on display” mode! The flowers just keep coming and coming. I am hoping that these flowers will winter well, as they are just plain downright *happy* flowers! I just love their bright yellow faces!

Throughout the day today, we had a few spritzes of rain. It was a changeable day, for sure.  One moment, the sky was that intense autumn blue, with puffy white clouds. Suddenly, the sky filled with a gray ominous presence, then buckets-full of rain would pour down.  And, as suddenly as the rain came, it was once again gone.  Our temperature never rose above the mid-40′s today.  It was 49 when I took the Scotties out this morning, but the thermometer slowly declined as the day progressed….certainly not the “norm”!  That said, I would say without a doubt, this is typical autumn weather. As soon as the leaves begin their short-lived display of color, our annual “monsoon” (tongue-in-cheek, you realize) season picks up, making sure that the spectacular show winds up as litter on the lawn beffore it is fully appreciated….

When Mark and I decided to build a swingset for the kids, we wanted one that would last a long time.  We certainly didn’t want one that would nearly tumble over when the kids got rambunctious!  Mark built a super swingset that would last for years!  The sad part about this swing is that Mark had intended to add a playhouse, perhaps a slide, a tire swing, and maybe even some other components. He certainly never expected to suffer a spinal cord injury at age 38.

Although the swingset isn’t nearly what was intended, it certainly has served to be a source of enjoyment for the kids. When Mark built this structure, he got online and ordered sturdy swings made for school playgrounds!  We used to remove the swings over the winter, but the past couple of years, I left them up.  The humorous part regarding my negligence is that the kids would walk through the snow, up to the beloved swingset and propel themselves just as though it was a warm summer day! The only difference was attire!

I caught Michelle enjoying the swing this afternoon. My kids are hale and hardy….it is so unusual to see Michelle dressed in a sweater, particularly with the hood up!

When Mark first proposed building this swingset to his dad, his dad was a bit discouraging, telling Mark that Mark and his sister rarely used their swings. Undaunted, Mark continued on with his grand plan!  Now his dad is gone and I sometimes wonder if he might be watching in the “great cloud of witnesses”, smiling down on his swinging grandchildren!