a late summer walk

A few days ago, I went out on a little walk with "the big dogs." It isn't how I would have it in my own home, but my dad continues this separation between inside dogs and outside dogs. My siblings and I would like to have these doggies inside during the winter, but between my mom's allergies, dad's insistence that they are for "outside" and a general obsessiveness about keeping things clean, it will never happen. When I have my own house I will always have dogs that can snuggle up with me on the couch at night for a good lot of trashy TV.

Anyways, Sven is more of a poser for the camera than Ole is. Ole tends to run or look away, like you're trying capture part of his soul if you point the camera at him, while Sven will sit and stare at you--mildly interested.

This was one of the last gorgeous autumny-summer days. Now, if we're lucky, we'll get a few summery-autumn days before things start to freeze. The temperature shifted down to the sixties quite abruptly after this, and it has been wonderfully gray and rainy. As someone who carries a sun umbrella and doesn't in any way enjoy being overheated (on a beach towel or otherwise) this has been a most welcome change.



You can see the corn fields in the distance turning gold, and there are these matching wild, sunflowery coneflowers everywhere now.



Our grove is full of these jewel-like plums, but they aren't quite as full as in years past, as we've had some pest problems. (Is that a little bokeh? Yes?)



Have I captured the way these fruits bunch and suspend themselves in the branches like so many round red ornaments? I hope so. It is impossible not to reach out an arm and watch them fall while you give the branches a shake or two.



Behind the plums is a row that has these great bunches of decorative blueberry-like berries. I don't know what they are, but I am quite certain that they are not edible.





More of the plum trees, some without fruit but with autumn colors shining through. I think these must be the ones that produce the white flowers in the spring.



Our soybean field soaking up the last of the summer sun.







Again, these miniature sun flowers are absolutely everywhere, but if you look closely you can see the variety of wildflowers that are about. Most, however, are also yellow.







A sunset over the "lake." Or is it a pond?



Anyways, sunset pictures are a dime-a-dozen during the summer, moving on.

We have this great, squat juniper (?) variety tree right on the edge of the property, by the lake, and it is currently completely laden with these wonderful berries so that it is a whole shade lighter than its greens. Unfortunately the failing light wouldn't let me take a proper picture of the whole thing.



I adore the way the light shines through these brambles-- it is a little sinister and dead looking, and very, very fall.



Of course, the dogs are still around! They were getting impatient with me stopping and taking pictures. I was, admittedly, being eaten by mosquitoes as well.





Ole says, hurry up!





We have two apple trees that grow closer to our house and it is currently the off-year for the one that actually produces big green apples. How it does this, and the other doesn't, I don't know because neither have ever been properly taken care of or pruned. This one is spindly and sort of pops out a handful of tiny red apples every year that are inevitable worm eaten by the time you see them. Pretty though.



Apparently the farmer's market isn't selling apples yet because we had a frost on mother's day this year and it set everything back. When we DO get some nice ones, though, I really want to make apple jellies again. They're like portable apple sauce cubes. You don't need a spoon!