September Equinox:

Trying one of those Pinterest projects - turning Halloween Trick-Or-Treat pumpkin baskets into cement pumpkin planters. These'll be filled with some billowy grass and some succulents. I used about half a 60# sack of concrete for these two. If they turn out I will make some more. If they REALLY turn out, I will find some of those bigger tacky lawn decoration pumpkins and make a big one. Love Halloween anyway, and love this idea. Simple, classy and fun.

A good way to mark the Autumnal Equinox, while I wait for my sod order to arrive. More progress on the backyard clearing, too.

◼ 10 Facts About the First Day of Fall - time and date

I'm not a big fan of Fall. The days'll be getting shorter and colder, the mad rush to the holidays begins. It seems like it came early this year, the colder nights, the falling leaves.

For us it means an apple pressing, coming up. One of the good things. That, and our Indian Summer, some of the nicest days of the year on the coast.

Here's how they turned out:

The concrete mix has gravel in it, if you want the smoother look, you might want to use Quikrete. I don't mind the gravelly smile, it is for Halloween after all, and a bit of the macabre is expected. plus in a few years with some moss taking hold, they'll be all the more awesome and rustic. Now to dress them up... grassy mohawks and succulent wigs. Everyone asks are you going to paint them orange, and you could, but no, I like the grey concrete. Tempted to paint the eyes glow-in-the-dark, though, just kidding.

The first of four Blood Moons

◼ There has been a lot of interest recently in an upcoming series of lunar eclipses that begins April 15. These are usually described as "four blood moons" and taken by some to prophesy upcoming disasters.

The total lunar eclipse of April 15 will begin a so-called tetrad series of eclipses...

Astronomers rarely if ever use the term blood moon. When they do, they are usually using it as an alternate name for the Hunter's Moon, the full moon that follows the Harvest Moon, usually in late October. The Hunter's Moon, like the Harvest Moon, rises slowly on autumn evenings so that it shines through a thick layer of the Earth's atmosphere, and is colored red by Rayleigh scattering and air pollution....What is unusual about this month's lunar eclipse is that it is the first of a series of four total lunar eclipses in a row. Called a tetrad, such a series of four total eclipses in a row is a fairly rare event. The last such series happened in the years 2003 and 2004. It will only occur seven more times in the current century.What is unusual about this month's lunar eclipse is that it is the first of a series of four total lunar eclipses in a row. Called a tetrad, such a series of four total eclipses in a row is a fairly rare event. The last such series happened in the years 2003 and 2004. It will only occur seven more times in the current century.

What is unusual about this month's lunar eclipse is that it is the first of a series of four total lunar eclipses in a row. Called a tetrad, such a series of four total eclipses in a row is a fairly rare event. The last such series happened in the years 2003 and 2004. It will only occur seven more times in the current century.

◼ APOCALYPSE NOW: Why a rare astrological event LAST NIGHT could herald the 'End of Days' - Express UK (image source)

Rain, and Fall

After a rainy week, it's sunny today, and things are drying out. The ground is loving the moisture, but we were hoping for a little bit more time to enjoy Indian Summer.

The roses are putting on their end of summer show.

The succulents have put on a burst of growth - as if they're enjoying the sudden colder weather, which seems odd.

There's not a lot of fall color, but that's just the nature of things here.

I'm running out of time to get my projects done. The futon does have its waterproof cover, but it may have to be moved off the deck and into the greenhouse, if it is going to survive the winter.

(Looking back on that statement, it may seem odd, but this is an area where the climate is mild, albeit rainy, all year long. You can pretty much leave things out - EXCEPT things that you don't want to get wet. This is an area where we hoped global warming was real, because then we could grow bougainvillea, and corn and tomatoes.)

This Sunday, June 23 is the Full Strawberry Moon.

June's Full Strawberry Moon got its name because the Algonquin tribes knew it as a signal to gather ripening fruit. It was often known as the Full Rose Moon in Europe (where strawberries aren't native). ◼ The Old Farmers Almanac

The summer solstice heralds the beginning of summer.

Between storms

The weather is sunny, the trees are blooming. The stores are starting to put out the garden stuff - spring is almost here.