A Walk in The Woods

 I am ready for Thanksgiving.  It is one of my favorite holidays.  It will be very different this year though because I am cooking for the shelter. I am a bit nervous because they serve about 500 people on Thanksgiving.  They have been making turkey and freezing it for weeks now.  I offered to make the stuffing, rolls, gravy and cranberry sauce.  I figured that having these things homemade will elevate the meals to a better standard. So, I am about to enter a cooking frenzy.

 Teddy and I took a walk in our woods yesterday to see how everything is changing.

 The water is shut off now because it is too hard to keep up with the leaves. The system we have allows for the water to run year long and we did just that the first year the gardens were done. However, we quickly learned that huge piles of treacherous ice formed so now we turn it off for the season.

 Dead hostas.

 Teddy likes to check under the Weeping Beech for bad kitties.

 She even checks under the ferns which are still very green.


 The Bald Cypress are almost bald.

 The middle pond is filled with leaves.

 The Katsuras by the guest house are almost bare now.

 The fish are under those leaves somewhere.  We have to be careful to not throw the fish out with the bath water, so to speak.

 This is just one of the reasons I love Fall so much.  Not to mention how cool/cold it has been.  My favorite weather.

 The garden is almost packed up.

 And strangely the bougainvillea is still healthy and growing despite the freezing temps.

 Teddy on the way back from her grounds inspection.

 She likes walking through the leaves.

 It's a bit tricky to get a drink of pond water though.

 Yes, I am talking about you.

 I know that pond water tastes so good.

 The Cathedral Roses are putting out new growth.

 Teddy blends in so well with the colors.

 Paper Bark Maple.

 The remnants of the Bald Cypress are all over the ground.

 The gurgling millstone won't gurgle again until Spring.

 I was inspecting the fencing and as I came out from behind the gazebo, I spied my pup.

 It's a long climb back up the mountainside for a little tank.

 Slowly but surely she makes her way to the top.

Thank heavens for pool covers.

Comments

Diane said…
Lovely set of photos. Good luck for the meal in the shelter, you amaze me how much you manage to do. Well done. Keep well Diane
What a change a season makes! I miss the lushness of the summer, but I love seeing the Autumn leaves.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays also! I love the cooking, and the gathering of family and friends!

I Love that you are cooking for the Shelter, I knew you would! 500 is a HUGE amount to cook for! How many pounds of stuffing do you think you'll be making? I imagine you make 2 rolls per person - yikes that's 1000 roles alone!

I know it will be amazing!
Nellie said…
Gorgeous grounds!

That is an amazing task you have undertaken for 500 people! My hat is off to you!
Barb said…
Your yard looks beautiful in the fall. Teddy does blend in very well!
Anonymous said…
such a beautiful tour, amazing!Teddy the tank, lol!!!!!!Teddy is such a beauty, she looks amazing among the Fall leaves,
Anonymous said…
Beautiful fall scenes. I'm sure you will make this a very special Thanksgiving for those at the shelter.
Wow. And I thought I had leaves. Love the cooler temps and sleeping in warm pjs. You will do great with the meal
Anonymous said…
I like Your garden so much!

The only thing with leavs that I don't like is when they end up in the pond, it's just a mess when trying to bring them out of the water.

Teddy has a perfect camoflagues now, those bad kitties better stay out of Your garden :-)

Have a great day!
Christer.
Good luck on your cooking frenzy -- the shelter guys are in for a major treat!
Tammy said…
What a blessing you are to the shelter...and everyone around you!

Your bougainvillea is probably getting radiant heat from the post it's growing on.
Joy said…
You still have such pretty fall colors there! Lovely!

Good luck cooking for 500! WOW! I'm currently "home" at my parents' and will be doing an early Thanksgiving for 8 this Sunday. Our first American Thanksgiving in four years! :-)
NanaDiana said…
What gorgeous colors. Ours are all gone except for the carpet of color on the ground here. It looks like you and your baby had a lot of fun and saw some wonderful sights on your walk- xo Diana
Guillaume said…
I LOVE a walk in the woods in autumn or winter. Or when autumn turns into winter.
TARYTERRE said…
Your garden and grounds are gorgeous in the autumn. Such beautiful color. Inquiring minds want to know if Teddy ever caught a bad kitty???
thewiildmagnola said…
I love the autumn colors in your garden and woods. Teddy knows her business. She seems very involved for a fur baby. I think this is awesome.

You will do fine cooking for the shelter Thanksgiving. It is more work than I can imagine, I hope you have help!

thewiildmagnola said…
I love the autumn colors in your garden and woods. Teddy knows her business. She seems very involved for a fur baby. I think this is awesome.

You will do fine cooking for the shelter Thanksgiving. It is more work than I can imagine, I hope you have help!

Mary Ann said…
I love Thanksgiving, too.. and I learned to make huge portions of dressing for a crowd at our church bazaar last month... so I am never going to be worried again!
Thank you for this. I needed a walk in the woods! :) I am out here in Southern California longing for some cool weather. It will be in the 79's tomorrow..so that's a bit of improvement. Being a cold weather person..and after waiting patiently (not really) all year for Fall..I have to work at not being cross! :)
It's true! I am SO impatient for some cold weather..
Heritage Hall said…

Bless you for making Thanksgiving
so special for others. Praying
that all goes smoothly and know
you will be the cause for much
thanksgiving that day. 500....my
goodness you are courageous.
I just love Teddy's expression...
what a personality. Your property
is so lovely.

Gentility
Robin Larkspur said…
Wonderful autumn photos of your woodland paradise!
brokenteepee said…
You are going to be cooking like a fiend!
chickpea678 said…
Ooh, I love the photo of the paper bark maple!