Most of my life these days isn't happening outdoors. Instead, I'm staying inside and looking out the windows.
Today I'll go out and rake up some maple leaves (I'll be thinking about Canada, of course, and our trip to Montréal last spring). The leaves need to be raked up before it rains again. We've had three or four dry days now, after the deluge of La Toussaint last weekend.
Looking out the front window...
I was too exhausted to rake leaves yesterday, after a couple of very early days. The elections are over, both in France and now in the U.S., so now we can settle in and see what happens over the winter. There are big events coming up in France, and then there's that famous fiscal cliff (la falaise fiscale ?) in America. There is going to be a lot of squabbling. We'll all need to be rested up.
...and the back window — both photos from a couple of days ago
Oh, I changed my banner to keep up with the seasons. That was my main blog work this morning. It took a lot of my energy as I struggled to place the text on the image so that it was readable.
I like the new header! Very Autumnal... and worth the effort placing the text, too.
ReplyDeleteFollowing an article in Garden Which, a magazine that Pauline takes, we now 'mow' our leaves and empty the contents of the collector into large green bin bags. It not only saves space, but gives us very acceptable leaf mould to re-use after about a year, rather than the normal three. It also saves the raking part... I know you let them rot down on the unused beds, but try this method of collection... there are less whole leaves to blow away in the winter gales
Sounds like someone needs a dose of Vitameatavegamin.
ReplyDeleteSomewhat historic day in France I think, but I am more excited by Hollande's 75% tax on the super rich.
ReplyDeleteTim, the problem with our leaves is that they are in places where we can't run the mower — on gravel, for example. I have now spread a lot of the maple leaves on one of our garden plots. I'll till them in in the spring.
ReplyDeleteAbout voting in U.S. elections, you asked a question a day or two ago that I never answered. And the answer is that we don't vote in the U.S. We could possibly vote in California — our last place of U.S. residence — but since California is not a "swing state" our votes wouldn't matter. So we don't vote there and we can't vote in France.
Carolyn, I think I'll have that for lunch in the form of chard/pork/chicken/rice/cheese pie.
Andrew, my understanding is that the 75% tax rate applies to people who have more than a million euros in annual income, and it only applies to the part that's above one million euros. So if you earn 1.1 million, you pay 75% of the 0.1 million in taxes. I don't make that much, so I don't have to worry.
ReplyDeleteGreat success with the banner, as well as with the photos in the post. Lovely autumn :)
ReplyDeleteI love the nice little letters walking along your road :-)
ReplyDeleteBises
Mary
Like Marie, I like those letters on the road- that must have taken some time to configure. Love this banner a lot since I've never seen your place in the Fall.
ReplyDeleteMy vote in Alabama didn't count, but it did count into the popular vote which made me very happy. Maybe both France and the USA are in a good place for now...
Autumn is so colorful and invigorating - your backyard looks gorgeous. Those reds and oranges are fantastic.
ReplyDeleteLiving on the West Coast it does seem like my vote never counts - but I know that I contributed. I would love to see the voting method changed so that no results are revealed until all voting has closed.
You did a great job with the banner and it's very pretty.
ReplyDeleteYes Ken, I spotted that they were on the gravel... that makes it easier... you just run the mower on a high wheel setting. Although I don't bother changing when it is just on the paths.
ReplyDeleteLast year we raked the leaves into rows and I mowed along these...