Snow

Like they needed this sign.

We got about seven inches of snow last week, spread out over two days (Monday and Friday), the first snowfall exceeding one inch in over two years. 

I gotta say that I don't really love snow -- I mean, I like how it looks when it's falling and every branch and every leaf has a lovely coating. But even 40 years after leaving my Southern childhood home and experiencing a couple of big snowfalls each season, I still haven't conquered the skill of driving in snow or developed a love of winter sport. Happily now as an empty nester, I don't have to fret about whether DC public schools will make the 5 am call to close or have a two-hour delay, or watch my kids go to bed with pajamas turned inside out in hopes that the next day will be good for sledding. And as a retiree, I don't have to trudge to the Metro, picking my way along the sidewalks which certain neighbors never shovel. In any case, I am happiest when it snows and then two days later, it's all gone.

I also don't have a lot of patience for the people who moved here from Buffalo or Chicago or places where the snow piles up in feet rather than inches. You like snow -- good for you! But stop berating the locals for the inevitable rush to the grocery store, the fact that the city generally shuts down when there's more than a couple inches, and when people skid off the road into a ditch. (Okay, maybe bully those drivers for not driving more carefully or just staying home.). It's tiresome and honestly no one cares.

I tried to get some pictures  of the snow but it's hard when all you really want to do is stay inside, cuddled up with a good book and a mug of tea, and maybe exert oneself enough to make soup or cookies.  But what could be more peak DC than a teeny tiny snowman (snow person? snow creature?) with a political yard sign or an icy sidewalk.  

In any case, I am hopeful that by the time you read this, the temperatures will be back above freezing and all of this white stuff will soon be a distant memory.

Falling Leaves

 

At a recent online meeting, the icebreaker question was "what is your favorite thing about fall?" There were shoutouts to hayrides and apple picking, football and Halloween candy.  My favorite? Hands down, it's the changing of the leaves and the riot of oranges, yellows, and reds that grace my neighborhood.

We are well past peak fall color here in DC so we've now turned to the raking portion of the season. When I was a kid, I was always looking for somewhere to hide when my dad pressed us kids into action to deal with our big front and back lawns.

Thankfully, the yard at my house is a fraction of the size of that at my childhood home. Plus the city vacuums up leaves left at the curb and while there are many kinks in that system, it certainly beats having to bag them.  

The garden crews that people hire to de-leaf their lawns almost exclusively use blowers to get the job done. Last year, a new ordinance was passed banning gas-powered blowers, in part because they use fossil fuels and pollute our air. But they are also incredibly noisy, something I didn't quite get until I was working from home during the height of the pandemic.

However, enforcement seems weak.  Unlike the parking cops who troll the neighborhood looking for cars that have outstayed their welcome, the key mechanism to get rid of the gas-powered machines is for neighbors to submit a complaint online. You need a lot of information to do so and it's not clear what kind of followup is done. The garden crews definitely prefer the older equipment which has greater power and gets the job done faster.

As with all things political, the neighbors seem quite content to voice their opinions with yard signs. 

As for me, I remain solidly on team rake and have the blisters to prove it.  In fact, I'd better get off the computer and go tackle the yard.

Dog Days

We've gotten to the point in the DC summer when honestly, we're all exhausted. It hasn't been an exceptionally hot summer (particularly in comparison to the one they've had in Phoenix or Houston) but with the exception of a brief reprieve on Saturday, the temperatures have been consistently in the 90s and the high humidity just saps the life out of you. The midwinter dreams of gardening have been dashed -- the first crop of zinnias that I started indoors never really took to the outdoors and the second crop is small and growing mildewed. The six black eyed Susan plants that I scored for free off the neighborhood listserv are shriveled and pathetic. By contrast, the two cucumber (or maybe melon) plants that grew out of the compost pile are running amok with tons of flowers and no fruit. Thank goodness I did not plant zucchini because I'd surely be sick of it by now. (Zucchini bread is no savior -- a loaf only requires one modest sized squash plus who wants to crank the oven to 350 for an hour in August.) And the only thing that keeps the lawn looking nice is keeping it clipped so the weeds and grass are all the same height.

I grew up in the land of kudzu, a fast-growing invasive vine that some folks claim you can hear growing. In this neck of the woods, the most impressive invader is the American burnweed (pictured above next to the blue recycling can). It starts out small and when you turn your back, it shoots up three or four feet.  Fortunately its roots are shallow so they are easy to pull -- a good thing because another one will be along soon enough.

Apples have started making an appearance at the farmer's market and I'm betting that the nursery is chockful of mums.  Even so, fall still seems like a long way off. Until then, I'm cranking the AC, pouring a long tall cold one, and yes, making another salad for dinner.  Sigh.

Summer in All Its Glory

Summer in Washington, DC is not for the faint of heart.  While we haven't been experiencing the brutal temperatures that are crushing Texas, the hot and muggy weather is here and I imagine it will stay until early September.  This calls for getting your outdoor exercise in early in the morning, hydrating, and generally taking it slow.  Good thing is that you will rewarded with these vibrant colors plus the bounty of the summer garden -- tomatoes, cukes, peaches, and watermelon.

 

I Scream, You Scream

 Notwithstanding my posts about spring blossoms, the true first sign of the change of seasons is the reappearance of the neighborhood ice cream truck.  Every night around 6 pm, you can hear the sound of "Turkey in the Straw" coming from its speakers, quiet at first and then increasingly louder as it reaches my block.  

The usual truck sells novelties -- popsicles, ice cream sandwiches etc. -- but this one has upped the game by adding soft serve cones.  It also found a primo parking spot -- right outside the entrance to our neighborhood park which includes a playground, tennis and basketball courts, plus several baseball diamonds.  Come this summer, you'll find it there, right at 3 pm when day camp gets out.  Listen for the cries of children begging parents and babysitters for a treat!

Smell-o-vision

Seems like a lot of those gadgets featured in futuristic shows like The Jetsons are now just a part of our everyday lives. Camera phones? Check.  Electric cars? Check. An electronic assistant to play your music, make your shopping list, and eavesdrop on all your conversations? Check (well, not for me but you know what I mean).  

But as far as I know, smell-o-vision still doesn't exist or if it does, it hasn't reached the mass market.  So you'll just have to imagine the sweet fragrance of these lilacs. Heavenly! But catch it quick -- it won't last for long.

Ah Spring!

It’s my favorite time of the year—love the feeling of warm sun on my skin, the progression of blooms from crocuses to roses, longer days, the promise of a newly planted garden. 

After growing up in the South, I was excited to go to college in New England for the snow. But I so missed spring which didn’t arrive until it was time for finals. I’ll take the flowers over the flurries.

Jack Frost

After an unseasonably warm fall, the first bit of winter cold has made its way to the Washington area. Although daytime temperatures are still in the mid 50s F, the mercury is dipping below freezing overnight, leaving a glaze of frost on windshields, porch railings, and lampposts as well as delicately edging shrubs and ground covers.

The neighbors have begun to decorate with ribbons, bows, lights, and bells, and I will be sure to post some of the prettiest (as well as the tackiest!) in the weeks ahead. This morning this little snowflake ornament seems most appropriate. Bundle up!

Fall Foliage

We had a bit of snow over the weekend, super early by Washington standards but fortunately not enough to stick around for long.  The inconvenience was minor: no schedules to be rearranged around school closures or delays, and with no place really we had to be, it was a good time to stay home, nap, watch movies, and enjoy grilled cheese and soup.

The sun is back out again, reminding us of the glory of an East Coast fall.   Recently I had occasion to drive out towards the Blue Ridge where fall colors really rule.  But though I had my camera with me, rainy skies and pressing appointments kept me from taking any pictures.  Still the reds and yellows around my neighborhood are quite lovely, a sight I missed during my Paris years where the leaves seem to go straight from green to brown to gone.

P.S.  Happy Halloween to all you ghosts and ghouls.

Apples for the New Year

Thursday marked Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, a season in which you are supposed to reflect on your behavior over the past year and rejoice with family and friends over apples and honey.   It's a time of year in which I feel connected with my people and my past, remembering the Rosh Hashanahs of my childhood.  But what to do after synagogue in the morning?  It's a bit of quandary, particularly for those of us who don't have a large contingent of relatives close by.   You can't very well send the kids back to school but somehow sitting around the house doing nothing special seems..well...like nothing special.

This year I took a page from the book of friend whose new family tradition for Rosh Hashanah is to go apple picking.  There are a handful of orchards within an hour's drive of our home in DC and on a fine September afternoon, it really was just the ticket.  In addition to a bucket full of apples, perfect for dipping in honey and delicious for dessert in the form of apple crisp, we also scored the last of the season's tomatoes.  There were pumpkins and gourds aplenty including some varieties I'd never seen before although I'll wait a few weeks before buying my Halloween pumpkin or decorative gourds for our Thanksgiving table.  And until then, I wish you all a sweet new year.

 

Spectrum

Fall is in the air here....the leaves are just starting to turn and the insane heat is over (although the humidity is another story).  While orange, red, and yellow are the traditional fall colors, sometimes Mother Nature has something different up her sleeve.  I don't know the proper name for these wild berries but I love the fact that they're all shades of purple and blue, all on one vine.  Stay tuned for more seasonal shots.

Blooms of Late Summer

By the end of August, everyone is pretty much sick of summer.  The garden is overgrown and burnt out, the fantasies of fabulous flowers and beautiful vegetables gone by the wayside.  The kids are bored and cranky, and though they won't admit it, most are itchy to get back together with school friends.   Our sandals are scuffed and our once new swimsuits are almost ready for the rag bag.  And all those fresh salads we were dreaming about back in February have lost some of their appeal.  

But late summer has its own special joys, one of them in DC being the profusion of crepe myrtle trees in bloom everywhere.  Deep red, pink, and white blooms on gracefully arching branches -- a fair competitor to the cherry blossoms and dogwoods of spring.

The leaves will be falling soon enough.  Enjoy them while you can.