Sunday, October 10, 2010

Autumn Begins


Inevitably, the seasons change. Here in the Piedmont, summer is reluctantly giving way to autumn. Right now, after a couple of weeks of cooler weather, we are experiencing Indian summer, with daytime highs in the low to mid 80's. Summer's last hurrah! What relief from the death grip, that summer had on us from May through August!

The picture above was taken of a small Dogwood in the woods out in front of the house today. Curiously, my Dogwoods never flowered this year, nor did they produce their typical red berries. Does anyone have a clue as to why? Shouldn't this be an annual event?

A trip to the grocery store today, revealed even more color emerging. Apparently some trees are just shameless exhibitionists! They can't even wait for the annual fall fashion show to begin, before they start their runway walk! A few of those shameless ladies were on full display today, with their extremities already in full blush, but most are still far too bashful to come out of the dressing room. In another week or two, their biology will take over, and they will be left with no choice but to submit to brazen displays, as well. I can't wait! We are about to enter the most beautiful time of year!

I'm sorry if I sounded a bit whiny a couple of posts ago. I've always been very sensitive, and sometimes I lose objectivity and take things a bit too personally, although in this particular instance I think I was on solid ground. That blog generated 24 comments, nearly all of which were in full support of me. I can't begin to tell you how uplifting that was! If I haven't thanked you personally for your comment, please accept my sincere thanks right here and now! After decades alone in the wilderness, it's so nice to have the support of others, and to be able to offer my support to all of you as well!

I posted another blog yesterday afternoon, concerning Blogger comment formatting. If you haven't read that blog yet, I urge you to. It may help you to allow more readers to leave comments on your blog. You can access that blog post here: Blogger's Comment Formatting Options - Please Read

We have another new citizen her in Blogistan (Halle.......Claire...am I spelling that right?), and her name is Elizabeth. She is approximately my age, and transitioned in the early 70's, under the direct care of none other than Dr.Harry Benjamin! She has written some absolutely wonderful retrospective posts, detailing events in those early days. Her profile picture is an early one of her, right after transition, and she was absolutely gorgeous! After reading her posts, I've come to the conclusion that her her heart is as beautiful as the picture of her in her youth. I hope she saw my blog about resetting comment format settings, because she also has the default embedded comment box, and as much as I would love to say hello, I can't, until she reformats her comment settings to either the pop-up window, or separate comment page. At any rate, I urge you to check out her blog, Notes from the T side, and leave your comments if you can. And if you can, please link her to my blog about changing comment formatting, because I have no way of getting in touch with her, because she has no email address in her profile.

Today was epilation day. For the last few weeks, I had gotten lazy, and neglected my duties as High Priestess of the Church of the Immaculate Epilation, and had allowed myself to become uncharacteristically, and irreverently furry. It all got to be too much to for my conscience to bear, and I broke down in a fit of contrition, and spent the afternoon in penance. I can now testify that I am once again walking in the light, and I am completely fur free! Hallelujah!

Take care, loves!
Melissa XX

9 comments:

Dani said...

Hi, Melissa! I too hope that Elizabeth resets from the default settings. I've been following her blog and I've wanted to stop by and say hi!
I'm not sure but maybe the reason behind your dogwoods not flowering this year is the amazingly hot summer this year. I know that it was hotter than hell here, I'm glad that it's over!

Dani xxx

Stace said...

I love that picture. I reminds me of 80's movies where someone is running through the forest (Flight of the Navigator, E.T. type movies...)

Stace

Véro B said...

I was thinking the same things as Dani. Maybe the weather was not conducive to dogwood flowering. Hopefully next year. As it happens, the native Pacific Dogwood that I planted eight years ago flowered for the first time this past summer. I think it made all of a half dozen or so flowers. I hope it is a sign of better flowering to come.

Anonymous said...

NONE of your dogwoods bloomed? Wow. It couldn't have been the heat because they bloom in early spring...at least they do here. Of course, early spring here is like the middle of March...lol. More likely, it has something to do with past winter conditions...too dry?...to cold?...I don't know.

Melissa said...

@ Dani

She did! I am overjoyed!

As for the dogwoods, it got hot very early this year. We started having 90°F temperatures in May and they hung around until September.

Melissa XX

Melissa said...

@ Stace

I was thinking of something more along the lines of, "The Last of the Mohicans".

Melissa XX

Melissa said...

@ Veronica & Suzi

It got very hot, very early this year. We had temps in the mid to upper 80°'s F in March and April, and in the 90°'s F in May.

Melissa XX

Melissa said...

@ Suzi

Last winter, genuinely was a bear! Very cold and lots of snow! So, maybe that had something to do with it. Who knows.....?

You need to blog more, sweetie! I miss you!

Melissa XX

Calie said...

Apparently some trees are just shameless exhibitionists!

What a wonderful comment!!!

Calie xxx