Our Household Gargoyle(s)

Slim opportunities presented today for any kind of outdoor activity. Heavy overnight rain set the pattern for the following day. We need the rain. It generally does rain in the fall. And we are now officially in fall. The rain has moderated the temperature, so it doesn't feel quite as cool as it would, otherwise, due to the higher-than-normal humidity.

All work on the garden shed has been halted, for now. Not only because of the rain, but because our master workman has taken a rest. Actually a rest long overdue and imposed as a result of feeling 'under the weather'. No matter, work will re-commence when the craftsman has become re-invigorated as a rest of a rest period. The most arduous of the work of the installation has been completed.

Yesterday was a photo-taking day. Taking in the colours and textures that remain of the garden. And there are ample examples of both. Our large old pine that centres one of the gardens has begun again shedding needles in abundance. Which needles litter the garden below, and this is fine with the rhododendrons directly under the pine. Where the needles sit thick and prickly on the grass, I rake them up and collect them in heaping handfuls for compost. The needles along with the fallen pine cones. And then, since they also fall on the bricks of the courtyard, that needs sweeping as well.

This is truly invigorating work, and I enjoy the activity of cleaning up, tidying up the areas, and as I am thus engaged, glancing continually at various parts of the garden, noticing little details, exquisite, splendid floral displays, not quite ready to remove themselves from our personal landscape. The extravagence of the lush begonias, falling up and over their stems, gracefully draping themselves over the sides of their enclosure. The bright, white trumpet shape of the datura flowers, those moon flowers of deadly provenance.

The huge, fabulous clusters of white-pink hydrangea against the red brick wall of the garage, leaning heavily on the province of the climbing rose beside it and the Big Ben rose that appears to have exhausted its potential for further show this season. Beside it the bright red florabunda roses, just entering their final phase of well-earned conceit, brandishing new buds
beside the glory of the fully-opened roses. And above and beyond them, the household gargoyle observing all, impishly and impudently demonstrating what it personally thinks of it all.