Odd Bits

Hellow Happy Readers!   I sure do hope everyone is enjoying these first fresh days of autumn!

Many of us are well into harvest, even if that harvest is only three tomato plants in containers in the back yard. Well, I do have chocolat mint and strawberry plants, too. I am so excited about my tomatoes! I have hundreds! Tho they are only cherry tomatoes, they have been so very successful this year!

In one of the containers that I had a strawberry plant in, up popped a bit of a different "weed" between the strawberry leaves.  It didn't look like the usual garden weeds, so I thought I would leave it and see what it might turn into.   Turns out to be a sunflower!  We have birdfeeders in our backyard so I suspect a black sunflower seed was picked up and dropped by the chickadees that frequent our feeders.  And the seed has grown...  I don't think it will have time to ripen tho...  It is very pretty.

I also planted from seeds I got from a friend,  calendula.  They really have alot of rather ugly foliage, but I like the flowers of this plant very much.  These were not very successful because really I got a pot full of long green leaves and only about 6 flowers developed.  Hmmm... not sure why, tho.  Maybe too many seeds/plants in one pot?  Maybe too dry?  Even though I only have a few flowers, they go to seed easily so I will pick the seed heads off soon and have seeds to start and try again next spring.
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Halloween is coming on quickly and it never hurts to plan ahead, especially if you are one who really goes "whole hog" with Halloween and all it entails.

I found an interesting spiderweb cake in a jar, that would be an extra neat treat, if you have the time and oh so impressive for the little ones in your family.

Check out the Chocolate Spider Web Cake in a Jar at http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/2011/09/halloween-cake-in-a-jar.html

And are you planning to carve a pumpkin?  Here is a page where you can print out a template to use on your pumpkin...
A nice variety...  http://www.myhomeideas.com/holidays/9-jack-o-lantern-templates-10000001850864/index.html

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And then, of course there is WALTER....

Tomorrow is his big day at the Vet's.  He is going to get "the operation"....

He will be feeling a bit sore for a few days and I suspect he will be napping more than usual...

In a few days he will be back to being the whirling black devil in this house.