Deepening....

The winds are strong and the temperatures are falling at last.
Each day I yearn to be out in the forests, breathing the unique seasonal scents of leaf mulch, smoke and water.
Just before sunset yesterday I made another drive up Mill Creek Canyon.
The lone aspen that was glowing yellow against the deep conifers at the top of the canyon on Saturday had already turned bare in less than three days.
What else had I missed seeing since then?

Autumn glides silently down the mountains, blazing a new yet ancient trail of color that I am eager to follow.

A week from now this yellow gold will be gone...

The darkness of deep green trees are a perfect foil for the exuberant yellow aspen.

I note with regret that the pine bark beetles have already taken their toll here.
How long will it be that the dark green trees will no longer stand in the aspen groves?
Will I look back at these photos and tell another generation about how autumn used to look before they were born?

The white leaves are lingering longer this year.  I must learn if such a tree could be planted in our future Japanese garden in our lower yard.  It would make for a stunning addition I think.

Care to go for a picnic?
The sign points out the way.
I thought of my weiner roasting friends to the north and wished we could all enjoy a time around a bonfire here.

I do cherish the fact that our autumn includes the full color spectrum just about where ever I look.

Mill  Creek has so many walking trails.
I could spend days exploring each one.

For now I explore mostly from my car, driving the main road and pulling over to shoot pictures out the car window.
When it is rainy, such explorations are a wiser choice, camera safety wise.

This and the previous picture of around Log Haven were taken especially for
Andrew and Katie  P.
Happy memories!

As I mentioned earlier it was raining a bit on this meander.
As I was finishing my drive back down the canyon the sun broke through and being very close to sunset, put an extra special glow on this grove.

The rock spine topped mountain street view taken just a block from home.

And speaking of home....

My living room accents are now shifted to co-ordinate with the view out our window.
The serene photo of clouds reflecting in a oh so blue Colorado pond that was over our mantle all summer has been replaced with the heart in the trees photo I took last Saturday.
It was so hard to decide which photo to use, but the "Hidden Secret Heart" photo won out in the end.

I have called several houses "home" during my 34 years of marriage.
In my opinon, each of them looked their very best when they were decorated for autumn.
In December the houses looked so exceptional when decorated for Christmas, but the autumn months...well...cozy homey feelings reigned.
(I have a new footstool now: It was added last weekend after a "duh!" moment when I realized that the Ikea poang chair footstool came in the same fabric as my living room furniture...and the wood would match my end tables..and it was super light weight and easy to move around. Three years...it took three. whole. years. for that "ah HA!" moment to arrive!)

Some of my past homes I graced with elaborate fall decorations.
In this home a few simple changes suffice.
I made the decision a while ago to attempt to limit my seasonal changes to mostly botanical matters that would not require much packing up or storing away later.

While I miss my years with a carved mahogany mantel with an antique crochet mantel scarf and loads of candles and leaves and such...
And my Texas white painted mantels with antique gold framed mirrors and ceramic items completing the display...
Here I have fall all around me outside and have less need to create an autumn as I did in season less San Diego and Houston.
I am satisfied to keep my decorating simple...I do add a bit more for Thanksgiving time.
At the height of fall splendor, I don't want to be inside decorating for autumn, I want to be outside enjoying every minute of real autumn as possible!

A few silvery tin pots...so inexpensive but charming  (and useful!) year around..
One tiny pumpkin...
A variegated pepper plant doing its best to mimic an autumnal forest all by itself...

A small bouquet from the garden and a yellow speckled houseplant next to a votive candle holder filled with colorful seasonal candy.
(It is sure a lot less tempting to swoop up a full handful of those candy treats when they are displayed in such a small container!)

I found a new "Bernie" sized throw at my favorite store last week.
Being  6' 3" means most throws either don't cover the feet or the shoulders for him.
No one should have to make that kind of choice don't you think?
(The pillows are my spring/summer/fall pillows. I do have a different cover for the winter season.)

Here is my cozy place where I sneak off to when I wish to meet with my Lord.
The book "Jesus Calling" is an amazing devotional that was given to me as a gift.
(Thanks Mom...I love you!)
Early morning...and sometimes again during the day when I am home...it is the place where I relax and share my heart in prayer.

As promised...the view at the end of our street...week 2.
Each week I see the season unfold, see the colors blazing down to the valley.
I am counting the weeks.
Seeing the seasons...noting the changes that are gradually coming about.

Rejoicing over secret joys that are for now hidden in my heart.
To be continued....

Doh!

The strangest thing about this house has been discovering that the colors we have chosen to repaint rooms are often the same colors or close to the same colors as the original owners chose  for paint a half a century ago.
Case in point:

Vee was the one to suggest painting the bathroom ceiling to match the wall and tiles.

Imagine Bernie's surprise after he took down the bathroom's overhead light fixture!

And get this: The walls were originally a peachy apricot yellow as was revealed to us behind the towel bars holders. 
Imagine how the room must have looked back in 1954 with those colors!

Now I really wish I knew what the original flooring looked like.
Must have been something really interesting, colorful and lively.
Maybe someday we will find out.
Wouldn't that be fun?

Changes all about me

Changes on high...I can see the fall colors intensifying almost hourly on the hill at the end of our street.

Fall is organizing its yearly march down the creases of the mountains and eventually down to spread color throughout the valley.

The view from our deck out back.

Looking down into the garden: summer green still hold forth, as do the warm temperatures in the air.

I will keep you up to date with autumn's arrival in my view.

This morning the robins of spring time have lingered to become the robins of autumn.

Mama Robin kept a close eye on the family's morning activities.

Cute, huh?
I do so enjoy my breakfast each day just because I never know who will be joining me just outside my kitchen window.

Definitely cute.

Changes overhead of another sort happened this weekend inside as well.
Our house came with this light fixture.
We really liked it, but...
the plastic diffuser bottom had already yellowed when we moved in three years ago and the single 60 watt bulb did little to light up the dining area.
I had resorted to using two floor lamps on either side of the sliding the glass door for additional light; they made the space a bit awkward when guest tried to get themselves seated sometimes.
We had been "eye-balling" ceiling fixtures for a couple of years now.
While I liked the Craftsman style light fixtures with their heavy ironwork structures, and the currently popular artistic blow glass pendants, we just never saw anything that would provide the kind of lighting we needed while not pushing the mid century modern house style into a different era visually.

As you can see the old drum shade single light fixture was a tad small for the room
While I was shopping for bathroom knobs I glanced at the store's light fixture department and spotted a three light fixture that kinda gave me a mental nudge.
I went home with the knobs, and then made a return trip to return one of the sets I didn't use.
The light fixture beckoned me again.
It would probably be too big...
But unless I took it home...how would I know for sure?
Bernie wasn't sure if it would work either but was willing to put it up to see what we would think.

Bernie is a Journeyman electrician...therefore he can instruct apprentices in the electrical trade.
Tate wanted to learn...

Bernie told Tate about the fact that there were two wires.
I myself wasn't listening in.
I hope Tate understood what it was all about.

And so the job began.

Tate was quite focused as Bernie demonstrated some electrical wiring techniques.

After a bit the tasks at hand required a degree of concentration that didn't work well with feline snoopervision.

(I could tell Tate's feelings were hurt as Bernie told him he had to now work without his help).

A bit of work, then Bernie needed something from the garage.

Tate immediately snuck back up on the ladder looking for ways he could be helpful.

Tate:  Hmm...wonder what this thing is for?

Me: Tate, you probably shouldn't mess with that.

Tate:  Don't worry, I am just looking at it...

Oops....

Tate: I had better run down and get that thing back up here before Bernie gets back.

That's funny...I don't remember the ladder having steps like this when I climbed up here.

I think I am stuck....

Now what am I going to do? 

I sure hope Bernie won't be mad at me...

Maybe I can do something helpful with the two wires while he is away...

Me:  Tate, I think it would be better if you didn't mess with the wires either.

Tate: OK.  Will you just promise to tell Bernie I didn't mean to drop the metal thing when he gets back?
Me: I am sure Bernie will understand.

Tate: Oh wow!  I can reach my tail from here!
Me: Tate...try to focus on what is happening here OK?

Tate:  If I could just figure out how to climb back down the ladder I think I could get that metal thing and put it back where it was...

Me: You are stuck again aren't you?
Tate: Yeah.  Ladder climbing down is a lot harder than it looks.

Tate: Oh oh.  He here comes..

Bernie:  What are doing up there?
Tate: Um..I thought I would help you...but there was this metal thing...I didn't know what it was for...anyway, I dropped it by accident.

Tate: It is right down there on the floor. I tried to climb down and get it but I kept getting stuck...

Bernie:  That's OK. I don't need that piece right now anyway. You keep an eye on it while I get back to work.

Tate: I'm keeping an eye on it...it is still there...it isn't moving or anything...nope, not moving at all...

Tate:  Wait a minute...it might have moved...no...well maybe...I am getting a little dizzy from hanging down like this....

Bernie: That's OK Tate. I think it will be fine without you watching it for awhile.

Tate: Oh good...so now I can help you with the wires again?

Bernie:  Just about done here...

Tate: Whew.  That was a lot of work!

Tate decided it was too nerve wracking to still be involved with the project once the fixture was being place.

Me: The little one needs to be a bit higher.

Bernie: It might be difficult to make that happen now; all the excess wire is tucked up inside the ceiling fixture.

Me: Would it work if you just turned the little shade upside down so it would sit a little higher?

Bernie the Electrician humors Jill the Librarian and tries her brilliant suggestion.
Doh.
That sure didn't work...

Eventually he managed to get the hanging levels all worked out.

Of course I had to set the table to see how it would look that way.
We are both surprised that the fixture that looked huge right out of the box actually looked just fine once it was hung up.

As seen from the front door as you come into the house.

 

I really like that wood grain...

The three sixty watt bulbs put out a nice amount of light, and the natural wood grain of the shades glowed beautiful when it was dark outside.

 

I am amused to know that we own number 511 of a limited edition of 688 of these sets.

It wouldn't surprise me to learn that mounting this set was number 511 of all things that we have done around this house since we bought it.

**************
Thanks for the suggestions on the bathroom re-do problems.
The ceiling will be painted to match the wall per Vee's suggestion, and the shelving will be glass per Sara's communication with me.
The wall is patched, but it will take a few other steps before it will be ready for a coat of paint.
We need to buy the shelves still...
I will let you see the finished project when it is all pulled together at last.