Have you ever collected horse chestnuts? This is a fall activity that my mom loves. She scouts out horse chestnut trees in the spring and mentions how we need to get to them at exactly the right time. This year we were a little late, the spiny seed pods had fallen away from the mahogany-colored chestnuts.
My mom like to collect them in a variety of stages (a pod just opening, an open pod with the seed showing and loose chestnuts) and display them as art. Once we have some arranged at home, I'll come back here and update this post with a picture. She will also want me to tell you that she planted one in Michigan years ago and it is now a thriving 40 foot tall tree.
Our favorite place for gathering horse chestnuts is in Volunteer Park in Seattle. It is a great open space with a long row of very old horse chestnut trees. We had a beautiful day on Saturday and we drove out to this park with my mom to find horse chestnuts and celebrate her return to health. It was a great afternoon.
#horsechestnuts #notthatkindofchestnut #volunteerpark #seattle #nature #gardenlover #treelover #fallfun
It was the perfect Fall day to celebrate salmon in the Pacific Northwest. Oh yes, I said salmon. And that is probably why we look especially happy in this picture, the whole town is crazy for fish. The stranger we enlisted to take our picture insisted we say "Salmon Days!" to get a good smile. Looks like she knew what she was doing - the photo is great.
Salmon Days is a family friendly weekend in Issaquah, Washington that celebrates the return of the salmon to the river. There is a fair, art show and parade for 3 days each year. The mayor also changes the name of Issaquah to Fish-aquah for the occasion. Now that is town spirit.
Look at the crowds lining up along the river to see the salmon swimming upstream and jumping up Issaquah Creek. I trace the whole path and process in an earlier post. If you'd like to know more, click here.
It was the perfect Fall day and I loved seeing the admirers from this angle, leaning over the bridge to watch the salmon activity. This photo was taken near the Salmon Hatchery.
Salmon Days docents are on hand along the river (above) to answer questions about salmon, science and to explain what is happening this time of year. They are a treasure. When my cousin Carol and I came to see if any salmon were jumping last year, one of these docents gave us a real ecology lesson as we leaned over this same bridge to watch the salmon return.
I was happy to see our mascot, Sammy the Salmon, cruising through the crowd. I love a town that celebrates and I encourage you to join the fun and visit Issaquah for Salmon Days next year. In the meantime, click the links and explore the educational videos on the Salmon Hatchery website.
Autumn has arrived in Washington and the salmon have returned. Can you imagine that when the smolts (I call them salmonlets) are released into Issaquah Creek outside the hatchery, they swim up Issaquah Creek and through Lake Sammamish, the Sammamish River, Lake Washington, Lake Union, the Lake Washington Ship Canal, Puget Sound, the Straight of Juan de Fuca and into the Pacific Ocean. Are you kidding me? That is incredible. They are expected to live 3-5 years out in the ocean until their DNA tells them it is time to return home to spawn and they travel that exact same path in reverse. I am not a scientist, but I think that is fascinating. Can you see the salmon jumping (above) in Issaquah Creek?
This is the open air salmon ladder that the fish jump up on their way into the hatchery. The salmon are back and its cause for celebration indeed.
Did you plant tulips this year? My greatest tulip achievement (man vs squirrel) was when I planted my bulbs in pots. I planted two large Martha Stewart for Kmart classic pots with Apricot Beauty and left them outside over the Winter on the sunny side of the house.The trick was that I covered each pot with 2 layers of bricks. The squirrels couldn't get the bricks off to dig down and eat my bulbs! Hallelujah.
I have had my share of tulip-tastrophies too. Note to self: If you make custom-fit wire screens for the inside of your pots to keep the squirrels out, you have to remember to remove the screens from under the dirt in the Spring or your bulbs will be trapped! I kept waiting and waiting and couldn't understand why no green sprouts were coming up. By the time I realized my mistake, the bulbs were beyond saving. The next year I was back to bricks! My point is, don't be discouraged if you have tulip challenges. Be creative...and then write yourself a note on your calender so you remember what to do in the Spring! The result is SO worth it!
What says Fall to me?
Cider Mills (going next week), Pumpkin Doughnuts (hoping my parents bring me one) and Indian Corn (check).That is one thing I love about seasonal living - it helps me to focus.
You can only drink fresh cider now.
You can only buy Indian corn now.
You can only press Maple leaves now.
I have been thinking about how tricky it is to fit the bounty of each season into just 3 months!
Which makes everything all the more precious. I have a lot to enjoy before the snow flies!What is on your Fall "must do" list?
It was a bright and chilly October day in Michigan. Perfect for a Fall Family Fair!
We were invited to spend the afternoon drinking cider, taking hayrides and enjoying the camaraderie of friends and co-workers on a gorgeous Fall day in Plymouth.
It was the perfect way to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon, don't you think?
My favorite part? Cotton candy! Fall is here and the activities have begun. Next weekend...tailgating before the football game!
Decide today that you are going to get up early on Saturday and head to the Farmers Market. You could come home with veggies for a pot of homemade soup, local honey, maybe even a big bunch of sunflowers. Take advantage of the bounty that the farmers have to offer. Want to find one near you? Click here to find farmers markets by zip code! And let me know what you found...
