Sunday, September 07, 2025

It's Another Beautiful Day in the Ozarks

It is another beautiful day in the Ozarks of SWMO.
I was up early (6:45ish) after spending another night sleeping on the deck futon. The neighbor's roosters and chickens were doing their morning thing and the sun was making it's daily appearance in the eastern sky. Wake up temperature was just below 60f (15c) and I slept quite well.


When I went inside to make my morning coffee it almost felt like the heat was on. In spite of the expected warm up this week, I think the nights will remain cool. Sleeping inside with the bedside window open is nice, but it is amazing how much of the night sounds are muted through an open window. I am surprised at how different it feels to be out on the deck vs next to an open window.
There is such a calming effect from being outside vs inside. I don't know if the walls just block or dampen the energy or if there is some kind of different electrical field or what it is, but daytime or nighttime, I'd rather be sitting outside vs sitting inside.

I think the week ahead will be a typical week for a retired guy in the Ozarks. I have my annual physical this week and expect to hear that I need to lose weight (I do). 
The Springfield Cardinals will be wrapping up their season at home and I will probably be at two or three of their final six regular season games. 
I have more iris tubers to plant. My irises were getting so densely packed that I haven't had very many blossoms this year. I dug them up, thinned them out, and am replanting a bunch along the front of the fence. I am hoping they do well next spring. 
I should probably check my gladiolus for new corms to be spread out, as well. There is quite a bit of work to be done in late summer/early fall in flower gardening. I will also be spreading out my peonies and trying to find a way to contain the Rugosa rose bush that is taking over its space. I'm thinking I may have to cut it back, dig it up, and replant it in a confined area -- something like an in-ground potted plant with an open bottom but deep sides. The runners this beast sends out are pretty amazing.
I've also been re-potting some succulents and indoor plants. I really need a small green house. That may be a winter project. 

If you know me at all, you know I am a summer guy and I am not looking forward to the fall and winter seasons. Having said that, I am determined to enjoy each day for what it is. The dying of annual plants, the dormancy of perennials, and the regeneration on the other side of winter all have their places in the cycle of things. 

Honestly, my days are full of simple pleasures -- butterflies and humming birds feeding on the nectar of my flowers, bluebirds, wrens and finches enjoying the seeds, the sounds of a nearby great horned owl at night, the yipping of coyotes or the occasional deer that find their way through our field -- it's really a pretty good life.

Be present.
Enjoy the moment.
Have a wonderful week.

John



 

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