Saturday, November 11, 2023

The Covenant


Here's what greeted me when I set out for work yesterday morning. Fortunately I brought my umbrella, as that rainbow quickly turned into a drizzly rain. November!

I'd already taken Olga for her walk, so she stayed dry. She was full of energy yesterday, demanding to be taken to the high street and than on our neighborhood loop -- basically about twice as far as we usually go. She was very insistent. Some days she's just in a mood.

I thought sure I was coming down with a cold yesterday morning. Two of my co-workers are sick and I was feeling a suspicious tickle in my throat and had some sinus trouble. I was bummed because I was supposed to meet Mitchell and his partner for lunch today, as they're visiting London from Spain. But I didn't want to infect them with anything, and certainly not right at the outset of their trip! So I postponed. I'll catch up with them later this week.

And of course today I feel fine. Go figure.

Today is supposed to be sunny and I'm hoping to get the dahlias lifted. I'm going to take each one out of its pot, rinse off the tubers, wrap them in newspaper and put them in dry storage in our shed. Next spring they'll go back into their pots with fresh soil. I haven't lifted them for a couple of years -- I've taken the lazy way out instead, storing them in their pots, soil and all -- but I think next spring they will really need new dirt. So that's the plan.


Here's a colorful (if slightly blurry) autumn leaf for you. Doesn't it look like a sunrise?

21 comments:

Ed said...

One of the things that I now blame covid for. Prior to the pandemic, as long as I could control my symptoms, I would have gone out as planned. But these days, even if I feel something coming on but have no real symptoms, it is a mental tug of war on the proper thing to do.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Have fun lifting and storing your dahlia tubers! You really know how to party.

Andrew said...

Your sunrise leaf reminds me of an Aboriginal song here that begins with the lyrics, Sunarise, bring in the morning.

Janie Junebug said...

That's a lovely rainbow. You must be delighted when Olga is a bit adventurous and feisty. There's still life in the old girl.

Love,
Janie

Ellen D. said...

A rainbow is always a treat to see!
The leaves around here have really been so beautiful this year.
I'm glad that Olga enjoyed her walk and is feeling so good.

Bob said...

I was just marveling at our backyard and the sea of fall colors that have started covering the ground. Even on a gray day the colors are gorgeous.

Jennifer said...

I'm so glad you're going to meet up with Mitchell and SG! I love it when two or more of my favorite bloggers are all in the same place. I hope to meet some of you myself one day.

Debby said...

Your 'blurry' and my 'blurry' are two different blurries.

I will always be sorry I missed a chance to meet with you (John Gray too). So close, yet so far. My daughter is very cautious and got quite vocal about meeting with strangers. She thinks that I am too trusting. I just got a huge lecture about it again this past week.

I hate feeling like a foolish old fart, but that is how my kids see me, I think.

Kelly said...

I like your rainbow AND your "sunrise"!

I sure hope you (and Dave) can meet up with Mitchell and SG while they're there. I'm hoping for a photo on one of your blogs!

Ms. Moon said...

That rainbow! Just so lovely. And your leaf does indeed look like a sunrise.
I love that Olga directs your walks, both route and time. She does know what she wants, doesn't she? Bless her sweet old heart. And you are so good to let her be in charge.
Glad your cold turned out not to be one.
And I wish I could tell Debby's daughter that I have met you three times in real life and that you are a gentleman and a scholar.

ellen abbott said...

I love your leaf photos. hard to do anything like that here. leaves mostly go from green to brown.sorry you missed your meet-up but glad you aren't sick. I need to start bringing in the plumerias at least. the early frost we had defoliated the two bridal bouquet plumerias but the branches are still firm.

Sharon said...

Pretty leaf and great rainbow. I've often had that feeling that I was getting something only to have it go away. I often wonder if the the germs have invaded but my immune system has gone to work to kick them out. I hope that's it.

Boud said...

It was nice of you to postpone in case of a virus, so I hope you can still meet later.
I've met quite a few people in rl I first knew online, and they've all turned out to be as lovely as they seemed. Not an ax murderer in the lot.

The Bug said...

Pretty pretty leaf! It was drizzly here yesterday too & finally felt like fall again. I was able to wear my new HOTH* cardigan to work!

* hot off the hook

Catalyst said...

Yes it does look like a sunrise. I hope you're avoiding the stupendous crowd today. No sense calling for trouble.

Moving with Mitchell said...

Well, I’m glad you’re ok. Thanks for thinking of us. I look forward to a rain check… although it will be in the rain.

jenny_o said...

I wish more folks were as thoughtful as you are about possible illnessess they might be sharing. I've gone back to masking full-tome this fall and have been glad of it numerous times, standing in line with or being waited on by people with respiratory symptoms, and no masks in sight. I thought we all would have learned a lesson. On the other hand, I realize not everybody can afford to take time off work and not everybody minds being sick. I feel like there's not much room for me to be sick when I am my mother's only caregiver and I'm sure that affects my point of view.

Anyway! Glad you'll have your meetup later and glad your symptoms went away. And what a great capture of that rainbow!

Margaret said...

I love the multi-color leaves! That one does look like a sunrise or sunset. I too am very careful about having any illnesses although I think(?) we're contagious when we don't even have any symptoms. Sigh. So, it's hard to know exactly what to do. I do covid test whenever I think I have a cold.

River said...

Rainbow!! and a sunrise leaf :) :)
I'm glad Olga had a sprightly day.

Steve Reed said...

Ed: I agree. When I got mildly ill last Christmas we cancelled a planned trip to the states for just that reason. Before Covid, I'd have gone.

YP: As Steve Martin said, I'm a wild and crazy guy!

Andrew: Sunrises, always to be celebrated, no matter the culture.

Janie: Oh, I am, definitely! It's great to see her energetic and happy.

Ellen D: I've heard that in years with a lot of rain the leaves are better. We've certainly had a lot of rain this year!

Bob: I always enjoy autumn colors.

Jennifer: I hope you and Greg come to London! Yes, it will be good to meet Mitchell face to face.

Debby: Oh, interesting. I mean, I'd agree if we really WERE strangers, but I don't think we are, are we? We know quite a bit about each other!

Kelly: We will not disappoint!

Ms Moon: My theory has always been that it's the dog's walk, so she should get to decide where to go. This often means traversing the same old ground, because she's a creature of habit! I'm more or less a gentleman but definitely not a scholar. :)

Ellen: It's hard to move such big plants, but now you've cleared space for them in the garage!

Sharon: That's exactly my theory. I think I was getting sick but I fought it off.

Boud: I've met several "online friends" as well and I agree, everyone seems pretty much as I imagined from their online persona.

Bug: Nothing like a drizzle to make it feel like fall! LOL

Catalyst: Yeah, I'm steering clear. I don't really have a dog in that fight.

Mitchell: LOL -- a literal rain check! (Without the check.)

Jenny-O: I'm a bit surprised at how casually people come to work even with illnesses. I thought we'd all be much more cautious now (as Ed said above).

Margaret: As I understand it, we're most contagious right before symptoms (and during their earliest stages). But I'm not a doctor, so don't take my word for it!

River: I haven't seen a rainbow in a while. It was a pleasant surprise!

Jeanie said...

What a fabulous rainbow -- you see the full arch and thephoto is excellent. That's a great way to start the day. And all the better, given that your cold might just have been the overnight leftovers! Glad you are feeling fine and Olga is, too. Hope you can get your lunch plans back on track!