My favorite time-of-the year. The autumn light is breath taking out here. This view was taken looking north toward the Kaw River from my upstairs laundry room.
Cousin Phillip made this wheel from a piece of an Osage Orange tree from Grandma Copt's farm in Osage City, Kansas. The sun light steaming through the front window today drew my eye right here. That must have been a humongous tree! We burn this kind of wood, known as hedge, in the sauna stove. It is a brilliant yellow when split. This warm color reflects the warmth of the sun, and the wood burns hot and slow. Also, this is the tree that produces hedge apples. I use them as bug repellent in my basement. I have only seen squirrels eat them and only occasionally. Otherwise those hedge apples are sometimes used as bowling balls when sister Lois and children come to visit, and once I tried cutting them into discs and drying them in the oven for holiday decor. That didn't work very well for me. Oh, and this wood makes excellent fence posts.
We watched this front move in fast last night. Low humidity with 75 cool degrees this morning. Great chance to work outside without sweltering. No rain though.
My colleague and friend of more than 30 years, Laurie McLane-Higginson, hosted her retirement party at Lake View last night. She recently acquired a room in the club house. Charming. We are so lucky to have such a beautiful little lake in our neighborhood.
Two Eye Workshop 