In the 'hood...

...of course, our neighborhood is kinda spread out, and we have more bovine residents than human.

We hurried through our school work this morning so that we could go for a walk before lunch.  The weather is lovely, but we have a chance of showers this week, and I wanted to gather some leaves to preserve before the colors pass.

In spite of the fact that it was warmer than I like when I'm out walking with a baby on my back, it was rather a nice walk, and Max accompanied us for part of it, and enjoyed trudging along the edge of the algae-coated ponds to scare up frogs.  I've been trying to keep a distance from Max and keep the kids back, too; I think he must roll around in cow manure some days, he looks and smells so bad.  Country dogs are dirty dogs!

The early morning promised a nice day.

We began by going up to the cemetery.  There is a marvelous oak tree there, and many colorful shrubs along the boundaries of it.  I had to keep reminding the little guys that we were there to pick leaves and not to pick through the pile of discarded artificial flora (oh I can't bear fake flowers sticking up out of cemeteries!  I think I would rather have my grave paved over!)

Una took along a sketchbook.

At home I melted some beeswax and dipped the leaves to preserve them.  I love the smell of beeswax, which is one of the reasons I really want to keep bees one day.  My German grandfather ("Opa") kept bees and harvested the honey, although I am not sure what he did with the wax.  He didn't make candles, which is what I most certainly would do.

Beeswax dipped leaves, for a garland perhaps...

I am hoping for a few more days like this before the foul weather comes.