HerbnArts

    ...Stepping into October, I have been outdoors as much as weather will permit.  This weekend has been absolutely gorgeous with cool temps and warm sun, breezy with lots of blue skies with playful clouds that provide plenty of room for the imagination to make fun creations from the fluffy forms.  I love Ohio in the fall.  How did I spend the weekend?  Art shows and outdoor festivals were my cup of tea.  To no avail I tried to get various friends to join me.  Don't they get it, it's time to play outside before the cold and wet and snows drive everyone inside for the winter.       I saw a wooly bear caterpillar in my garden by the walkway.  For those who know how to read their wooly bears, the body was tipped with black while the main center body was reddish brown.  So goes the 2012 winter prognostication!        My best reward of the day was when I noticed a little spot in my side garden that would make a wonderful sacred spot.  I don't know why I hadn't thought

      Crisp, cool breezes are in the forecast for the day.  This definitely is a sparkling fall day in Ohio.  It lets me know that I had better step up my pace for getting the house and yard ready for winter.        Attending the Quailcrest Herb Fair in Wooster, Ohio was absolutely delightful.  The weather shaped up after a nasty early morning storm.  One reason I love going to the Herb Fair is that I know there will be sweet annie for sale.  The fruity, herbie scent of Sweet Annie is a signature fragrance of fall to me.  I'm so glad I'm not allergic to it as are some.   If you harvest it before the buds open you can avoid the pollen , but still enjoy that heady fall aroma.  Spraying dried sweet annie with a fixative from the craft store will allow you to keep wreaths and swags from crumbling apart as they adorn your home.  Even using hair spray will achieve the same purpose.         The key word right now is harvest. There is a hint of fall brilliance beginning to color