{Possum encounter...}

On October 8, around 9:15 PM I did find this Possom inside the garage. Probably looking for some cat food? I did actually run up the stairs to get my camera and threw some cat food to feed it but it was too scared. Not quite an adult it seemed to me but it was drooling from fear. I got you some nice photos though and it gave me some insight too. Never had the oportunity before. They look cute in a way. Amazing long nails they have on their almost human-like fingers! It is NOT a rat; it is the only North American marsupial; buideldragend in Dutch; Beuteltier in German. In Australia you do have other marsupials like the koala, the kangaroo and the wombat. Meet one of our Garden Critters:

The first photo I got from this Possom. He/she is standing next to the litter box from our cats. This is for bad weather emergency use... very rarely. The cat food that I threw out, is not being touched... Look at its LONG finger nails!

One minute later... I moved something out of the way to the left and it is drooling out of fear for me...

Those ears!

Showing its teeth; they have about 50 of them. That is the highest number found in any mammal.

The full length and here you can see its long hair and long whiskers and eye brows too.

It's not a RAT!

It's the only North American marsupial. Click for video with info, scroll down: → The 'Possum Pages

Possums are nature's sanitation engineers.

They eat mice, rats, cockroaches, fruit, grain, berries, carrion, insects, snails, carrion, insects, snails, snakes, etc.

All the things you don't want in your yard or house.

They are prey for foxes, coyotes, snakes, owls, hawks, dogs, and HUMANS - against which they have no defense.

The chances of a possum having rabies is EXREMELY rare.

A possum is highly resistant to rabies.

{Our Acer - Maple Trees}

Just this week our Acer Saccharum Marshall or Sugar Maple tree, was at its very best! So here I want to share some of its photos and also the Acer Palmatum Sango-Kaku that is in the wood garden, across the creek.

• This is our Acer saccharum Marshall or Sugar Maple tree. The very tree for the maple syrup!
• To the right, the yellow leaved tree is our Ginkgo biloba tree.
• Pieter has repaired our wooden bridges and treated with wood preserving oil.

• To the left is our Red Maple or Acer Rubrum. Two of our wooden bridges are visible here.

• The above photo is taken three days before the rest, notice the change in color...
• Our wooden bridge, repaired and treated with wood conservation.

• Three days later in full color, this was November 10. Our center bridge visible, covered with fall leaves.

• A view from across the pond...

• This is the Acer Palmatum Sango-Kaku or Japanese Maple 'Coral Bark'

• We do have other Acer - Maple trees but they don't have such lovely fall colors due to the hot and dry summer. 
• Hope next year things will look better again.

{Gardenias in November!}

This was such a lovely gift on our 28th wedding anniversary... a vase full of gardenias from our garden! While Pieter was working on a plastic addition to our greenhouse, I did make a round through the wood garden, taking some photos from all the maple trees in their best yellow coat. Just near the bridge I spotted several gardenia blossoms. I had to be quite acrobatic for getting them off, at that height, but I managed to pull the branches towards me by stepping inside the bush. It is huge. Amazing that when the leaves are falling, this fragrant gardenia is still blooming! But look at the presentation that I made with those flowers. Come, have a peak at it...

What do you say? Such a beauty of a Gardenia on November 10 and the Sugar Maple in the back ground, all yellow...

Not a pretty sight actually. Dead branches from the azalea shrub in the foreground and big fallen leaves hanging all over the gardenia shrub. But I did spot its gorgeous and highly fragrant blooms. I can easily make them look better...

Here is the newly enlarged and tiled patio. Pieter just finished it this week! He built the wall higher and let it gradually taper down. It is impossible to keep it free from leaves now as it is right under the huge live oak tree. But that adds only to the fall feeling.

The Folding Bistro Set in black all-weather woven resin wicker comes from Costco.

Photo taken from the entrance to the Rose Suite. Very nice view of the garden and the pond.

I am so proud of my husband Pieter for being able to do all this again after his open heart surgery last year in September!

God has truly blessed us.

Fig cake that I had saved in the freezer, from my bake in August before we went to Europe, just read {Enjoy some Fig Cake with Tea Jelly!}. Served on the Gardenia by Royal Albert China on a solid silver tray that we had made for us in Indonesia. Are those Gardenias not a dream?!

I put them in the milk jug and used the square pastry plates with the demitasse cups and saucers for some hot chocolate. The flatware is my Dutch Gero Zilmeta Menuet 528.

Below this post there are links that give more info about the china.

Even if some Gardenias already are turning yellowish, I found it so special for having them on November 10...

It had rained the day before and that is also bruising those petals...

A view across the lawn into the wood garden. You just can see our bridge across the creek, to the right of the top Gardenia leaf.

Our maple trees in their best color setting, in the back ground...

Glorious GARDENIA...

Related links:

{Gardenia by Royal Albert and our Garden Gardenias} | previous post by me

{Heavenly Gardenia Jasminoides 'Aimee Yoshioka'} | previous post by me

{May 22 Gardenia by Royal Albert and blooming Gardenias in Baccarat vase} | previous post by me