Birthday Road Trip-Fall Fun

The Fairegarden clan hit the road last weekend to celebrate a big offspring of offspring birthday.

Up the interstate we go, singing all the way. There will be friends, family, food and fun on a perfect September Saturday. Good friend Laurie and her husband offered their residence once again to the weary travelers for bed and breakfast, and an unbelievable homemade chicken salad. Muchas gracias, mis amigos.

Laurie is a Master Gardener and was growing the most brilliant red orange Mexican sunflowers, Tithonia rotundifolia I have ever seen, the plant at the top right in the above photo. She generously shared many of the ripened seeds. While she was snipping pods and I was snapping some shots, a hummingbird stopped by for a quick bite. No capture, but it was a magic moment.

We used to live in this upper east Tennessee town, house before last. Oldest offspring Chickenpoet lives here still with her family of four humans and innumberable animals. The count constantly changes on the non humans with high numbers of cats, chickens, birds and dogs among others. A swing by our old house and garden is always on the schedule of events. On the way up the hill to our old stomping grounds, this business that used to be a car repair shop has an eye catching display of metal sculptures. Dinosaurs and other metal creatures are quite large. I love the one on the end at the right. It looks like a sun god with glowing rays radiating from the head and arms extended in a welcoming attitude. I wonder about this collection. They are really too large for a small space but would make quite a statement in a public setting.

Sisters reunited are giving the youngest of the grands an up and down swing. From the left, Chickenpoet, LTB in Spiderman boots and his mom Semi.

The high point and main purpose of the visit is to witness live a midget football game featuring both of Chickenpoet’s boys. G.A. the younger, plays in a scrimmage game to warm up the crowd for the Jayvee game. We are in the white and maroon and our guy, number eithy-two, is lined up second from the right, with head twisted in an obvious bit of motivational speaking to his teammate before the ball is hiked. They won handily.

The crowd was pumped by that win as the next game began. Some passing, tackles that could be heard even up in the stands and several unanswered touchdowns put our team in the winner’s circle once again. Birthday boy, M.A., number eighty-four is making us proud with good blocking. This was the very first little guy football game we have ever attended. Our own offspring played basketball, baseball, golf and many many many did I say many soccer games, but no football. Too fun and lots of excitement as we watched these children in full pads and helmets. There were even little cheerleaders to get the fans fired up.

Athletic competition continued in the parking lot of the restaurant where the birthday bash was held by the three cousins.

Home sweet home. Back at the Fairegarden fall is marching ever closer. Along the driveway the pink buds on the Muhlenbergia capillaris are opening with the promise of a fine show later this month. Newly added Amsonia illustris is offering a counterpoint to the pink of the grass and the blue flowered, green and yellow variegated leaves of Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘Summer Sorbet’.

On the back garden slope, the Anemone hupehensis ‘Praecox’ raises the anticipation of the fall fireworks display yet to come. The excitement builds.

Frances