Two weeks ago , Wil, and I headed up to New Hampshire with Erin for her very first move-in-day at her new college home. The weather was perfect and we had the car all loaded the night before . We happily headed off early in the morning  for what turned out to be a very pleasant day indeed. Upon arriving at campus, we were placed into three  lines to wait  as only 16 cars at a time went to unload in front of her dorm. When it was our turn, a  cheery co-ed sent us on our way to the small road in front of the dorm which  was lined with many more cheering co-eds including the football team (and other fall sports athletes), all  shouting , waving and clapping for the incoming freshman. Very sweet! Even sweeter still , as we pulled up in front of the doors a swarm of said athletes jumped to the car grabbing each and every bag, box, suitcase and stuffed animal to carry up to her room leaving us to trail behind  with our baby in tow and just take it all in.

New adventures await her and although I miss her here, I know she is going to just love  campus life and all the opportunities that will present themselves while she is there.

Back here in The Burrow, a different kind of move in day is happening altogether for which  there are no cheering studly football players, no smiling co-eds,  no helpers of any kind.

I have been closely watching the weather so I will be aware of temperature drops below 50 . Loads of plants that live indoors in the winter are right now still blissfully enjoying their summer vacation outdoors, but the jig is almost up. Night temps on Acu-weather have been predicted to be in the 50’s for as far out as they guess. but this morning on the news the weather person shared that some communities have, and did , dip into the 40’s overnight. Which communities these were and will be was left to the imagination so of course I got to thinking that it will most certainly be mine the minute I decide to leave plants outside for another week, so in they must go!

I am not ready for this, not at all. The garden is beautiful right now with many very intensely colored plants that just shine so beautifully  in the waning  late summer sunlight. The houseplants are thriving and growing and  most certainly do not want to come back into the doom and gloom so soon, but it is inevitable ..so  began the Great Houseplant Move in Day of 2104.

The proper way to do this is to plan ahead, clear and clean the spaces the plants will be going and find all their plant stands and drip trays. Then a solid day should be spent grooming and de-bugging everyone so they are at their best for their new home and no critters come along for the ride.

However,  it always ends up here  with me just grabbing , plunking, and maybe swearing a little as they all come in as is, leaving curled dead leaves in their wake from the door to the window sills , and slugs and sow bugs being jettisoned off by hand at the door and whipped onto the lawn. Not a pretty sight. Then I will have to deal with the fact that they have all grown and now new places need to be found to accommodate their ginormousness   and/or generous haircuts will need to be given so they can all squish in. ( look at the size of this ‘Firesticks ‘Catus??!!)

 

 

There are just too many to list. Some, like this huge bougainvillea, just overwinter inside as they are more at home in a garden setting. This rambuntious thorny vine will now reside on the window seat ledge behind one of the recliners where I am sure it will cause some discomfort during TV watching to an unwitting  human.

 

 

Some are true houseplants that have just been enjoying some fun in the sun

 

 

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And some are just ridiculous things, like this poinsettia ( now blocking my  printer) I have grown into a small shrub and hang onto for no reason other than the fact that it is still alive and well  and my ego likes the bragging rights.

Anyway, they are all inside now…no football players needed.