These photos were snapped yesterday as we, in Southern California, anticipate an atmospheric river storm early this week. Predictions suggest one to two inches of rain for San Diego coast and valleys. The rain barrels are in place for the metal garage roof and tomorrow I’ll need to finish draining down the two 300 gallon rain tanks that capture water from the house gutters.
Our drought-stricken SoCal landscape will be refreshed and the wildfire risk will diminish. The one hundred plants I helped tuck into dry soil at a nearby demonstration garden two days ago will benefit from the rain. Though the winter outlook suggests lower than normal rainfall, Californians welcome it whenever it comes.
Early November is a golden time in the garden. Seeds planted in October are growing well. Seed-grown transplants revel in warm sunny days, sinking their roots deep in rich, compost-amended soil that supports healthy top growth. With the cooler nights, the cabbage moths are fewer and row covers protecting the brassicas are removed. Screens remain in place to protect vulnerable plantings from opossums and raccoons—infrequent but unpredictable visitors.
Two kinds of beets are thinned and growing well under screening.
Romanesco and sweet peas in late afternoon light.
‘Little Gem’ lettuce nearing harvest.
The broccoli bed with six ‘Jacaranda’ in front. It produces a single head about ten days before most other varieties. My plan for not being inundated with broccoli. We’ll see how it turns out.
Summer holdovers.
Snow peas finding their way to the trellis aided by bamboo sticks—absent Pea Brush.
And waiting in the wings, more lettuce and celery and flowers.
Late fall garden bouquet after the asters have departed.
Check my What I’m Planting Now and Garden Tasks This Week pages. Dave at Happy Acres blog is taking a break from Harvest Monday until February.
Here, we honor and remember our ancestors. We have offerings for our ancestors on the ofrenda and put their pictures up to remember them. We put things that they liked or enjoyed. Such as pan dulce, candies, foods, or even cerveza, (beer).
The Zempoalxóchitl, (marigolds) flowers represent the sun and the beautiful road it's creates between here and Mictlán (the underworld).
Papel picado, or punched paper, represents the wind, but also decorates the ofrenda and helps make it beautiful for our ancestors.
Candles, represent fire, and light the way for our loved ones.
Water, represents the source of all life. We offer this to our loved ones to quench their thirst from a long journey to visit us.
Ofrendas will be different from family to family and no ofrenda will be the same. There really is no step by step process to make an ofrenda, rather think of the spirirts that will be visiting your house and what you would offer them after such a long journey. How would you want them to feel welcome.
At the same time you want to make sure all spiritual (and, with it, historical) parts of this belief are respected.
Understand that although this is part of a big festivity, most people are mourning loved ones and having an ofrenda is part of the painful process of mourning.