Returning to Normal

I was trying to catch a flock of crows flying over.  You can see one- a blur, but love the red oak leaves set against that blue, blue sky.

What a day.

I am finally feeling the fog lift from having that tooth pulled.  I took a good brisk walk down along the creek, soaking in the fall colors and bright sky.  Came back home and worked in the garden for a couple of hours, weeding and tidying up in the veg patch.  Finished cleaning up the asparagus beds.  It always looks so much nicer when that's done.

Pulled down Jacks beanstalk, now dry and dead.  Pruners and scissors, cutting and pulling the twisted vines where they had climbed, wrapping themselves around the fence wire up, up, up.  Put away the posts, fence, piled the vines into the wheelbarrow for compost.

It was chilly and I kept my purple sweatshirt on the whole time, feeling snugly.  Pulled chickweed and oxalis from between the young carrots.  The soil was cold and I was glad for my good gloves.

Kept a fire going in the stove all day too.

 

sweet gum leaf  - like burgundy leather

The autumn has truly arrived and with it colorful trees, breezy clear days with leaves swirling by.  I am ready for this shift.

Also glad for the time change, to wake before 7 with some sunlight.  And at the end of the day to come inside and hunker down for long evenings of comfort food suppers and books.

Maples Begin to Turn

Overnight it seems the maples have begun to turn.  The dogwoods and sourwoods have been red for a while, but in the last couple of days suddenly there are the brilliant oranges and reds coming from the maples. We love to watch  this tree behind the garden shed turn each year, it goes from green to a yellowish green to orange, glowing from the inside out, gradually getting brighter and brighter from the top down, like a burning flame.  Even on this rainy dreay day, the yard seems bright.

At the bottom of the lawn more maples and now hickory's turning golden.  There is still a lot of green out there, this is just the first week of strong fall color for us here in the Piedmont.  I'm hoping the rain won't knock all the leaves down to the ground too soon.  With luck we'll enjoy the changing leaves for several weeks to come.