I fell for Fall

We had more friends come from California to visit for the fantasic fall colors. The weather was spectacular all of the days so we got out and saw the sights. The colors lasted a long time this year, which I hear is the result of a good rainy summer. Remember me telling you about the 3 weeks of constant rain that added a patina of mold to my baskets in July-August? Yup, good for the trees. We also got out for some great hiking to some new places. Turns out there is much more conserved land around here than I thought, and there are trails on many properties that are open to the public. Here's Jenny overlooking Megunticook Lake from Fernald's Neck Preserve. Even though there weren't alot of flowering plants for her to see, she was fascinated by the mosses, lichens, and diverse variety of fungi on all our walks. She even helped us identify the trees and shrubs, both in our yard and on the trail.

We had our first real frost on October 29. It was 27 when I got up the next morning. Up to that point I had not seen any effect on our plants (well, except for the tomatoes and squashes), but the next morning the hydrangeas were brown and the morning glories were no longer glorious at any time of day. With the last gasps of warm weather, the nurseries marked down their plants even more, so I couldn't resist. Jenny and I made some strategic acquisitions and created another big bed extension. The red color of this viburnum is a great bright spot in the front yard.

The leaf peeping season is almost over. The last of our guests left on Wednesday and the house is feeling a little empty. We sure enjoyed everyone visiting us and being able to share this wonderful place with you. For some reason, no one has told us they're coming our way for the next, oh, 7 months!! Chicken!

Girls' Getaway

I got invited to spend a week in Florida in early October with my sister-outlaw and my two nieces. It was fun in the sun and sand, and we had a blast! I got a long-desired (and deserved) chance to swim in aqua blue seas with water as warm as a bath. Our condo was right across the street from the beach on Ana Maria island, just south of Tampa. I didn't even take my binoculars, that's what kind of trip this was!

These girls know how to have a good time. We all had umbrellas for our lounge chairs and small tables to hold our frozen concoctions that helped us hold on. We played cards, read books, and stayed up late laughing and talking.

We did see some cool sea life on the sandy bottom, an amazing variety of shells on the beach, porpoises frolicking nearby, a frigate bird (didn't need my binocs for that one), and caught a few waves bodysurfing. It doesn't get much better than that! Thanks ladies!