We took a quick trip to the tropics today- Logee’s in Danielson, CT. It was a perfect place to be on a cold, sunny winter day.

I can’t stop thinking about my projects though- when I saw this begonia, I thought the leaves would make excellent fairy wings!

I am loving the fall garden- which is surprising since I have hardly spent any time nurturing it this summer and it’s been very dry. The garden is mature enough to survive some neglect. It is the fall light that is so beautiful.

The front along the sidewalk-

fall crocus-

blackberry lily-

hydrandea-

morning glories climbing up the side of the house-

late roses-

I’m feeling kind of sad- the second of my kiddos has left the nest. Julian is off to Minnesota, college at Macalester. With Eleanor in Cape Town, South Africa this year, my family seems very spread about on the planet.

So I’ll post some nature pics-

This is a seedpod on the mimosa tree (albizia julibrissin) in the backyard.

I have a collection of potted orchids. I really don’t worry about them too much and in general I’m not great at keeping them alive. I thought I had killed this one last year when all it’s “leaves” (?) fell off. It has come back to life though

and look- buds!

Yummy mushrooms! These oyster mushrooms grew in a pile of leaves in the yard. I took our mushroom kit out of the plastic bag, where it had been stewing all winter- sitting on the back porch. I broke the straw into chunks and stuck them in the half- rotted leaves. A few weeks later, this is what I found!

When the weather got too cold, I brought my brugmansia into the house. Usually I put it in the basement and ignore it- sometimes the plant dies. This year I stuck it in the corner of the dining room where it looked terrible for about 2 months. Then it put on some leaves, then lots of leaves and now a bloom!

and it’s wonderfully fragrant!

Yesterday I saw the first crocuses blooming in my garden. They look exactly like last year so I won’t bother with a new picture. I track the dates of the first blooming… one day later then last year.

Hey, the snow really came! This is out our backdoor.

We live right up the street from the grocery store and every time there is a prediction of a snowstorm, chaos ensues. Yesterday our street was busier then the day before Thanksgiving. The store’s parking lot was full and people were parked all the way up the street. It’s funny really. Many times the storms amount to nothing. This time the forecasters were right! We’ve got at least 20 inches and lots of drifting. It is too high to clear it with the snowblower.