Stop 'n' Sniff

Am I the only one bending over to inhale a flower's fragrance?  I'm not too proud to kneel on the ground to inhale the seductive scent of a late rose bloom. Yet, I have to say, I rarely, if ever see other pedestrians bending over. Do you engage in this simple pleasure? In the balmy 75% autumn weather that we have been enjoying lately, the intoxicating essence is as intense as on a hot summer day. I relish this last vestige of  spring, summer and now fall. Every season has its own allure, but for now, here is an autumn sampling that provides very special treats for sensory delights of every kind.  All that is required is a nose, skin, eyes and ears.

Stop 'n' Sniff

Watch out, its scent is addictive!

Touch

With my eyes closed, this frond felt like the soft tail of a kitten.

See

The bark of a sycamore tree  always displays amazing patterns, bursting from the trunk in a final spurt of growth.

Listen

 As I trudge through the crunchy piles of dried leaves, some as big as dinner plates, the decibels are nearly deafening...but I like it!

The Last of October

Halloween tho' it is, the last day of October never fails to bring to mind a poem that I learned in kindergarten.  Sitting cross-legged in a circle around our teacher, Miss Jenkins, our class would recite in unison:

FALL

The last of October

We lock the garden gate.

The flowers alive all withered

That used to stand straight.

The last of October

We put the swings away

And the porch looks deserted 

Where we like to play.

The last of October,

The birds have all flown.

The screens are in the attic,

The sand pile's all gone;

Everything is put away

Before it starts to snow---

I wonder if the ladybugs

Have any place to go.

Aileen Fisher

Are your bulbs planted, your mulch spread, and is your garden prepared for winter?