Don't you just love this time of year?

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It is quintissential autumn 'round these parts. Temperatures are hovering around 48ºF at midday, with a soft, but chilling breeze. Skies are crystal clear and stunningly blue. And we're having a banner year for leaf color, thanks, in no small part, to the abundance of rain that fell during Tropical Storm Ernesto in September and an an unnamed but powerful nor'easter in October.

I still have several things blooming around the garden. The occasional rose. The late season zinnia. An ambitious Salvia. The ubiquitous fall-blooming Eupatorium coelestinum (perennial ageratum).

Here's a jaunty zinnia:


that's become a resting place for an immobilized bee who I'm hoping was just caught off guard by the chill and is taking a nap before warming up and moving on. Wake up, little buddy! I'll check on him tomorrow.


This ailing maple tree's days are numbered, unfortunately, so I will appreciate it while I can:



And below, the fall leaves are reflected in the storm glass above where my Ali-cat is sniffing the autumn air:



More of my autumn leaf pictures can be found on Flickr.


To see them, click the above mosaic and enjoy! (I prefer the "View as Slideshow" method, myself).

Happy Autumn!

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