A late Summer day at home. . . . . . .

This is today on the front porch.

Morning glories still appear early, twining around whatever they can grab on the porch. Yesterday I had to trim them back a bit as they were engulfing everything.

It's still very warm hereabouts, and the trees across the cul-de-sac remain green and full, however just here and there I see a few leaves turning color and thoughts of Autumn are running through my mind.

The figs are just about gone and picking is over. Just a few left on the topmost branches where we can't reach but the birds and squirrels can feast. Now and then I see a squirrel run off with a whole juicy fig in it's mouth, looking for a hiding place to nibble in comfort.

It's been a less than perfect Summer in my garden when it comes to color. Many plants succumbed sadly. The weather has not cooperated, too hot, too dry, so the arrival of the bronze, gold, orange and red shades of Autumn will be welcome. 

I changed my flag today - put away the sunflowers and hung the colorful birds feeding. Our hummingbird Ms. Ruby is still arriving constantly at her feeder on the porch, many other garden birds have stayed with us all Summer and are here year round. We stopped filling our feeders near the fig trees to keep birds away whilst harvesting fruit, soon we'll treat them to good quality mixed seed again as we love to watch them through the cooler months. I'm surprised to see one of our little Carolina wrens already tucking into a hanging Boston fern on the porch - it arrives at dusk, sings a song, and flies up from the porch rail into the basket, just like other years, but this seems much earlier in the season. Perhaps my favorite tiny bird is claiming it early for cold nights ahead.

Speaking of which, I'm feeling a tiny bit of a change in the late evening and morning air, aaaaaah, lovely.

Autumn can't arrive too soon for me. . . . . . 

and I'll be spending part of it 'across the pond' - more on that later!