The Golden Season -

Really looking and feeling seasonal here today. . . . . .sharing some color from the garden.

Above from another year, special corners, places and birds all dressed for autumn.

Have a really great weekend wherever you are.

City of Oaks -

Returning from the coast in showers and intermittent sunshine, we knew the garden
 would be saturated as heavy rain had fallen over the weekend here at home. 
 Just over a two hour drive to the coast it's always surprising that the weather can
 be so different.
The back garden looked like this on Sunday evening when we arrived back
 just prior to sunset.

Leaves are falling non-stop now. Rakes and tarpaulins are at the ready

 to get them to the curb before the city truck arrives to suck 'em up!

RALEIGH 'City of Oaks' - beautiful, but such a lot of work as winter arrives.

I've done hardly anything yet to prepare for Christmas and really need 

to "get my skates on" as my dear mother always said.

Enjoying the Secret Garden. . . . . . . .

We've worked very hard on the back garden these past couple of 

weeks. . . . . at last we feel it's looking good for the coming Summer

 months and we hope to spend time outside relaxing, watching Nature, 

eating, drinking etc. with family, friends and neighbors.

Our front porch and garden area are looking good too. . . . . . . . 

there's only one major problem, especially for me, the mosquitoes!!!!

Trees, shrubs, plants, all encourage Nature's creatures to the garden,

and tiny biting creepy crawlers and stinging winged ones are unforgiving. 

American Robin drying off

Female Cardinal - she has a nest with babies nearby!

BUT. . . . . . . and I know many people will not perhaps agree, MJoe showed

 up Monday to treat our garden and hopefully make it possible for me to at last

 enjoy it in the Summer months! I've seen the signs in front of many homes in our

 area over the past few years. We are an older neighborhood with many trees

 and thick, mature shrubbery, even small creeks running through many gardens

 and a couple of ponds, so mosquitoes and ticks abound. Apparently they use

 a natural compound which does not harm birds and bees. No contract is

required, and we can stop the monthly treatment at any time. 

I am deathly allergic to mosquitoes and I swear every one within 1/2 mile

 finds me, even when smothered in smelly, sticky repellent. Each bite swells

 into a huge raised lump, like a hive, with terrible itching, and I scratch constantly

 for many days - I am not a pretty sight, or a fun person to be with.

 Enough said!