I'm in a fog!

Beyond the fog lies clarity - Anonymous

What a dreary morning it was here. 

Any color in the garden was drained by a heavy fog wet fog. 

I stepped outside with my iPhone at 7:15 AM. I could feel the moisture

 envelope me as I took a few quick photos . . . . . . . . then hurried back
 inside to flip the switch on the coffee pot.

Later:   the sun didn't shine today and more rain coming this evening.
Tomorrow cooler with sunshine - sounds good to me.
Meanwhile - the good news is Magnolia liliiflora survived last week's
snow and ice storm. . . . . . . . and is now blooming brightly.

Tomorrow is a special day for me. . . . . . . . an anniversary!

Autumn. . . . . . it's in the air!

The past few mornings crept up on us with the somewhat morose feeling of a
 seasonal change. Invisible skies, the garden cloaked in thick white fog, the
 grass dew covered. 
The now giant fig tree has laid down its first layer of dank leaves.
Later in the day, when the sun appeared and the ground dried, they 
metamorphosed into a cloth of gold, almost inviting one to sit beneath
 the branches and enjoy a late afternoon picnic. . . . . . . .or at least a
 cup of Darjeeling tea!

I have longed for Autumn this year following one of the most disappointing Summers

 in memory here in the southeast US. Nothing seemed quite right. Travels north 

and west brought the best Summer moments where I actually enjoyed the season.

No sunshine expected today, showers later, and now we are watching
 Hurricane Michael approaching the Gulf Coast of Florida.
This morning it has become an extremely dangerous category 4 storm. By 
tomorrow afternoon it will also start to impact North Carolina with very

heavy rains after making landfall and moving north. 

Friends and acquaintances in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina - we'll be thinking of you.