The Best of Fall

Can you see Nick? Try the left side, that black speck just below the trees, among the leaves.

Nick the Dog loves his leaves. He loves playing in leaves, dropping his toy in a pile and then digging and digging like he doesn't know exactly where he dropped the damn thing. This, in Nick's world, is premium entertainment. (Clearly, we find it pretty entertaining as well, but we be dog people.)

And the only thing better than digging in piles of leaves is nesting in them. While we're slaving away in the yard, planting plants and painting new window trim and such, Nick digs himself a bunker in one of our massive piles of leaves and nestles in for a light nap.

A better angle of Nick, and a mighty big pile of leaves.

I spent all summer thinking I'd move this burning bush, but of course now I'm loving it.

This is a Spring's Promise camellia. Kinda lovely, huh?
And in the upper right corner you can almost see my Seiryu Japanese maple that's now a lovely red.

Needless to say, we have a whole lotta leaves just about now. Because it's fall, or at least it was yesterday, when it was a glorious 70 degrees and awash in sunshine. I was in shorts and a tank top all day.

Today? Wool cap. Gloves. Thermal boots. And layers. Multiple layers. But did that stop me from playing outside most of the day? Hell no. Just don't ask me about the forecast for nothing but more days of layers and boots for the coming week.

One firewood stack gone, 10 to go.  Our little wood stove is in for a workout over the next week or so.