Oh, beautiful November...
When the garden puts on a last show, autumnal specimina make their way to the mantel, and arbors get gobbled by summer's vines.
And finally, finally certain growing vines decide to bloom.
The butterflies are still everywhere.
The towering Sulphur cosmos, and extra November bloom of the milkweed, have been keeping the wingeds very happy.
I have had a summer (I forget it is not still summer in this land of sun), and an autumn, of saving creatures.
Sometimes they need water, sometimes they just need a rest inside somewhere safe.
(I found her just laying on her back in the garden)
This swallowtail lived in my book room for a day, before I decided to bring her back to the garden.
I thought she was not going to be okay, but then I snapped this photo, turned my face and poof!
She was gone.
Up into the cacophony of November cosmos, and the ghost of the crescent moon.
Dry flower collecting becomes more important than ever at this time of the year, because they do so well to fill the winter void.
And the paths burst with marigolds intertwined with cosmos, much like the last fireworks.
Just when you think it's over, another little explosion of color turns up.
And the pumpkins, so many pumpkins still.
Jack-o-Lanterns and Fairy Tales, also known as Musquee de Provence.
And more butterfly saving...
It's a wonder I have time for anything else at all, when I'm saving butterflies all day.
I've also become a pro at seeing a drowning butterfly out of the corner of my eye.
I run over and pull them out carefully, and set them to dry.
The garden pays me in a few extra dahlias.
The cosmos and dahlias bloom in autumn here, they get so huge and tall all summer, and then finally, when you think they might not even turn up, they do.
They always do.
And so, the autumnal shift just begins in my garden.
I am starting to clear out, and it's looking beautiful in its own tattered way.
Tattered gardens and tattered furniture, they always have my heart.
I took a couple weeks off at the beginning of November.
Off meaning, away from social media and computer.
Sometimes the internet world goes too fast for me.
Holidays overlap, and it seems to jump into the next season too quickly in this virtual land.
And so, in order to slow down and really savor my garden and the season, I unplugged.
The garden is so hot all summer, that when this beautiful weather arrives, I really just want to enjoy my little world as much as I can.
Living in the moment really means a lot to me, how about you?
I guess it means more as I get older too.
The here and now means more, and I understand how valuable it is.
The days are glorious, I have more key limes than I can keep up with.
It's been unseasonably warm so the lemons, grapefruits and oranges are coming early too.
In the evenings I've been reading the most curious little book, drawing, and water coloring.
It was Miles' birthday on the 22nd, almost a year without him (on 12/16), so I covered his grave in beautiful bougainvillea flowers and some roses.
Matty is sleeping on my foot as I type this, and I am just about to finish a little drawing I've been working on.
The moon was outrageous recently.
I woke up at 3 a.m. and went outside to marvel at it, absolutely unreal.
Golden, with a golden haze all around it.
So magical.
The arbor gets more floriferous every day, as drunk bees emerge from the blossom's depths, dazed and confused.
It's a beautiful sight to see.
I suppose I better get my pumpkin cheesecake in the oven - although I am thinking about making mini-individual sizes.
Which means I need to figure out timing on such changes.
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving if I do not see you before then.
I am sorry I dropped off the planet for a couple weeks, but I had such a delightful time just being.
Of course, I adore taking photos and sharing snippets of my life.
I hope to do it more often as the winter days find us, and life slows down a little.
I've mopped all my floors with Journey playing loud, and have all the cooking supplies ready for tomorrow.
Lots of love, from my little nook to yours!!
~ Vanessa
