We awoke early, plucked right out of a vivid dream.
Beckoned by the early morning garden.
Autumn had arrived.
We strolled around in the delightfully crisp air for an hour...
Peeking around every nook and cranny before the sun started to come over the mountain.
Teddy was running wildly, all around the pumpkin patch, so excited for this new day.
We don't think we could properly celebrate autumn without a pumpkin or two holding court.
Could we?
Warty bumps and skin designs, with magical sunlight casting a pink and golden glow...
A perfect way to begin this lovely season.
We collect our daily gifts of the garden.
Which ones to choose?
The garden is definitely taking on an autumnal air about it.
You can really see it in the pumpkin patch.
With twin squash blossoms happily here for the grand event.
And a cousin, or sister, a few weeks ahead of them.
Whilst others have already come inside.
I am a lover of tattered things, and I do find the garden to be wonderfully romantic as it enters its tattered state.
Slowly, but methodically, it changes day by day.
It's hard to believe that summer is really gone.
Makes me slightly shudder...
Mostly because, I don't think I properly said good-bye.
Although, she does linger in my neck of the woods.
So, perhaps no need to make a thing of it, as she will not leave in one fell swoop...
But more slowly, ever so gently, disappearing without you even noticing.
Knowing that she still has many tomatoes on the vine.
Caretaking a little while longer.
Blooms still coming.
Summer and Autumn, together in the garden, having tea and listening to the birds.
Big Teddy knows.
He's a garden dog.
Sniffing around utterly knowingly.
I collect my poblano peppers.
I admire all the clearing out I've been doing, which allows me to see through my garden again.
My basket slowly fills.
Sunflower head, flowers, peppers, tomatoes.
I stop and close my eyes.
I make a memory of all I love.
The delicious air, I can't describe it.
It bewitches me so that I stay much longer.
I pull up a seat.
Chat with a child of the Pumpkin King.
Apologize for the little licks Teddy insists on giving it.
So sorry Madame.
I admire the colors and shapes in my basket, the scents.
I watch an orb weaver fix its web.
And I listen to the delightful sound of the quail.
So skittish and quick, clucking along with sisters, fathers, friends, children.
A long line of them, scurrying through, always together.
I manage to photograph just one, as they make their daily run through my eastern garden.
Maybe three in one photo, if you look closely.
So much to see from our perch on the little hill, the highest point of our rolling hills garden.
Hydrangea and Dahlia join the tiny party.
I compliment them on their lovely names.
Then I prepare my garden loot for its next journey.
Chiles rellenos anyone?
I have plenty of edibles to concoct a lovely dinner.
What a wonderful entry into autumn this morning.
I'm so glad I took my camera out with me to capture a little of it for you.
The air, the sounds, the breeze, the sunlight, the birds.
It was positively sublime.
I've been baking, collecting my dried flowers for a wreath.
Packaging lovely orders.
Swimming, whilst admiring this huge orange dragon fly that swoops over my head in the pool.
I'm about to start a spooky book and I have some high fire clay ordered for a project.
I feel like I have so many things to share, I need to organize my mind.
We love this beautiful season, don't we?
It brings such a collective bliss sigh, it seems.
It's almost just cool enough to want to go for walks in the morning again.
I made a banana cake, with all the warm spices, and added cardamom.
I so love cardamom, do you?
I must try it again and come up with a recipe for you.
I got this massive urge to declutter our closets, so I have been spending a lot of time on that the last few days.
I am not sure where such an urge came from, but I'm going with it, because this isn't likely to happen again for another decade.
I am on my way to grill my vegetables to use for my salsa and the chiles rellenos.
The scent of roasting chiles is absolutely wonderful.
I can't wait to see what this season brings.
Happy autumn friends!
I am ever so delighted about this shift in the weather.
Hooooray!
See you soooon.
Love, Vanessa
