Confessions of a Grandma

It is autumn according to the calendar—even here in sunny/rainy Florida where the humidity reached 100% a couple of days ago and the “feels like” temperature was 100 today, until a cold front moved through and dropped it down to the 70’s. Now you may think that Florida is tropical, land of always summer.  But let me tell you that there are seasons here.  It is clearly fall and the deciduous trees know it.  It is time for their leaves to lose the green, turn color (weak yellow mottled with brown tho’ it may be) and fall to the ground.  I have proof: frangipani and: crape myrtle   I have been looking at so many pictures of the fall color in northern states and hearing so many questions about why we would miss the Vermont foliage season that I just had to show that leaves do change here too.  Okay, maybe the look is more diseased than brilliant color, but it is the same concept.  They turn and fall off.   When we come back for our...

Even though it has not felt much like fall, there is no denying that it is on the way.  It still feels warm in the sunshine, but I can feel how much weaker the sun really is now.  The warmth does not penetrate the shade.  The sun is setting earlier and further south each evening.  And the @#%& flies are finding their way back into the house. It was time to start a bit of fall clean up.  Can you see all the milkweed in the field?  If I had a picture of the opposite end of the field, you might think we lived on a cotton plantation…except the seeds blow around much more easily. Also part of the fall clean up routine is putting away the garden tchotchkes and neatening up the shed.  Mike’s job in this is to clean and sharpen all the garden tools so I will be good to go in the spring. I sweep the shed out about once a year.  The spiders have full reign the rest of the time.