So Long, Farewell Garden Beauties

 The lasting effects of the first hard frost were more noticeable later in the day when things warmed up.

I now say so long, farewell to the beautiful morning glory.

Adios to the lovely nasturiums that kept this barrel full of beauty all summer.

Au revoir to the sunflowers. Ah.... their blooming heads have taken their last bow.

Sayonara dear grape leaves. Just this morning you concealed bunches and bunches of juicy grapes.

Burnt with Frost and Brilliant Sunshine

This morning it was harder to go around photohunting with the thermometer registering at 22 degrees. I wanted to capture images of frost as I crept around in my slippers and fleece jacket.

The ice crystals surrounded these small strawberries that hadn't reached maturity.

We just couldn't pick all the green tomatoes before frost hit hard. Robert Frost has captured autumn nicely in many of his poems. I love his lines about grapes in this poem.

October

O hushed October morning mild, Thy leaves have ripened to the fall; To-morrow's wind, if it be wild, Should waste them all. The crows above the forest call; To-morrow they may form and go. O hushed October morning mild, Begin the hours of this day slow, Make the day seem to us less brief. Hearts not averse to being beguiled, Beguile us in the way you know; Release one leaf at break of day; At noon release another leaf; One from our trees, one far away; Retard the sun with gentle mist; Enchant the land with amethyst. Slow, slow! For the grapes' sake, if they were all, Whose leaves already are burnt with frost, Whose clustered fruit must else be lost-- For the grapes' sake along the wall. -Robert Frost Just as I was capturing my last photos, the brilliant sunshine glowed on the trumpet vines.