But the gardens are still displaying their own colours, too.
False sunflower.
Turtlehead--oh, so popular with the bumblebees!
Winterberry. (Small wonder I've got Christmas on my mind already!)
On Saturday night at the lake cottage, the Chap and I--and the girls particularly--experienced the earthquake that struck our state. Only at first we didn't know what it was. Little did we realise that earthquakes make noise--what we assumed was the furnace loudly coming on or a rumble of thunder or a big vehicle backfire or a boat crashing into our dock turned out to be a temblor of 3.1 on the Richter scale. The dogs raced around barking for quite some time.
In subsequent days we learned that nearly everyone who wasn't sleeping through it (the quake struck at 11.28 p.m.) heard a similar sound and their animals were similarly freaked out by the experience. No injuries, no damage--lots of stories.
On Monday evening I met FFTNC for the final wedding dress fitting in Concord and we had dinner at the Lodge with the Chap and the girls. Yesterday FFTNC went shopping and met a friend for lunch. It was damp and misty all day and last evening was positively tropical! Like a rainforest! Today is bright and sunny and less humid and warm. I've spent the day at the Lodge, updating websites (not my own, alas) and tidying my office (nearly have it the way I want it) and planning a trip and marinated some lamb chunks in red wine and coriander and pepper for tonight's shawarma dinner.
I also walked the girls round the little lake. The breeze carries the scent of autumn, the leaves are turning, the wild asters are blooming and the ferns are golden. Someone had a little sailboat out on the water.
Colder weather is on the way soon, bringing more rain. I'm undecided about when I'll next make for the cottage. At this season we study our respective calendars and discuss when we should start closing up. I'm not quite ready yet. We're approaching our wedding anniversary and the anniversary of my very first visit to the cottage as a bride, and it's a special--and beautiful--time to spend there.
But I must admit, living in 2 different locations for the past 6 months, wonderful as it is, makes me ready to hibernate in one place for another 6 months! Plus I've got a worsening case of travel fever....I so try very hard not to go away during cottage season if I can help it. And as soon as the house on the Big Lake is closed up, I'm desperate to expand my horizons.
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