Painted Pumpkin…

Every year, a few nights before Halloween, we host our family pumpkin decorating event.

This year we decided that the younger kids would enjoy painting their pumpkins or jack o'lanterns more than the detailed extraordinary efforts of detailed carvings…

This one was my niece's pumpkin. It had to stay at our house to dry for a few days…

I love that she used so much paint and so many colors. Totally uninhibited 5 year old art!

Thought I would share since I have not been in my garden much these days.

Garden Birthday

We went on an outing today...


Saw a birds nest up close...


Were very excited to hang out with Aunt Teren on her birthday today...


Chloe even started taking some pictures with my iPhone...


Not all that bad for an almost 3 year old...


I loved this one of her little boots...


Then she was done - here mom, you do it...


We found a flower on the ground that the plant was done with...


Even got quite a bit of pollen on the nose...


Saw some beautiful orchids...


And bonsai woods...


Pitcher plants were very cool...


And so was this stem...


Beautiful hibiscus flowers...


Check out those ruffles...


And crazy looking plants with bad hair days...


And these wild chrysanthemums...


Then our ears heard a sampling of the newly refurbished Longwood Pipe Organ. As we walked by, Chloe looked up at me, grabbed my hand and said in all seriousness & concern "Mom. That sounds like trouble...". I guess she watches a bit too much of Little Einsteins - because those deep, loud pipe tones sounded like something right out of a haunted mansion of old...
She is so clever!

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Lovelies In The Leafs...

Just a quick post to share with you some of the things I just saw while sweeping then mulching the leafs...








-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

Falling Leafs...

Believe it or not, we still have quite a few trees almost at peak.


While others have been bare for weeks...


This picture above was taken at dusk with my iPhone and the moon is in there between the trees...


I loved how this leaf was turned over and contrasted with all the others blowing about...


The breeze had all these leafs impaled into the grass, and the sun shining behind them just made them glow...


More contrasting backsides of leafs...


Chloe and I playing with shadows before school one morning this last week...


I love this picture of Chloe holding up the strand of cranberries we strung the other night...


There are so many colors and textures around right now...


But not for long... They are starting to really turn brown and wilt...


Which of course is perfect for gathering into piles for playing...

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

More Frosty Garden Goodness...

These are from last week...


The Nasturtiums are just hanging in there...


And I couldn't help but snap a bunch of pictures...


They remind me of the way skirts twirl out when you spin around...


And these droplets show just how humid it can get around here...


And check out that outline above... Love seeing stuff like that!


And the frost outline on the mums - looks like someone colored those edges with silver paint...


And the leafs...


I just love these! I look forward to seeing my garden this year in frozen stages of decay...

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone

First Frost

It has happened...
The first frost for Fall 2010 has happened this morning...


A lone pansy in amongst some frosty greens...


Wall of Nasturtiums has started to droop (and smell like rotting plants)...


Milkweed seeds were scattered, frozen into place until the sun melts the frost...


Delicate frozen edges...


And Milkweed pods that are letting go the last of their seeds...

All taken this morning on my way home from voting on this Election Day...

-- Pictures Taken With & Posted From My iPhone