This gets my award for best costume ever. Yay to the little girl for carrying it off; yay to the mom (probably) who dreamed it up and made it happen!

Just for fun and a look at Paris!

Two old friends from high school visited me in Florence! Sweet day!

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/long-lost-friary-found-under-parking-garage-180976090/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=socialmedia&fbclid=IwAR155NBnED0fX83_P4ICLxX1F3inCyPTjAnq2w-yyvHs4IrMveGJV5ZOyqI

Summer weather yesterday and today

The glow out my bedroom window attracts my eye.

We’ll have our first freeze tonight or at least this week.

My beautiful annuals have bloomed their ever-loving hearts out this prolonged autumn. The freeze will kill them all.

Au revoir my lovelies. I’m grateful for you hard work and humble beauty.

How do you catch a moonbeam in your hand? How do you catch the glow of autumn with your camera?

You can’t really capture either, but I keep on trying!

Many years ago, on my first trip to Giverny to see Monet’s garden, I discovered the art of espaliering. I planted this apple tree many years ago on the side of my garage, and although it hasn’t been pruned perfectly over the years by a variety of caretakers, it is still growing strong.

This year it produced 3 apples. I don’t grow the tree for its fruit, but for the opportunity to harness nature (in very a small way). The feisty squirrels who make my garden their home have robbed me of the the other 2 apples, but yesterday I plucked the remaining one you see here.

Each of the 4 major branches of this tree are of a different apple variety. It is a true “specimen” tree!