Celebration at the End of Summer

This is not the blip I should have posted today. I had many outside opportunities. I went to two Farmer's markets in two different towns and to an Open House at the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars). Those would have had interesting people's faces, at least. I met and spoke with quite a few. But alas, I failed to bring my camera to any of theses. I then had chance for a few wild and windy minutes late this afternoon to stroll around the property snipping a few flowers and leaves and chatting to a neighbour who has a white West Highland terrier named Sweetie. Gracie Twinkle-toes is in love with Sweetie, or any small white dog, actually. So while we chatted GT-t crept up closer and closer to Sweetie. She has been known to sniff noses with this dog... once. Not today, even though Sweetie strained at the leash as far as possible. She would LOVE to chase a cat just once in her life!
I did not have the camera for this encounter either. But when I got the cuttings in the house and into a vase, the blip appeared. Place of honour goes to the First and Last and Only rose of 2013 from this Canadian Explorer (ultra hardy) rose. It has been transplanted so many times that it is confused. Although stil a short plant it has put forth a bloom.
Sharing the vase is a coral coloured sweet pea, wild asters -- New York natives that are protected even though they bloom along roadsides and in ditches everywhere at this time of year! The bees were really working them. It is an important source of food for butterflies and bees in the late season. They will be in bloom until frost kills them.
There is also a burgundy- leafed dogwood although I'm not sure if you can see it. It looks like leather. With the flash the deep red does not appear well... or at all.
Just before the big storm hit I got back into the house to blip the snipped collection. And now I send it off to blipland with a steady but gentle rain singing its song into the night.

Hope everyone is having a restful weekend.