An Autumn Quartet

Dear Diary,

Colors are fading in the garden. Although we haven't had a killing frost yet, the plants know their days are numbered. Even the little butterfly had a ragged wing. Things are wearing out.

Frost is such a fickle fellow. Although my garden is still blooming, my friends less than a mile away have had their killing frost. They are in a hollow and the frost settles around their house. I've been given a bit of a reprieve it seems.

I am wearing out too. I have more gardening to do but this time of year finds me dragging my heels. I am ready to put the garden to bed for a long winter's sleep! Still, I love the softly muted colors in the autumn garden so I thought I'd try a collage of images to remember this "in between time".

Just as the garden's colors soften and fade, the trees shout their splendid new and vivid colors. It is their time to take center stage.

No spring nor summer’s beauty hath such grace
As I have seen in one Autumnal face....

~John Donne, "Elegy IX: The Autumnal"