Autumn seems to have finally arrived. It always seems so strange to have misty rain and fog in Texas - esp when it lasts for several days. Leaves are starting to turn and the guavas are ripe for picking.

They look good enough to eat Maggie. Like the basket too, never seen one like that part wood part woven.

Glad to hear you enjoyed um Terry
Here's some more autumn bits

That must be Julia Correvon Maggie. Did you read where it took me three goes to get her to accept me, perhaps I should have given her flowers to get her to give me some. Don't recognise the second one down, but the fruits look nice. Great contrast between the cool purple and silver and the warm sunny yellows and variegated foliage in the lower two pics. Very good colour matching and I still think you live in Cornwall and just pretend it's Texas.

Pretty pics. I'm astounded that the asters are still blooming. Mine bloomed like crazy, but its been a few weeks since they stopped. Roses, salvia, and blue potato bush are still blooming madly (happily??).

The asters finish in Oct. My new digi cartridge holds 120 shots. Not that I have filled it that much yet, but I don't have to download as often as before. All the other scenes still look the same tho. Haven't had a frost here yet.

My relatively new digicam uses regular computer disks which hold between 16 and 20 pictures. You just pop the disk out of the camera and into the computer, and voila!...the pictures are there. None of that nasty uploading time like my previous digicams.

I bet you got one of those really fancy digis where the cartridge pops into a disk-like adapter, didn't you?

Yep Caro - that's the one. I actually filled it up today with november pics. Course, if it snows or sleets, I'll be ready with a whole new 120 spaces - if I ever get them all off, sized, filed and saved :-0

Sorry Ter,, I missed your post earlier. Yes, tis Julia. She seems to like Texas (not in Cornwall - I promise ;-) better than Yorkshire. Has been my best grower of all the clems.
I have lost rec of that berried vine's name and it is a shame that the sun had washed out its colors - I should have done some photo shop on it to get it back. The berries go from green to lavender, then turquoise. Very unusual.

I brought the tenders in a week or two ago, but thought these 'before they went to greenhouse' shots might be interesting.
During a rainy autumn, the fallen Echeveria leaves rooted right onto the damp wood of a poor old porch chair. I had lifted it from someone's curbside and painted it perriwinkle. Should have re-painted it this summer. tsk tsk


The red passion vine ALWAYS makes it biggest bloom just when it is time to rip it off the trellis outside the grnhouse and take into the grnhouse. Grrr

I do like that passion flower Maggie, never seen the red one. I have the more usual white one with the blue bits in the centre. Doubt the red one would survive in Yorkshire, the white is only borderline and that's on a south wall.

You are right Terry, the red is very cold tender -even here.

We had our first blast of cold of today and yesterday - ice and everything!
MK, if you are around - I was thinking of yesterday. We had thunder when it was sleeting and snowing - just like you did last year. The evening weather reporter said it was a very rare occurance. He then explained how it only happens when two diff kinds of air masses merge... can't remember the details !!! Was only drinking tea, Terry

Found an ice pic

and how the crab apple still made autumn color after the thaw

Dosen't Mother Nature make wonderful picture subjects. You really captured the ice well in this picture Maggie. I always have beautiful ice on some plants out back under the eaves, but can never capture it on film.

This year is still warmer than usual for December. But I am looking at a few snow flurries this morning. And the wind is blowing! So this morning is WINTER. Just nothing calls to me to grab the camera. . . it's all still brown and drab.

We had first fall of snow last night, but not enough for a white cover, but still looking promising for a white Christmas. If it comes I will be sure to share, we don't get many. Love the shot framed by the window Maggie.

A local weatherman said the last time we had a white Christmas in Ft. Worth was in 1963. I seem to remember an iced-up xmas morning more recently – maybe in the early 90’s. All our houseguests had to stay another day or two, until the roads thawed. So, you can see how rare a whiteone would be here! I sure am looking forward to seeing super pics of MKs and Terry’s possible white winter lands. :-)))))

Well Terry - looks like it's up to you to provide the white Christmas. We're having some very cold weather, but no snow for Christmas.

Hope everyone has a Happy Holiday, and a Safe New Year.



I've made a Christmas Web page, but it won't publish. As soon as I work the bugs out of it and get it posted, I'll let you know the url. Guess I'll be a day late and a dollar short again

Merry Christmas everyone...sorry no snow here either MK.

Ray helped me publish my web pages today.

Happy Holidays

Thank you MK for inviting us into your home for the holidays! Loved that chicken riding snowman!!! and your teddy bears and other dear collections. You know, I gave my big girl the sweetest green velvet teddy bear this year. It is just the right size to cuddle. And because of the bean filling and curved cut of the arms and legs, it hugs you right back! I want one!
David knows I am a hopeless collector too, so I might as well own up to it and show you some of my treasures that we get to enjoy during the hols, next time I’m clicking the camera around.
We had a wonderful time making messes all the over the house, then cleaning them up so we would have room to make some more. We were all so glad to be with each other. Feasted on way too many delicious no-nos. Am worn out from having such happy hols – hope all of you are too ; - )
Loved seeing those toasting snowmen on our forum oxoxoxo Cheers to them and to you and Ray : )

It arrived this morning.





Look at that sky.

Oh so Beautiful Terry ! Wish I could paint my walls the color of that sky - with its shimmer, shading and all
Lets hope those beautiful scenes are an omen for a wonderful new year for all of us.

Soooooooo pretty Terry. We have snow here too, but nothing special catches my eye so far. Or maybe it's the cold temps keeping me from reaching for the camera. This morning's low was 2* - up to 4* now at 8:15 am.

What a chilly morning for feed chores. Sure hope those wooly sheep appreciate it. Kristy has her blanket on along with her nice winter coat, so the old girl is handling the cold well. The ducks and the newest chickens definitely do not like the snow. The ducks ducked into the creek to warm up ??? The new chickens looked like they had only one leg all day long, as they stood on one, and tucked the other up in their feathers to warm. The older chickens are more used to the cold and are smart enough to hide out in the barns.

Terry, meant to ask - do you see these fields and horses from your house? I remember your picture of the horse in the field in warmer weather. I love seeing pictures of landscape from other areas. Since I don't travel it brings the world to me.