Mid-October

It's still warm to very warm here in the mid-west for this time of year.  We have had temps ranging in the 80's and we should be nearer to the 70 mark.  A week or so ago, right about the time the floods hit the southern states as the hurricane went up the coast, it got down to the 40's at night and right around 60 in the daytime.  Now that has passed and we have gone back into the 80's again but we are headed towards our first frost of the year this weekend.

One thing about these hot days and cool nights is that it sets up the possibility of fog.  It was starting to burn off when I took this picture of one of my favorite plants.  It's just a bush but it gets these little yellow followed by white flowers on each limb from tip to base.  Then they set little blue seed pods, about the size of push pins with the round head...not the flat ones.  In late September they turn purple and stay that way until February, changing only because the weather gets too cold too long.  When they do they turn dark brown to black and some burst open to reveal their seeds.  In March they become the feast for Robins and pretty much no other bird.  They will come every day to feed until they are gone and I mean gone...picked clean like a good BBQ rib bone.  In April or May I go out with my hedge trimmer and shear it down to about 4" and the process starts all over.

We have just started to really get fall colors here in the middle of Ohio.  In about a week we should start to peak.  Places like Hocking Hills should be in full color by then.

Of course, all of this is followed by ................................... SNOW!!!!!!!!

In 68 days and a little over 9 hours the winter happens and the days start to get longer.....yea.