I was cleaning the porch railings yesterday, which prompted me to sweep and do some general clean-up. So I took some pictures.
I used to buy mums in the fall, but the reality is that I have more than enough pots still in bloom. In fact, all of them are still in bloom.
So, I save myself some money and enjoy the riot of color and pretty blossoms that are already there.
See what I mean?
But there are fallen leaves everywhere. How did that happen?
The sugar maple is already shedding its leaves.
The hanging pots of scaevola are still thriving. They last from early spring until the first frost.
I brought the wicker rocker down from the bedroom, where, frankly, it took up too much room – I could never get my dresser drawers open without having to move it. It’s been replaced by Grandma’s chair. I’ll put the rocker in the shed for the winter because it gets awfully wet and snowy on this porch.
It’s pretty, isn’t it? However, the back needs to be reinforced and I haven’t done that yet (it’s only been over a year), so it’s unusable if you want to sit back, relax and actually rock.
I’m going to try and sit on the porch and read every day while I can. With the advent of Fall comes the looming onset of Winter. So I want to take advantage of this lovely extra room of ours while I can.
Lovely reader Sharon sent us a package. And by us, I mean me, Don and Scout.
Some wonderful egg cups for me, as well as a little pitcher. Healthy treats for Scout and Hershey’s Almond Kisses for Don.
You’ll noticed they’ve been opened by someone. (I keep finding little foil bits around the house.)
Thank you, Sharon, for your thoughtful gift. Scout and Don thank you, as well!
Book Review of The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny on Just Let Me Finish This Page today.
Happy Friday.
Your porch is just so cozy. I think I’d spend a life time there. I am not quite sure just where you live, and I have never been back east, but I am sure that your fall colors will be spectacular. I hope you share them with us.
I live in upstate New York, Ann. We’re right on the edge of a mountain ridge and autumn is gorgeous in this neck of the woods.
What a nice surprise! I like the egg cups with the little feet.
The wicker chair looks very inviting – what a perfect spot to sit and read. We’re two hours behind your time zone and it is awfully dark and cold outside right now with a heavy frost. We seem to go straight from summer to winter, so I’m enjoying your autumn photos very much.
No frost here yet, but it is sure dark in the mornings. And often foggy.
Oooh what a cozy and friendly porch! My pots are all reaching their full splendor just now, right before the first frost. I hate to say goodbye to summer, but fall is so gorgeous with pristine blue skies and cool days. Do you ever just listen to the leaves falling? It’s musical.
I do. It’s amazing. I love the sunny blue skies and the autumn light that is tinged with gold. Gorgeous.
Good Morning Claudia, Your porch looks cozy and a good place to read. I finished the book, The Girl on the Train. It started off good, the middle a little bit slow. The ending had all the action. So I rate it a 6 out of 10. Of course that is my personal opinion . Enjoy your day. Doris
I value your opinion, Doris. Thank you!
Oh, how I love Fall. The only bad thing is what follows.
The leaves are falling here, but no color to be seen yet ~ but for the few branches we see in some trees as we take a drive. My plants are doing well right now, too. I have emptied a few hanging pots of exhausted petunias. There are 3 or 4 flowers still on them, but they just make me sad to see them in that state. The geraniums, coleus, sw potato vines, and impatients still look pretty happy. No sign of frost in the 10 day forecast, so that surely is good to hear. I had 6 happy MGs open up this morning!! That is a little miracle in itself.
Enjoy your books every day on the porch for as long as you can. These days are diamonds!! ☀️
They sure are! It’s gorgeous out there. I’m still coughing quite a bit, but I’m going to mow a bit (just a bit of the lawn).
Lucky you – 6 MGs!
That wicker rocker is perfect for your porch, Claudia. It looks like something that Caroline would love to have in Hummingbird Cottage, in her size, naturally.
I believe she would!
Your wicker rocker looks so at home on the porch…sitting there amidst your flowering containers! I’ve still got quite a few blooming containers myself. We took a drive yesterday…went about a 100 miles north…hardly any color to be found. And like Chris K said…no frost either! We are having a wonderful fall…hope it’s not a trick of Mother Nature…lulling us into a false sense of security….waiting for the other shoe to drop? I’ll take as many of these days as I can! Enjoy yours! ;)
I’m trying to enjoy it while I can because we all know what’s around the corner!
My summer containers are still blooming beautifully. I brought the pots in from the lake because it always frosts up there much earlier than here in town. I think fall is beautiful, but winter is my least favorite season so I always dread fall. The leaves are falling here too, which seems to be much earlier than usual…it’s not even October yet. I adore your porch. It has always been a dream to have a porch like that. I think my dream will be unfulfilled in this lifetime. Hubby likes this split level house just fine and I don’t. Oh well. It’s safe and warm. :-)
Blessings,
Betsy
Yes but it sounds like you have a place in town and a place on the lake! I’ve always wanted to live on a lake. I’m a wee bit envious!
Hi Claudia, Your front porch does indeed, look inviting and like the perfect place to sit and read especially with a hot cup of coffee or tea at hand.
Here in on the coast of western Canada, a lot of garden plants are still in bloom too. Many in my garden are valiantly trying to make up for the delay after the driest summer on record, where almost everything wilted from the heat. Even the Honeybees are still active, albeit the weather is suddenly wetter and much cooler. I admire your resolve to sit outside to enjoy your plants and your pretty porch whilst you can. It won’t be long before we will all have to hunker down inside , as we egerly await the spring.
We just discovered some honeybees nesting in our catalpa tree. We used to have them there for several years and then they died off. We covered the hole with screen (because we’d had an african bee who was aggressive before they died out) and just in the past few weeks, they’ve somehow found a way to get in there. We don’t mind at all if they’re not aggressive. We need our honeybees!
So true! The honey bees are a dying breed, and every Spring, I am scanning every garden I pass to see if they are any there. Last Spring , as I did my daily “walk-abouts”,I could count the honeybees that I saw within a 5 block radius, on both hands (no exaggeration). There just were not enough of them, and everything was already in full bloom! Who knows what the future holds but , I pray to God that they will make a comeback. However, it must have made your heart glad to see them there in your tree again.
Oh how I envy you having that beautiful blue stone porch…What a wonderful place to relax and read…I love your wicker rocker..I have two wicker chairs in my living room…How nice of Sharon..those egg cup are so sweet…of course we know who snitched the kisses don’t we Mr Sparks?..Enjoy your reading on the porch..I am thinking of going outside to read too now that it is cooler…When it gets a little to cool out we have a fire pit …a cup of coffee, a good book, maybe a light throw blanket and a little fire in the fire pit…sounds like Autumn to me…
Mr. Sparks is indeed the culprit.
A fire pit sounds wonderful, Nancy – I wish we had one. Enjoy!
I love your porch! I think it’s one of the things I miss most about where I live now, no porch! It is cool and rainy here today and great afternoon to catch up on blogs, reading and some crafting.
hugs,
Linda
This cooler weather is welcome, isn’t it? Enjoy, my friend.
Your porch, the view from it and also your decor is just lovely. I, too, weather permitting, would spend as many of my waking moments as possible out there.
Forgive my ignorance but I’m a no-snow Californian…when you put things away in the shed for the winter, how protected is your stuff? Like, do things in there form ice crystals, so that everything has to be covered with a tarp or something? I’m always intrigued how people prepare for winter in states that have severe ones with ice and snow. If I just went back to the East cold-turkey and tried to live, I’d probably risk my life not knowing what to do (I’m remembering that awful winter, 2 years ago now(?), when Don was gone and you were slip-sliding in snow trying to get Scout in and out before the closer-up pen and then getting up on a ladder and trying to get snow off the gutters or roof…and not always having your cell phone with you (understandably, so much to do, distracting and worrisome; increasing uneasiness I’m sure). Don’t your cars get buried, too, because you said you don’t have a garage? Again, I simply wouldn’t have a clue to know what to do with these scenarios. I’ve always heard about pipes freezing…
The shed is wood and solid enough that things, though cold to the touch, don’t get icy. They’re protected. Our cars do get buried, which is a pain in the tush. In fact, I’ve already apologized to the newish car for the snow that is coming. It’s a Florida car and it’s sure not used to snow.
Winter is a pain in the – I’m going to say it – ass. It truly is. We have to constantly monitor the pipes so they don’t freeze. It’s a LOT of work.
I love porches. Yours is especially roomy and cozy at the same time! Enjoy it until winter sets in.
I will, Wendy. Soon it will be too cold to enjoy it – so I’m going to make the most of it while I can.
You know I would love to be sitting on that glider knitting away.
Hugs to you my sister,
Meredith
I do. xo