Neighborhood Color

There are all these bushes around my neighborhood that are stunning right now!  Their leaves change to crimson as the season turns and are now gradually falling off, and it seems they often fall off the tops of the bushes first, leaving this awesome combination of slate grey sticks and brilliant magenta color.  They're all over the ground and it looks like the sidewalks are strewn with rose petals!  I googled around to find out what it is, and I think it might be a Euonymus alata, commonly called the "burning bush" shrub.  Cool, huh?

From Our Backyard

I understand why vineyards are a vacation spot.  We have a small trellis of grape vines in our backyard by the apple tree; their scent hangs heavy in the air as they gather in clusters, and picking them is almost a spiritual experience.  Vines and branches are a strong biblical metaphor, after all.  They are such a bold color, and each vine curls and coils into a unique shape as it grows.  Yesterday was a beautiful day in the midst of a week of foggy rain and mist, so I went outside to breath, and harvested a large bowl of fruit!

Shorter Days

The days are starting to get noticeably shorter - the evening lights slants into our kitchen at an earlier hour now.  The changing of the season always makes me feel excited and a little wistful at the same time.