The afternoon is warm and only a slight breeze rustles the leaves on the peach tree. The garden is an odd jumble of dead plants or half-alive ones that are blooming in spite of their neglected state. There's a rash of late blooming zinnias flowering away even while they lay sideways in the beds, held down by a rogue morning glory vine that saw in them a trellis one fine day in July. Now, it may be re-thinking that hasty decision.
The morning glories that grew in their proper place on the fence are a tangled snarl of green and brown. The bottom half brown and top half green, with a stubborn bank of blossoms on the very top making it seem cruel to think about pulling the whole mess off and clearing them. The only plant that looks fresh and vibrant is the potato vine. It's deep green and covered in purple flowers with tiny yellow centers.
Cabbage moths are visiting the mildewy marigolds, since not a cole relative is to be found in our garden, they are making do. The moss roses are mustering a second bloom after feigning death throes all summer. The cooler weather seems to have given them reason to join the living. Or was it the water they got by accident when I sprinkled the lawn a few days ago? The bees are working industriously as they always do, on the going to seed basil. Somewhere under the beleaguered over grown chard leaves, a frog is croaking rather insistently -- to what purpose on this over warm October afternoon I have not a clue.
The birds are busy elsewhere today. They usually only come in droves in the winter when we put out seed. It's a good thing too, for Bob hasn't much to amuse himself with now that the mice have been vanquished for the season.
I too feel a little limp like the garden. We're waiting for some winter storms to move us into our new cold weather activities. Indoor pursuits seem out of tune and the outdoor ones have lost their charm.
0h look at that, even my pen is running out of ink. The words grow paler and paler. I guess it's even time to bid farewell to my writing instrument. I'm forced to say goodbye even as I see the bees have now moved on to the lavender blossoms. They must have decided it was time for dessert.