IN THE GARDEN, AFTER THE RAIN

For after all the best thing one can do when 
it is raining, is to let it rain.
 - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

But once it stops pull on your boots, grab your camera, and head out to the garden. Because this is what you might find . . .

 I hope you all have a moment today to spend time in a garden.

STUDY IN FALL: LINGERING ROSES

During early Autumn, a walk through my garden usually finds rose
hips and bare branches preparing for winter's assault.
But this year things are different.


Two September hurricanes brought inches of warm rain and days
of stifling humidity, leaving the grass greener than it had been in
weeks,

and my summer roses in both bud and bloom.
Instead of finding faded leaves and dried thorns, I filled a vase
and enjoyed the gift of color and grace,

along with the reminder that this warm-weather splendor is
just a reprieve.

So as the days shorten and the temperature drops, I cut as many
blooms as the children can carry, savoring the vintage scents
and velvet touch.
Because when winter arrives and the west wind blows, all we'll
have of summer is a lingering rose.

What is a "Study in . . ."? 

A visual record defined by a single element, such as color, texture, or type. Previous journal entries include Indian Summer, All is White, Family Reunion, and Walney Pond.