The Color Purple and Shades of Fall

On a recent walk, we saw a huge patch of pokeweed, its ripe purple berries weighing down the branches. These berries attract many birds, but they also ferment and cause erratic behavior. Years ago, we had a whole flock of Very Drunk Blue Jays in our back yard and we finally decided they had been into the pokeweed. But apparently it causes no long term effects in birds.

Seeing pokeweed and other purple flowers like ironweed and asters always tells me fall is coming. But tonight you couldn't tell it. The temperature was perfect, 75 degrees at 8 p.m. while we sat on our front porch and ate popcorn. The night was full of the chirps of crickets, and one lone tree frog still croaking in the distance. A light wind, a slight jingle of the wind chime. No clue that the first snow is blanketing the northern Rockies or that storms are in the plains and tropical storms still prowling the coasts of Mexico. Our weather is supposed to change mid week but tonight was perfect.


A few houses down the street, a bunch of autumn crocus always blooms this time of year. One day nothing and the next day, lovely purple flowers with bright yellow stamens. The autumn crocus is cultivated for saffron, a rare spice. We just admire the neighbor's plant from a distance. Maybe we should start growing some of our own as a hedge against falling stock markets!

Norm is feeling better and his chest congestion cleared up with antibiotics. The coming week is busy with meetings and activities. Gasoline is back down to $2.98 a gallon and still dropping. Hopefully we will get out for some autumn drives once the leaves start turning in earnest. Right now, most of the trees in town are still green, with an occasional bronze on the mountain ash or touch of red on a sugar maple. We are still mowing grass and feeding the compost pile. This endless summer will end but for a few days more, we will relish this incomparable weather.