AHHH! Autumn!
Darkness drops like a thick blanket after official sunset. Gone are the lingering, warm, twilight hours of listening to children play or chatting with neighbors. Now we scurry inside after dark, only the pet owners venturing out for more than a walk to automobile or dumpster.
Days can be warm, jackets left inside, and patio hours in late morning and afternoon a joy.
Gardens remain green. Mine has been revived by actual rain after a long, hot summer and enough water to live, but not thrive. Tomato plants pull up nutrients from below. Tiny fruit sets, swells, and hangs in shorter hours of sunlight.
Will they ripen? Do they have time? What day will frost arrive?
With hope in my heart I check them daily. I’d like one more pair of red, ripe, fresh tomatoes with my salad this year.
