We are finding ourselves in the midst of that wonderfully unavoidable transition of midwestern seasons. Final tidbits of summer merging with the gentle entrance of autumn. So much to accomplish and so much to enjoy. Mornings and evenings, wrapped in soft flannels, greet chilly noses while the afternoon heat beckons for a run through the sprinkler. We are in full academic mode with lingering promises of summer activities waiting for the shutting of schoolbooks and fleeting weekends. Though still productive, the garden has adopted a marked slower pace. Dying plants are pulled while the scattered remainders demand continued…. yet lighter…. tending, harvesting and preserving still fill pockets of time and there is that waiting to see if the second crops will actually turn into crops. A few enthusiastic tree leaves have opted for a brighter wardrobe, a couple have completed their short flight, but the overall majority aren’t exactly keen on either idea just yet. Slowly but surely, everyone’s once prospering porch flowers are giving way to the adorableness that is mums, gourds and corn stalks. There’s just no stopping this mixing and mingling.

And for it all, I am thankful.